Mike Tyson was born in New York, in Brooklyn, in the Brownsville area. His parents were Lorna Smith and Jimmy Kirkpatrick. However, Mike inherited his last name from his mother's first husband. His father left the family before Mike was born. Mike has an older brother, Rodney, and an older sister, Denise.
Mike's childhood was full of hardships and various misfortunes. He had a very soft character and did not know how to stand up for himself, besides, Mike was overweight at that time. His older brother Rodney and the neighborhood boys, and later classmates, constantly bullied children younger than their age and Mike too. They beat them and took away the change and sweets that their mothers and fathers gave them. Tyson was no exception. Until the age of 10, he was pathologically unable to defend himself. However, at the age of 9-11, Mike experienced a turning point. As he himself says, one day one of the members of a local street gang, who was several years older (namely 3 years), snatched his beloved pigeon from his hands (breeding pigeons was Mike’s favorite pastime since childhood and remains his main hobby to this day day) and tore off his head. Enraged, Mike attacked his attacker and brutally beat him. From that moment on, Mike was respected among local juvenile bandits, who accepted him into their company and taught him to pick pockets, steal and rob stores. Activities of this kind led to arrests, visits (and repeated ones) to correctional institutions for juvenile offenders, during one of which Tyson managed to meet Muhammad Ali, who came there to communicate with difficult teenagers and try to set them on the right path. Tyson himself later recalled that it was after meeting Ali that he first thought about a boxing career.
To understand the conditions in which Mike had to survive, it is interesting to recall another incident involving pigeons. Poor teenagers sometimes did not even have money to eat, so there was no talk of buying pigeons. The birds were simply stolen. So, one day Mike and a friend climbed into one of the other people's pigeon coops and tried to steal several pigeons. The owners noticed them and immediately caught them. They decided to punish the guys in a “peculiar way” - just hang them! Since there was only one rope, we decided to hang them one by one. Mike's friend was chosen first. Tyson stood and watched as his comrade’s legs twitched in convulsions... Tyson himself was saved only by the fact that the neighbors saw what was happening and threatened to call the police. For the boy’s psyche, such things could not pass without a trace. As Mike later recalled, after this incident he spent his entire life “remaining awaiting execution.”
At the age of 13, Tyson was sent to a special school for juvenile offenders (due to his behavior in a regular school), located in upstate New York. By this time, he was considered incorrigible and was distinguished by enormous physical strength for his age: when Mike lost his temper, he could only be calmed down by the joint efforts of several adult men. At the school where Tyson was assigned, former boxer Bobby Stewart worked as a physical education teacher. Having once found himself in a punishment cell for yet another violation of the regime, Mike suddenly asked for the opportunity to talk with him. Stuart came to him, and Mike said that he wanted to become a boxer. Stuart agreed to train him on the condition that Mike would not violate discipline. Mike's behavior after this really changed for the better, and after some time Stuart made another agreement with him: the better Mike does at school, the more Stuart practices boxing with him. And it worked: Tyson, who had previously been considered mentally retarded, managed to significantly improve his academic performance. He was so obsessed with boxing that school staff would sometimes find him training at 3 or 4 a.m., shadow boxing or working out muscles in his room. In a later interview, Stewart recalled that Tyson, who was then 13 years old, literally knocked him down with his jab. Already at the age of 13, Mike could lift a 100-kilogram barbell in the bench press. After some time, Stuart realized that his student had already outgrown him, and introduced Mike to the legendary trainer and manager Cus D'Amato. Mike devoted all his free time to training. Cus D'Amato already knew then that Mike was the future world champion. Cas created a professional team around Tyson: coaches, seconds, massage therapists and others. Thus, a disciplined athlete emerged from a street thug.
While living with Cus D'Amato, Mike watched a lot of videos of old professional fights and, impressed by what he saw, chose for himself a rather unusual image for those times: he entered the ring without music, without a robe, in simple black shorts and boxer shorts. barefoot
After the death of his trainer Cus D'Amato on November 4, 1985, Mike broke down mentally. His defeat by “Buster” Douglas on February 11, 1990, in Japan, is still considered the greatest sensation in boxing history: the odds on Douglas winning were 42 to 1.
1986-07-26 Mike Tyson - Marvis Frazier
In July 1986, Tyson met with the son of the famous heavyweight champion Joe Frazier, Marvis Frazier. At that time, Marvis was considered Tyson’s most dangerous opponent; he had 16 victories, including victories over James Tillis, Joe Bugner, James “Bonecrusher” Smith and only one defeat, which he suffered from Larry Holmes. However, in the fight with Tyson, he suffered the most humiliating defeat of those opponents whom Tyson beat. At the beginning of the 1st round, Tyson drove his opponent into a corner and delivered a right uppercut. Fraser was shocked. Tyson immediately carried out another series of strong blows. The enemy fell. The referee began to count, but seeing that Fraser was lying unconscious, he stopped counting. It was a tough knockout. Fraser came to his senses a few minutes later. It took Tyson only 30 seconds to knock out Frazier. This fight turned out to be the shortest in Tyson's professional career. After this fight, Marvis Frazier had three more fights with little-known boxers and retired from boxing in 1988.
1986-11-22 Mike Tyson - Trevor Berbick
In November 1986, Mike Tyson entered the ring against WBC world champion Trevor Berbick. Berbick only won the champion title in February 1986 and only made his first defense. In the 2nd round, Tyson landed a right uppercut to the jaw, and then hit Berbick in the head with a left hook. Berbick pressed himself against Tyson for a moment, and then fell. Berbick tried to stand up twice, but lost his balance each time. On the third attempt he got up, but he was very unsteady. The referee stopped the fight. After this fight, Berbick's career began to decline. After this fight, Tyson set a world record, becoming the youngest heavyweight champion. At the same time, Kevin Rooney (he was 30 years old at that time) set the record, becoming the youngest coach to lead his coach to the championship title.
1987-03-07 Mike Tyson - James Smith
In March 1987, Tyson fought WBA world champion spoiler James "Bonecrusher" Smith. Smith, in order to escape Tyson's attacks, constantly clinch. Tyson dominated the entire fight. At the end of the 12th round, Smith launched a spurt attack, but it was too late. Tyson won on points with a crushing score.
1987-05-20 Mike Tyson - Pinklon Thomas
In May 1987, Tyson entered the ring against former champion Pinklon Thomas. In the 6th round, Tyson carried out a series of uppercuts and hooks from both hands, some of which landed squarely on the challenger’s jaw. Thomas staggered. After another left hook, the challenger fell to the canvas. He didn’t have time to get up to the count of “10”. The referee stopped the fight.
1987-08-01 Mike Tyson - Tony Tucker
In August 1987, a fight for the title of absolute world heavyweight champion took place between the undefeated WBC and WBA champion Mike Tyson and the undefeated IBF champion Tony Tucker. In the first round, Tucker succeeded in something that no other opponent of Tyson’s had ever succeeded in: with a powerful uppercut, he touched Tyson’s chin, thus forcing him to take a couple of steps back, but he was unable to develop his success. Subsequently, Tucker avoided a fight with Tyson, running around the ring and clinching from him. Tyson won by unanimous decision and became the absolute world heavyweight champion. Tucker suffered the first defeat in his career and set a unique record: he held the IBF title for only 64 days. In turn, Tyson set a world record: he became the youngest absolute heavyweight champion. Subsequently, Tucker cited the catastrophic lack of time required to prepare for such a battle as the reason for his defeat.
1987-10-16 Mike Tyson - Tyrell Biggs
In October 1987, a fight took place between two undefeated boxers - the absolute world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and the Olympic champion Tyrell Biggs, who defeated Lennox Lewis and Francesco Damiani at the 1984 Olympics. The fight against Tyrell Biggs was Tyson's dream, which came true in 1987. Mike wanted to prove to everyone that he, too, could represent America at the Olympics and decided to punish Tyrell Biggs. Tyrell Biggs hoped to beat Tyson with his quick movements and jab, which Tyson blocked more than once in this fight. However, Tyson continued a series of blows to the face and body, which subsequently allowed him to knock down Tyrell Biggs with a left hook in the 7th round. Tyson said immediately after the fight: “I could have beaten Tyrell Biggs in the third round, but I wanted him to remember my blow and this night for a long time.”
1988-01-22 Mike Tyson - Larry Holmes
In January 1988, an important fight for Tyson took place against the world famous Larry Holmes. Tyson dominated all four rounds and knocked out Holmes in the fourth round. Larry Holmes spent the last five seconds of the fight in shock; he did not understand what was happening in the ring. A doctor was urgently called to help Holmes get back on his feet. As Larry Holmes later stated, “Tyson is much better than I thought. His speed and striking tactics are well developed. He is a true champion." For Tyson, Holmes' words were very pleasant. In response, Tyson mentioned that Larry Holmes is the best boxer he ever fought in the ring.
1988-03-21 Mike Tyson - Tony Tubbs
In March 1988, Tyson entered the ring against former champion Tony Tubbs. In the second round, Tyson threw a left hook. Tubbs stumbled back and fell before he could get up before the end of the count.
1988-06-27 Mike Tyson - Michael Spinks
In June 1988, a fight took place between two undefeated boxers - the absolute world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and the former absolute world light heavyweight champion, as well as the former IBF world heavyweight champion Michael Spinks. In the middle of the 1st round, Tyson delivered a left uppercut to the chin and then added a right hook to the body. Spinks dropped to his knee. He stood on the count of "3". Immediately after the fight resumed, Tyson sent his opponent to the canvas again with a right uppercut to the head. Spinks was still on the floor at the count of 10 and the referee stopped the fight. Tyson won the Ring magazine title and became the lineal champion. In this fight, Tyson set a kind of record: He earned at that time the largest fee in boxing history ($22 million) in the shortest time (91 seconds).
1989
In February 1989, Tyson knocked out the strongest British heavyweight, Frank Bruno.
1989-07-21 Mike Tyson - Carl Williams
In July 1989, Tyson entered the ring against Carl Williams. In the middle of the 1st round, Tyson sent the challenger to the canvas with a left uppercut to the jaw. Williams stood at the count of 8, but referee Randy Neumann looked at him and stopped the fight. The decision was controversial. The referee said in a post-fight interview that Williams did not answer the question about his readiness to continue the fight. Williams also gave a post-fight interview in which he stated that he was knocked down, not knocked out, that he was ready to continue the fight, and when asked by the referee about his readiness to continue the fight, he raised his hands, and did not understand why the referee stopped the fight.
1990-02-11 Mike Tyson - James Douglas
On February 11, 1990, Mike Tyson met James “Buster” Douglas in Japan. Tyson underestimated his opponent and was poorly prepared for the fight. At the end of the 8th round, Tyson delivered a right uppercut to the jaw, and Douglas fell to the floor. He was on the floor for more than 10 seconds, the referee counted very slowly, stopped counting at seven, turned around twice and continued counting. At the count of 10, Douglas was still on the floor, the gong rang and the referee stopped counting. Douglas lay on the floor for some time. A normal count would be 16 seconds. In the middle of the 10th round, Douglas landed a right uppercut to the jaw, and then a combination - a left cross, a right cross and again a left cross. Tyson fell. His mouthguard flew out. Tyson almost immediately got up, but the referee quickly counted to 8 and stopped the fight. At the time the fight was stopped, the judges' score was a draw: Larry Rosadilla (82-88 Douglas), Ken Morita (87-86 Tyson), Masakazu Uchida (86-86). After the fight, Tyson's promoter Don King said that the referee took too long to count the knockdown on Douglas, and in fact there was a knockout. The fight received the status of “upset of the year” according to Ring magazine. After this fight, Douglas was not the undisputed champion for long and made only one defense against Evander Holyfield in March 1991, to whom he lost by knockout in the 3rd round, after which he would leave boxing for 6 years, and upon returning he lost in 1998 by knockout in 1 round to Lou Savariz, who was then defeated by Mike Tyson in the same 1st round. Years later, Douglas will say that he should have ended his career after the fight with Tyson, because after it he felt like a deflated balloon. Before this fight, Tyson had shown a lack of discipline in his career, later commenting: "I didn't train at all."
1990-06-16 Mike Tyson - Henry Tillman
In June 1990, Tyson entered the ring against Henry Tillman. At the end of the 1st round, Tyson sent his opponent to the canvas with a right hook to the upper part of the head. At the count of 10, Tillman was still on the floor. Pure knockout. Interestingly, Tillman beat Mike twice in the amateurs.
1990-12-08 Mike Tyson - Alex Stewart
In December 1990, Tyson entered the ring against prospect Alex Stewart. At the beginning of the 1st round, he sent Stewart to the canvas with a right hook to the top of the head. Stewart rose to the count of 5. A minute later, with the same blow, Tyson again sent his opponent to the canvas. Stewart stood at the count of 10 and the referee allowed the fight to continue. A minute later, Tyson sent Stewart to the floor again with a right hook to the jaw. This time Stuart didn't even try to get up. Tyson wins by pure knockout.
Tyson did not like the criticism of himself from the famous HBO commentator Larry Merchant. He gave the channel’s management an ultimatum: “Either Merchant or me.” Management chose Merchant. Tyson left HBO for Showtime.
1991-03-18 Mike Tyson - Donovan Ruddock
In March 1991, Tyson faced Donovan Ruddock. Ruddock by that time was considered one of the strongest heavyweights; their fight was planned back in 1990, but Tyson then refused, citing illness. In the 7th round, he hit Ruddock in the jaw with a left hook. Ruddock staggered and leaned on the ropes. Referee Richard Steele suddenly stopped the fight. The decision was very controversial. After the fight was stopped, a brawl between two corners began in the ring. After security intervened, the fight was stopped.
1991-06-28 Mike Tyson - Donovan Ruddock (2nd fight)
Due to the controversial stoppage of the 1st Tyson-Ruddock fight, a re-fight was scheduled. It took place in June 1991. This time Tyson won on points. Ruddock was knocked down in the 2nd and 4th rounds. Referee Mills Lane deducted points for violations from Tyson in the 4th, 9th and 10th rounds, and from Ruddock in the 8th. After this, Ruddock’s career began to decline; much later, he stated that he spent all his physical and mental strength fighting Tyson, and that after these fights, both Ruddock himself and Tyson ended.
After this fight, Tyson went to prison for 3 years.
1995-08-19 Mike Tyson - Peter McNeely
In August 1995, Tyson entered the ring against Peter McNealy. At the very beginning of the 1st round, Tyson sent his opponent to the floor with a right hook to the head. McNeely jumped up and suddenly ran around the ring. The referee grabbed his arm and began counting the knockdown. The fight continued. In the middle of the round, Tyson carried out a successful attack and knocked down McNealy with a right uppercut. Referee Mills Lane began the count. People from McNealy's corner entered the ring. The referee asked them to leave, but they refused, after which Lane decided to disqualify McNealy, but Peter shouted into the camera that he would come back and show everyone what he was really capable of.
1995-12-16 Mike Tyson - Buster Mathis
In December 1995, Tyson entered the ring against the undefeated Buster Mathis Jr. In the 3rd round, Tyson sent Mathis to the canvas with a right uppercut. Mathis did not have time to rise to the count of 10. The referee recorded a knockout.
March 16 Mike Tyson - Frank Bruno (2 fight)
The rematch between Tyson and Bruno took place on March 16, 1996. Everything became clear from the 1st round, when Tyson touched Bruno’s head on the right in the first seconds. Bruno started clinching at the first opportunity and did not want to let Tyson out of his arms. This helped him survive the first round, but it was beginning to irritate referee Mills Lane. But Iron Mike looked much better in this round than in his last fights before prison. In the third round, Tyson struck with a right to the body, a left hook to the jaw, and then carried out a long series with both hands, ending with several right uppercuts. Bruno fell into the ropes, which kept him on his feet, and the referee saved him from further beating, and the WBC championship went to Mike Tyson. However, then the WBC management refused to sanction the unified fight between Tyson and Bruce Seldon and Tyson was stripped of the title.
September 7 Mike Tyson - Bruce Seldon
In September 1996, Tyson faced WBA world champion Bruce Seldon. Tyson immediately went on the attack. Seldon, in order to escape from Tyson’s attacks, constantly clinch. In the middle of the round, Tyson threw a cross. Seldon collapsed onto the canvas. He rose to the count of 5. Immediately after the resumption of the fight, Tyson again sent his opponent to the canvas with a left straight to the head. Seldon was still on the floor at the count of 10, and the referee stopped the fight. Tyson won the WBA title and became a three-time world champion
November 9 Mike Tyson - Evander Holyfield
1999-01-16 Mike Tyson - Francois Botha
In January 1999, Tyson met South African Francois Botha. Tyson won the fight. At the end of the 5th round, Tyson sent his opponent to the canvas with a right cross to the chin. Botha stood up for the count of 10, but immediately fell onto the ropes. The referee recorded a knockout.
1999-10-23 Mike Tyson - Orlin Norris
In October 1999, Tyson faced Orlin Norris. In the 1st round, Tyson sent his opponent to the canvas with a short left hook to the jaw after the bell. Norris stood up. The referee deducted 2 points from Tyson. Norris did not advance to the 2nd round. A doctor examined him. On his advice, the fight was stopped. The fight was declared invalid.
2000
Due to problems with the law, Tyson spent the next 2 fights outside the United States.
In January 2000, Tyson faced British champion Julius Francis. Francis fell 5 times. After the 5th fall, the referee stopped the fight. Tyson won by knockout in round 2.
2000-06-24 Mike Tyson - Lou Savarise
In June 2000, Tyson faced Lou Savarise. Savaris defeated James Douglas in his last fight. At the beginning of the 1st round, Tyson knocked down Savarise with a left hook. When the enemy stood up, intending to continue the fight, Tyson attacked him to finish him off. Referee John Coyle, trying to put an end to the beating of the helpless Savarise, tried to separate the boxers, but Tyson, not paying attention to the judge, continued to throw punches. Forgetting caution, the boxer, who had gone wild, accidentally hit the referee with his fist and he fell into the ring. Coyle stood up and again categorically demanded that the fight be stopped. This time Tyson complied. There was a hitch; no one knew what the verdict would be. In the end, Tyson was awarded the victory by technical knockout, despite the incident. Savarise, nevertheless, threw up his hands for a long time, as if not understanding why the referee did not allow him to continue the fight. In a post-match interview with Showtime, Mike Tyson said that he is Jack Dempsey and Sonny Liston rolled into one, he is invincible, and finally threatened to eat Lennox Lewis’s children and rip out his own heart.
2000-10-20 Mike Tyson - Andrzej Golota
In October 2000, Tyson became involved with Andrzej Golota. At the end of the 1st round, Tyson knocked down his opponent with a right hook to the jaw. Golota immediately stood up. During the break between rounds 1 and 2, Golota told the coach that Tyson had broken his jaw and asked him to stop the fight, but the coach didn’t believe him. During the break between the 2nd and 3rd rounds, Golota refused to continue the fight. Golota's corner tried to persuade him to continue the fight, but to no avail. Golota ran out of the ring. While he was leaving the hall, spectators threw various objects at him, mainly drink glasses. Near the exit, he was hit by a can of ketchup, which spilled over the boxer’s body. Later, representatives of the Showtime television channel said that Golota was a coward, and they would never show him on their channel again. Shortly after the fight, Tyson's doping test showed traces of marijuana in his blood, and the fight was declared invalid. In October 2001, Tyson went to Denmark to fight a local fighter - Mike Tyson
Personal life
He was married three times: the first time to actress Robin Givens, the second time to Monica Turner, a pediatrician at Georgetown University Medical Center. Since June 6, 2009, he has been married for the third time to Lakia Spicer. Children: Reina (born February 14, 1996), Amir (born August 5, 1997), Deamata Kilrain (born 1990), Miki Lorna (born 1990), Miguel Leon (born 2002), Exodus (died in an accident case in 2009). Son, born January 25, 2011.
Because of this, he often ended up in the hospital.
In the documentary, Tyson said that before the fight with Berbick, he contracted gonorrhea, which made him unable to concentrate on the fight. In 1989, Mike began having problems with alcohol due to a divorce and other problems, so Mike soon gave up training, but after the fight with Douglas, he signed up for treatment.
From mid-1990 to 2010, Mike had problems with drugs, and this greatly affected his career and psyche and problems with the law. For example, the fight with Andrzej Golota, when Tyson won the fight, but a doping test showed traces of marijuana in Tyson’s blood and the fight was declared invalid. In the second fight with Holyfield, after another headbutt, Tyson could not stand it and bit his opponent’s ear, and then in the clinch, after 2 blows, he bit him again. After the fight was stopped, Tyson rushed at Holyfield and began to beat everyone who prevented him from getting to Holyfield. Tyson later made a statement that he was crazy because of the violations on the part of Holyfield and the fact that the judge did nothing, and that he had one thought on his mind - to kill Holyfield, but 15 years later Tyson made a statement that in addition to rage due to Holyfield's headbutts, bit him while under the influence of drugs. On December 29, 2008, Mike Tyson was arrested for using cocaine while driving, but was released the next day.
Because of the drugs, Mike began to have problems with excess weight. In his best shape, as Mike himself said, he weighed no more than 98 kilograms. At the end of his 90s, Mike's weight fluctuated between 101-102 kg. In the fight with Brian Nielsen, he weighed 108 kg, but this did not stop him from winning. In the fight with Lewis, he already weighed 106 kg and the excess weight was clearly visible on his body. From 2007 to 2010, Mike weighed 150-160 kilograms, but in 2009 he became a vegetarian, started playing sports again and lost more than 40 kilograms.
In popular culture
- Mike Tyson served as the prototype for boxer Ian McGregor from the anime series “Baki the Fighter”.
- Mike Tyson has appeared in more than 55 films and TV series. In all of them he played himself. D-Generation X this article, adding links to authoritative sources.
- Tyson, Mike Service Record (English)
This mark is set November 25, 2012.
Henry Romeres: “I’m not going to say that Mike Tyson is the best heavyweight of all time, but there is no doubt that he is the most exciting and entertaining.”
Angelo Dundee said after Tyson's fight with Trevor Berbick: “He's throwing combinations that I haven't seen before. I am amazed. It seemed like nothing could surprise me, because I worked with Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard, but now I see a three-punch combination (from Tyson) that is not inferior to any other in history. Have you ever seen a guy with a right to the kidneys, then the same right uppercut to the head and finishing with a left hook to the head? The question is rhetorical. There was no such guy before or after Tyson. What this man brought to boxing deserves the highest marks. And you shouldn’t rush into “expert” opinions that Mike Tyson didn’t achieve what he could, that he simply wasted his talent, that he will forever remain in history as a boxer who “could have been, but didn’t.” He could, and he became, the standard of world boxing by which other champions are measured to this day."
Muhammad Ali said on the Arsenio Hall show about Mike Tyson: “He knows how to be modest and pleasant, but this man is a great boxer and I don’t know what would have happened if he hit me.”
Leonard, Sugar Ray said: “Tyson is so aggressive and destructive that sometimes you want to lock him up somewhere for your own safety.”
Evander Holyfield said about Mike Tyson: "He was the perfect fighter based on his size. We knew each other since we were amateurs. He was the best heavyweight, and I was the best cruiserweight, and I knew that in the end we will meet in the ring after all. I respected him from the very beginning, I saw all his professional fights. I knew he was the one I had to beat because he was so good. I really think he was much better. what people thought, because many said that he was just a street fighter in the ring, but he fought perfectly based on his size. He has short arms, he is short. If you have short arms, you have to fight aggressively. in a style to win, and he was capable of doing that."
Corey Sanders believes that working with Tyson was a great experience for him, and that Mike helped him as much as he helped Mike: “Training with such a master gave me confidence. I boxed against many fighters and never faced anyone such a strong blow. It looks like he has stones hidden under his gloves.”
George Foreman believes Mike Tyson can still help revive interest in boxing. “He is still the best heavyweight,” said the former champion. “If he works as hard as in his younger years, he can become a champion again.” He has not yet lost any of his qualities, with the exception of the desire to work.” According to Foreman, he is sincerely pleased with the news that Tyson is back in the training room: “Mike has no other activity other than boxing, he lives for it. He has always been a very good boxer and if he dedicates himself to the sport again, it could solve a lot of his problems.”
Frank Bruno noted after the fight: “I know that Tyson is a great boxer, but I have heard opinions that the peak of his boxing skill has passed. Believe me, this is not true. You can feel nuclear power in Tyson’s punches, and I’m sure that thanks to it he will win many more victories.”
Larry Holmes said after the fight with Tyson: “Tyson is much better than I thought. His speed and striking tactics are well developed. He is a real champion.”
Danny Williams answered the question of who hits harder - Klitschko or Tyson, he said: “Tyson hits much harder. It’s no wonder why Vitali doesn’t have many first-round knockouts - his punches are very painful, but he can’t knock out anyone with one punch. And Here is Tyson - every time his blow hits you, your head becomes foggy, and you don’t know where you are. He was only one blow away from finishing me, and only because his best years were already far behind him. Every blow from Tyson can send you into a deep knockout, but Vitaly’s blows are just pain, pain and more pain.”
Lennox Lewis said about Tyson when he was in his prime: “He was like a tornado, knocking out all his opponents. That was when he was at his peak. I think his environment influenced him. He had nothing, and suddenly he became a millionaire , everyone began to worship him. You know, I’m an analyst, I analyze everything. Even his relationship with Robin Givens helped me, showing that you have to be very careful with such women, because they play their own games.
Monte Barrett thanks Tyson for what you've done for boxing: "He's really done a lot for the sport. I really respect Mike and I appreciate that." He said, "In boxing, when you break it down into layers, you show who you really exist and you have to be sincere, always be sincere.”
Arthur Abraham noted that his idol and favorite boxer Mike Tyson was the best in his time. “Tyson is Tyson,” he emphasized. “In his best years it is impossible to compare him with anyone.”
Famous heavyweight boxer Riddick Bowe grew up with Tyson on the same block in Brownsville, he and Tyson went to the same school, only Bowe was years later. When Riddick becomes famous, Tyson will say that he did not know him at that time and was not familiar with him, and Riddick will say that he remembers Mike at that time as a very large guy for his age and a school bully, just like the fact that many guys The weaker ones tried not to appear in the school yard again, since they could run into Tyson and his gang.
Heavyweight boxer James Buster Douglas lost 6 times in his career. 3 of the 6 opponents who defeated him were beaten by Mike Tyson. Namely: Jesse Ferguson beat Douglas on points. Tyson defeated Ferguson by technical knockout in the 6th round. Tony Tucker defeated Douglas by TKO in the 10th round. Tyson defeated Tucker by unanimous decision. Lou Savarise defeated Douglas by knockout in the 1st round, Tyson defeated Savarise by knockout in the 1st round.
After one of his adventures, Mike Tyson ended up in prison, where he met Mohamed Ali, who came to the correctional facility to instruct children on the right path. From that moment on, Mike decided to become a professional boxer. In prison, Tyson, following the example of his idol Muhammad Ali, converted to Islam. True, unlike Ali, Mike Tyson’s spiritual name is less known - Malik Abdul Aziz. In 2010, he made a pilgrimage to Mecca. He also donated $250,000 for the construction of the mosque.
Tyson, Mike on Wikimedia CommonsNew York's Brownsville, known for its high crime rate. At first, Mike was distinguished by a gentle character and inability to stand up for himself, but then he succeeded in street fights and became a member of a criminal gang, often having trouble with the police - at the age of 13 he was detained more than 30 times. For his behavior, Tyson was transferred to a juvenile school in upstate New York, where he was attracted to the boxing classes taught by amateur champion Bob Stewart. In order for Stuart to devote more time to training with him, Mike tightened up his studies and discipline.
In March 1985, in his first fight, Mike Tyson defeated Hector Mercedes by technical knockout.
On November 22, 1986, he won the WBC title, defeating Trevor Berbick. Mike Tyson became the youngest world heavyweight champion.
On March 7, 1987, he was able to defend his title against James Smith. In August, Mike Tyson became the undisputed world heavyweight champion according to the WBC, WBA and IBF versions, defeating Tony Tucker.
Victories over Pinklon Thomas, Tony Tubbs, Larry Holmes, Tyrell Biggs and Michael Spinks confirmed his status as the best boxer in the world.
Mike successfully defended his boxing title until 1990, when he was knocked out for the first time in his career by Buster Douglas in the tenth round.
Tyson's professional career included several convictions. In 1992, he was convicted of raping Miss Black America Desiree Washington and spent three years in prison.
Full of dramatic moments with dizzying highs and crushing lows. This post will introduce you to these and other events from the life of the famous heavyweight.
Michael Gerard Tyson was born on June 30, 1966 in New York City to Lorna Kirkpatrick (née Smith) and Jimmy Kirkpatrick. His father left the family before Mike was born.
Mike's mother and children (elder brother Rodney and older sister Denise) moved to Brownsville, one of the most disadvantaged areas of New York. Due to their difficult financial situation, their family had to live for several years in a house where there was no heating or hot water.
As a child, Mike was soft and unable to stand up for himself. His older brother and neighbor boys, and later classmates, often bullied him, beat him, and took away his money and food.
At the age of 10, Mike experienced a turning point. From childhood to this day, Mike's favorites were pigeons. One day, one of the members of a street gang snatched his beloved pigeon from his hands and tore off its head.
An angry Mike attacked his attacker and beat him severely. After this, the bandits accepted him into their company and taught him to steal and rob stores. For this, Mike was often a client of correctional institutions.
Mohammed Ali once came to one of them to communicate with difficult teenagers and try to guide them on the right path. Tyson himself later recalled that for the first time after meeting Ali, he thought about a career as a professional boxer.
At the age of 13, Tyson was sent to a special school for juvenile offenders, located in northern New York, where former boxer Bobby Stewart worked as a physical education teacher, to whom Mike told him that he wanted to become a professional boxer.
Stuart agreed to train him on the condition that Mike would not violate discipline. He fell so in love with boxing that the school staff would sometimes find him training at 2-3 a.m., shadow boxing or working out his muscles in his room.
After some time, Stewart realized that his student had already outgrown himself, and brought Mike to the legendary coach and manager Cas D'Amato, who trained two world champions.
By this time, D’Amato had almost completely moved away from big boxing and was mainly working with difficult teenagers. After some time, Mike moved into his house, and after the death of Tyson’s mother, D’Amato formalized guardianship over him.
At the age of 15, Tyson began an amateur career, which did not work out as successfully as expected, and on March 6, 1985, he entered the professional ring for the first time.
His first opponent was Hector Mercedes, who was knocked out in the first round.
During his first year in the professional ring, Tyson had 15 fights and won early victories in all of them. Experts began to call him the ideal heavyweight and future world champion.
Mike's coach did not live to see his championship: in November 1985, 77-year-old Cas died of pneumonia. D'Amato's death was a heavy loss for Tyson, but he still had the best boxing team in the world around him.
Among Tyson's fights in 1986, there were only two in which his opponents managed to leave the ring on their feet. After six more fights, Tyson entered his first championship fight.
His opponent was Jamaican-Canadian boxer Trevor Berbick, who had won the WBC title a few months earlier. Having survived the first round with difficulty, in the second Berbick was on the floor twice and the referee stopped the match.
“I am a world champion and I am ready to fight anyone in the world,” Tyson said in a post-fight interview.
Over the next two years, Tyson fought a series of fights, alternately defeating the 1984 Olympic champion Tyrell Biggs, former world champions Larry Holmes, Tony Tubbs and Michael Spinks, the future world champion Frank Bruno, as well as a fairly strong heavyweight Carl Williams.
At the same time, an event occurred in Tyson’s life that, according to many, had an extremely negative impact on his psychological state and boxing career: Mike married aspiring actress Robin Givens.
Their marriage lasted only about a year, during which Mike had to go through loud scandals, public humiliation and even fights (fragile Robin did not hesitate to slap her husband on occasion).
All this put Tyson on the brink of a nervous breakdown and, apparently, seriously undermined his mental health.
Already starting in 1987, he began to neglect training, and then completely dispersed his team, which consisted of managers and trainers who had worked with him since the days of Cus D’Amato and went under the patronage of the notorious promoter Don King.
In 1988, Tyson suffered a concussion after crashing his car into a tree. According to one version, it was a suicide attempt.
It is not surprising that in 1990 Mike Tyson was defeated by outsider James Douglas. So Mike again found himself in the role of a contender.
In the summer of 1991, another episode occurred in Tyson’s life that radically changed his fate. Mike attended the Miss Black America beauty pageant, where he met one of the participants, a certain Desiree Washington.
Miss Washington favorably accepted the ex-champion's advances, they rode together in his car, hugged near the hotel where Mike lived, and then went up to his room.
A day later, Washington said Tyson raped her. Despite a lot of circumstantial evidence and testimony confirming that everything happened by mutual consent, the court sided with the victim.
Mike was sentenced to six years in prison, of which he served about three.
He was released only in March 1995, having converted to Islam in prison (he took the name Malik Abdul Aziz) and became acquainted with the works of Voltaire, Mao Zedong and Che Guevara.
Tyson fought his first fight after returning from prison on August 19, 1995 against hereditary boxer Peter McNealy. Already in the first round, McNealy was on the floor twice and was disqualified because his seconds jumped into the ring.
In November 1996, the long-awaited fight between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield finally took place, preparations for which began even before Mike went to prison. Tyson was the favorite in this fight, but Holyfield managed to surprise all boxing experts and fans by winning a difficult but indisputable victory.
The rematch was surrounded by unprecedented excitement: all 16 thousand tickets for it were sold out on the first day.
Instead of an exciting boxing match, this time the audience saw something completely unexpected: in the third round, Mike, offended that Holyfield hit his head several times, bit off a piece of Evander’s right ear and then pushed him in the back.
Referee Mills Lane called a doctor, who, after examining Holyfield's ear, ruled that he could continue the fight. After some time, Tyson again bit his opponent on the ear, this time on the left, and was disqualified.
As Tyson left the ring, disappointed spectators shouted insults at him and threw garbage at him.
After that, the label of a cannibal stuck to Tyson forever, and even at Madame Tussauds, his wax figure was moved from the gym to the hall of horrors, placing it next to the figure of the movie cannibal Hannibal Lecter.
The next time Mike had a chance to enter the ring only a year and a half later. Although he was initially banned for life for the incident with Holyfield, Tyson's popularity and the income generated by his fights forced officials to change their decision.
Meanwhile, during these year and a half, Mike managed to show himself at his worst. He became completely uncontrollable and had several extremely unpleasant incidents.
So, he beat two elderly men with whom he had a conflict due to a minor traffic accident. This incident brought him back to court.
He demonstrated an outburst of aggression at a meeting of the boxing commission, which was considering the issue of lifting his disqualification.
In 1998, psychiatrists who examined Tyson determined that he suffered from low self-esteem and experienced severe bouts of depression.
Unfortunately, the fight with Francois Botha, which took place in January 1999, only confirmed the fact that Mike’s psyche was not all right. The first round ended just at the moment when Mike openly tried to break his opponent's arm.
Despite Tyson's victory by knockout in the fifth round, his boxing reputation suffered greatly after this fight. Mike's shots lost their accuracy, he missed a lot, and his winning did not look logical at all.
The result of the next fight was annulled after traces of marijuana were found in Tyson's tests. At the same time, Mike married for the second time to nurse Monica Turner.
Following this, Mike took a year's break and next entered the ring only in October 2001 against the Dane Brian Nielsen. The fight was won by technical knockout in the seventh round, but Mike looked rather pale in it.
Tyson's next opponent was supposed to be the universally recognized world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis. However, a joint press conference between boxers that took place on January 22 of the same year escalated into a fight.
During it, Tyson attacked Lewis’s bodyguard, and then, in the ensuing melee, he sank his teeth into the leg of the champion himself.
In the fight that did take place, Mike suffered a crushing defeat. At the post-match press conference, Tyson told reporters that he was very glad that he managed to leave the ring alive that evening.
Later, a difficult financial situation forced him to fight a couple more fights. But after losing to mediocre boxer Kevin McBride in 2005, Tyson said that he did not want to disgrace his favorite sport by losing to such opponents, and therefore he was retiring from boxing.
In 2006, the former world heavyweight champion got a job at one of the Las Vegas casinos, where, together with his trainer Jeff Fenech, he conducted demonstration training sessions that attracted several hundred people.
That same year, Mike began a world tour, starting with a knockdown but never finishing it.
Later, “Iron Mike,” who by that time was already divorced, agreed to work as a “call boy” in the famous brothel of Heidi Fleiss, but did not stay in this job for long.
12/29/2006 Mike Tyson was arrested for cocaine use, released from prison the next day, after which he admitted to being a drug addict in court and underwent treatment.
Tyson now has eight children from different wives. Reina, Amir, Deamata, Mikey, Miguel, D'Amato (named after the teacher Casa D'Amato), Milan, Morocco. In 2009, his daughter Exodus died after getting tangled in the wires of a treadmill.
Just two weeks after the tragic death of his daughter, Mike Tyson married Lakia Spicer for the third time.
Now he is a decent family man. He is a vegan and an animal defender and promotes his views in every possible way.
Tyson is often invited to act in films. He has about 40 roles in films and TV series. Some of the most popular are roles in the films “Crocodile Dundee”, “Rocky Balboa”, “Scary Movie”, “The Hangover” and “Slaughter Revenge”.
Mike Tyson is a professional heavyweight boxer whose name remains the most recognizable among his colleagues to this day. At one time he was nicknamed the “killer boxer” for his punching power and aggressive behavior in the ring. Olympic champion among juniors, absolute world champion, repeatedly recognized champion according to WBC, WBA, IBF, The Ring. A master of quick knockouts, many of whose records have not yet been broken.
Childhood and youth
Michael Gerard Tyson was born in June 1966 in the Brownsville area of New York. His father was Purcell Tyson, but he abandoned the family before his son was born. Michael was the youngest child: the eldest daughter Denise and son Rodney were growing up in the family. In early childhood, Tyson was very vulnerable. He was offended by his peers, the yard boys and even his older brother. He could not stand up for himself and often suffered because of this, coming home with bruises and without pocket money.
In June 2005, Mike met in the ring with little-known Irish boxer Kevin McBride. Of course, the fans bet on Tyson. But in the 5th round the champion's fatigue began to show, and in the 6th he sat down on the floor and refused to participate in the 7th round. After this fight, Mike announced that he had decided to end his career.
Movies and books
The life story of the popular heavyweight was taken as the basis for several documentaries. This is the mid-90s film "Fallen Champion: The Untold Story of Mike Tyson" and the 2000s works "Beyond Glory" and "Tyson".
Mike Tyson is one of the best and extraordinary heavyweight fighters of the late last - early this century. In addition to his sporting achievements, the American fighter can boast of his parental achievements. Mike Tyson is the father of 8 children. Throughout his life, the athlete was married three times: the first wife was actress Robin Givens, the second was pediatrician Monica Turner. On June 6, 2009, Lakia Spicer became the official third wife of the boxer.
The eldest children are a boy, Deamata Kilrain, and a girl, Miki Lorna, born in 1990. An interesting fact is that these children are illegitimate, since at the time of their birth the athlete was already divorced from his first wife. The children graduated from California High School. The oldest children of the athlete live “their own lives.” Their father supports them financially and morally in every possible way. The athlete has said many times that these children, despite the fact that they were born out of wedlock, are just as close as everyone else.
During his second marriage, Mike had two children: a girl, Raina, born on February 14, 1996, and a boy, Amir, born on August 5, 1997. Today, the Boxer children are 21 and 20 years old, respectively. Mike's eldest son, Amir, is trying his hand at acting. His first film was a cameo role in a documentary about his father, which was presented to the viewer in 2008 under the same name “Tyson.” It is noteworthy that the couple lived in this marriage for only six years: the wife filed for divorce because she suspected her husband of cheating.
The information was confirmed by Tyson himself and the fact that in 2002 his mistress gave birth to his son, Miguel Leon. This woman gave birth to the boxer's daughter Escodus in 2005. After 4 years, the girl died. The cause of death of the child was suffocation from the loop of a home exercise machine.
This episode greatly influenced the athlete’s life: at one point he decided to give up bad habits (smoking, alcohol, drugs). The athlete leads a healthy lifestyle, eats only healthy food. Moreover, the athlete has been a true vegetarian for several years. Many experts note a change in the legend: he noticeably lost weight (lost about 60 kilograms), acquired an interesting hobby - breeding pigeons.
The girl Milan was born in 2009, and is the boxer’s first child together with his current wife Lakia Spicer. The athlete did not show the child to journalists for a long time for personal reasons. The baby first appeared in front of the cameras with her father at the premiere of the film “One Night in Vegas” in Las Vegas. Today the girl goes to school, teachers speak flatteringly about her, emphasizing her calmness, hard work and self-control.
On January 25, 2011, the athlete and his current wife gave birth to a boy, Miguel. At birth, the baby weighed as much as 4 kilograms, with a height of 48 centimeters. The child's full name is Morocco Elliya Tyson. Parents describe the child as “a quiet and calm, sweet son.” It is noteworthy that the parents recreated a wonderful atmosphere between all the children.
The youngest son of the athlete is the boy Miguel, born in 2013. Today he is only 4 years old, he lives with his parents and is completely under their care.
Unfortunately, both the boxing and outside the ring life of the athlete, until 2009, was not 100% an example to follow: frequent stays in the police station, three real prison sentences, a bitten off opponent’s earlobe and much more negatively characterize Tyson. But still, along with his fantastic sporting achievements, no matter how outrageous and unheard of his behavior was, his children should be proud of their father’s hard work, perseverance, and talent.
The comfort in the Tysons’ house, according to the athlete himself, is provided by his beautiful wife, who, by the way, is 12 years younger than him. This woman managed to “pacify” the malicious boxer in one moment, be there in difficult times, provide all kinds of support and care.
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