It started as just a routine walk through a shopping mall. Then I spied a huge sign shouting out the personal appearance of the erstwhile world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson.

I was all in, for a number of reasons. Who wouldn't want to meet the Baddest Man in the World ... in person? Besides, both Tyson and I grew up in the same neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y., albeit a few years apart. Ironically, it would be a casual meeting like this that would bring us both together, 3,000 miles from where we both started out.

With my adrenaline building toward attending my first celebrity meet-and-greet, I anticipated a long line of fans waiting to see the champ. Upon arriving, I was shocked to see Tyson sitting at a desk with a line of only a few dozen people waiting for his autograph. There were, however, a few hundred people eagerly watching from a distance, snapping pictures of Tyson as if he were a caged animal in a zoo.

I made my way through the outer circle of watchers and purchased my ticket to meet the legendary boxing champion. With a few minutes until my spot in line put me directly in front of Tyson, I had time to go over what I would say to him.

A lot of thoughts raced through my mind. This man had a world-class career of 58 total fights: 50 victories (44 KOs), six losses and two no-contests. He had demolished opponents only seconds after the start of a fight. He had bitten part of Evander Holyfield's ear off in a hotly contested battle in the ring. Tyson had made hundreds of millions, which he had eventually lost to his fight promoter and friend Don King. Then came the accusation of rape, and King hired the best attorney he could find. Unfortunately it was a tax attorney, and before he knew it, Tyson was a convicted felon doing hard time, isolated in an Arizona jail. After his release, his career apparently over, he found himself shunned as a deranged fighter and rapist whom the public feared and never really understood.

A few famously bad marriages and Tyson was a rolling train wreck. Then tragedy struck and Tyson lost a young daughter to a tragic accident in his home. The IRS would subsequently come looking for unpaid taxes, and the battered train just about derailed.

Before I knew it, I was directly in front of the champ himself. He was wearing a set of headphones, trying to distance himself from the distractions of a personal appearance, but more important, I would later learn, he was trying to separate himself from thoughts of being a caged animal at a zoo, with dozens of fans taking pictures and shouting out to him. He had tried to rehabilitate himself during the years he spent in jail, embracing religion, focusing on his family, and pondering how he could become a better member of society.

I shook hands with Tyson and was astonished by this ex-world champion's gentle handshake. Before he could pass me off to the next fan, I told him I grew up in the same neighborhood as he and only a few years earlier. He immediately slid his headphones down and asked me where I currently lived. It felt like we talked for 30 minutes, while those behind me anxiously awaited their moment.

It was during this brief encounter that I asked Tyson a few personal questions. I learned he was making just a few thousand dollars for this gig. It didn't seem right, and I mentioned he should be making $30,000 or more for attending trade shows and autograph appearances. He laughed and said maybe he should be partnering with me. I gave him my card and was ushered on, having taken more time than most of those who came either before or after me. I watched Tyson for the remainder of his appearance and walked away with an autograph and a memorable moment.

Two days later I got a call from him. He reminisced a bit about Brooklyn and wanted to get together and work out an appearance schedule where he could meet his legions of fans, rehabilitate his image and, oh yeah, earn that $30,000 appearance fee.

The rest is history. We worked together for the next two years, toured the country making appearances. Tyson always left his fans with the impression that he was thrilled to meet each and every one of them. He was humbled by the outpouring of fans and went out of his way to thank each of them for their support during his tumultuous rise and fall from the throne of a champion. From these experiences eventually evolved his one-man Broadway show. But that's a whole other story.

During our time together, we expanded Mike's appearances to includes photo ops. The one here is typical of just how far you can go with the New Mike Tyson, formerly the Baddest Man on the Planet.