TOKYO — World heavyweight champion Mike Tyson played the iron-fisted sphinx Friday while trainer Kevin Rooney did all the talking, promising fans a busy but silent titleholder who will fight all over the world.

No longer, Rooney said, will Tyson fights be monotonously datelined Las Vegas, Philadelphia or wherever.

"No, you'll be getting them from Tokyo, London, I hope maybe Australia, wherever we want to do international traveling," said Rooney. "He's going to be that kind of champion."

Rooney has known the champion since Tyson, then a 13-year-old reform school graduate, joined the late Cus D'Amato's stable seven years ago.

Only 20 when he stopped World Boxing Council champion Trevor Berbick in 1986, Tyson became the youngest fighter to win a heavyweight crown. He followed that with a lackluster 12-round decision over World Boxing Association titlist James "Bonecrusher" Smith. Defeating International Boxing Federation champion Tony Tucker Aug. 1, Tyson became the youngest undisputed titleholder at 21.

He then took former Olympic champion Tyrell Biggs in seven rounds and shattered Larry Holmes in four.

Rooney had little to say about Tyson's March 21 defense against former WBA champion Tony Tubbs in the new Tokyo Dome — even less about his June 27 match with onetime IBF titleholder Michael Spinks in Atlantic City, N.J.

"No, I'm not worried about it (the Spinks fight)," Rooney said. "I'm not worried about him, I'm not worried about anyone out there. My full concentration is on Tony Tubbs. We're not looking past him. I've got no focus on Spinks. I'm just concerned about Tubbs, but he can't beat my boy."

Rooney agreed with boxing critics who call Tubbs a spare, rangy heavyweight who can be reached and hurt, but refused to go along with those who predict a one-round pay day for Tyson in Tokyo.

"No, I'm not into picking rounds," said the feisty Irishman, who was a top lightweight until he lost twice and was told by D'Amato to quit and become a trainer. "It will be a (Tyson) victory, it will be very exciting ... Tony Tubbs at one point in his career was very promising and he was a good mover, good boxer, good counterpuncher. I expect the fight to be very exciting. But Michael will end it very easily by a knockout or a clear-cut decision."

As for Tyson, he was fluent only with his fists. Chunky and massive, built like a medieval axman, he spun a wine-colored bodybag with hooks that were thrown in blurred flurries and sounded like a battery of howitzers going off. He puffed and paused, heard a few words from Rooney, then went back into a low, locked-and-cocked crouch.

Finishing his workout with a barehanded tattoo on the speedbag, Tyson stopped to collect his pretty bride of two weeks, television actress Robin Givens, who sat reading a Tom Wolfe novel.

"How you doing, champ?" somebody asked.

"How are you?" Tyson nodded back uneasily — the most he said the whole afternoon.

Besides being one of the busiest champions, Rooney said, his fighter will be one of the quietest, feeling that his private life is not public property.

"He's not boisterous. He's a fighter, he's a humble human being and that's the way he'll be. And I think that style is made for the world. All we owe them (the public) is a performance. He's shy, he's not a publicity hound. He'd rather be left alone. He depends on his performance."