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'''Michael Gerard "Iron Mike" Tyson''', also known as '''Malik Abdul Aziz''',<ref>[http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002498345_tyson16.html "Mike Tyson finds he's the man in Chechyna"] - David Holley, ''Los Angeles Times'', 16 September 2005</ref><ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/arts/film/story/2007/04/13/tyson-bollywood.html "Mike Tyson Goes Bollywood"] - CBC News, 13 April 2007</ref> (born June 30, 1966) is a retired American [[Boxing|boxer]]. He was the [[List of undisputed boxing champions#Heavyweight|undisputed heavyweight champion]] and remains the youngest man ever to win a world heavyweight title at just 20 years old. Throughout his career, Tyson became well-known for his controversial behavior both inside and outside the ring.
'''Michael Gerard "Iron Mike" Tyson''', also known as '''Malik Abdul Aziz''',<ref>[http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002498345_tyson16.html "Mike Tyson finds he's the man in Chechyna"] - David Holley, ''Los Angeles Times'', 16 September 2005</ref><ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/arts/film/story/2007/04/13/tyson-bollywood.html "Mike Tyson Goes Bollywood"] - CBC News, 13 April 2007</ref> (born June 30, 1966) is a retired [[United States|American]] [[Boxing|boxer]]. He was the [[List of undisputed boxing champions#Heavyweight|undisputed heavyweight champion]] and remains the youngest man ever to win a world heavyweight title at just 20 years old. Throughout his career, Tyson became well-known for his controversial behavior both inside and outside the ring.


Nicknamed "Kid Dynamite",<ref name=nyt1989>{{cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE5DF153FF93AA25753C1A96F948260|title=A Body for Better Men to Beat On - New York Times|last=Berger|first=Phil|date=October 19, 1989|publisher=The New York Times|accessdate=2008-10-06}}</ref> "Iron Mike," and "The Baddest Man on the Planet," Tyson won his first 19 professional bouts by knockout, 12 in the first round. He unified the belts in the splintered heavyweight division in the late 1980s. Tyson was the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world for over two years, before losing to 42-to-1 underdog [[Buster Douglas]] in 1990.
Nicknamed "Kid Dynamite",<ref name=nyt1989>{{cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE5DF153FF93AA25753C1A96F948260|title=A Body for Better Men to Beat On - New York Times|last=Berger|first=Phil|date=October 19, 1989|publisher=The New York Times|accessdate=2008-10-06}}</ref> "Iron Mike," and "The Baddest Man on the Planet," Tyson won his first 19 professional bouts by knockout, 12 in the first round. He unified the belts in the splintered heavyweight division in the late 1980s. Tyson was the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world for over two years, before losing to 42-to-1 underdog [[Buster Douglas]] in 1990.

Revision as of 16:38, 24 December 2008

For the former baseball player, see Mike Tyson (baseball).
Mike Tyson
Born
Michael Gerard Tyson

(1966-06-30) June 30, 1966 (age 58)
Brooklyn, New York City, New York
NationalityAmerican
Other namesIron Mike
Baddest Man on the Planet
Kid Dynamite[2]
Statistics
Weight(s)Heavyweight
Height5 ft 11.5 in (1.82 m)[1]
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights58
Wins50
Wins by KO44
Losses6
Draws0
No contests2

Michael Gerard "Iron Mike" Tyson, also known as Malik Abdul Aziz,[3][4] (born June 30, 1966) is a retired American boxer. He was the undisputed heavyweight champion and remains the youngest man ever to win a world heavyweight title at just 20 years old. Throughout his career, Tyson became well-known for his controversial behavior both inside and outside the ring.

Nicknamed "Kid Dynamite",[2] "Iron Mike," and "The Baddest Man on the Planet," Tyson won his first 19 professional bouts by knockout, 12 in the first round. He unified the belts in the splintered heavyweight division in the late 1980s. Tyson was the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world for over two years, before losing to 42-to-1 underdog Buster Douglas in 1990.

In 1992, Tyson was convicted of raping Desiree Washington, for which he served three years in prison. After being released from prison in 1995, he engaged in a series of comeback fights. He regained a portion of the heavyweight title, before losing it to Evander Holyfield in 1996 by an 11th round TKO. Their 1997 rematch ended in shocking fashion as Tyson was disqualified for biting off a piece of Holyfield's ear. He fought for a championship again at 35, losing by knockout to Lennox Lewis in 2002. Tyson retired from competitive boxing in 2005 after two consecutive knockout losses to Danny Williams and Kevin McBride.

Tyson declared bankruptcy in 2003, despite receiving over US$30 million for several of his fights and $300 million during his career.

Early years

Tyson was born in Brooklyn, New York, US. He has two siblings: a brother, Rodney, and a sister, Denise. Tyson's father, Jimmy Kirkpatrick, abandoned his family when Tyson was 2, leaving his mother, Lorna Smith, to care for them on her own[5]. The family lived in Bedford-Stuyvesant until their financial burdens necessitated a move to Brownsville when Tyson was 10 years old.[1]. She died six years later, leaving 16 year-old Tyson in the care of boxing manager and trainer , who would become his legal guardian. Tyson has been quoted saying, "I never saw my mother happy with me and proud of me for doing something: She only knew me as being a wild kid running the streets, coming home with new clothes that she knew I didn't pay for. I never got a chance to talk to her or know about her. Professionally, it has no effect, but it's crushing emotionally and personally."[2] Throughout his childhood, Tyson lived in and around high-crime neighborhoods. He was repeatedly caught committing petty crimes and fighting those who ridiculed his high-pitched voice and lisp. He was constantly molested by older children in his neighborhood.[5] By the age of 13, he had been arrested 38 times.[6] He ended up at the Tryon School for Boys in Johnstown, New York. It was at the school that Tyson's emerging boxing ability was discovered by Deshawn Stewart, a juvenile detention center counselor and former boxer.[5] Stewart considered Tyson to be an outstanding fighter and trained him for a few months before introducing him to Cus D'Amato.[5]

Tyson was later removed from reform school by Cus D'Amato .[7] Kevin Rooney also trained Tyson, and they were occasionally assisted by Teddy Atlas, who was dismissed by D'Amato when Tyson was 15. Rooney eventually took over all training duties for the young fighter.

Tyson's brother Rodney, older by five years, is a physician's assistant in the trauma center of the Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center.[8] He has always been very supportive of his brother's career and was often seen at Tyson's boxing matches in Las Vegas, Nevada. When asked about their relationship, Tyson has been quoted saying, "My brother and I see each other occasionally and we love each other," and "My brother was always something and I was nothing."[3]

Career

Amateur career

Tyson competed at the 1982 Junior Olympic Games, where he won Gold.

He fought Henry Tillman twice as an amateur losing both bouts by close decision. Tillman went on to win heavyweight Gold at the Los Angeles Olympics.

Rise to Stardom

Tyson made his professional debut on March 6, 1985, in Albany, New York. He defeated Hector Mercedes with a first round knockout.[5] Fighting frequently in his first two years as a professional, Tyson won 26 of his first 28 fights by knockout--16 in the first round.[9] The quality of his opponents gradually increased to journeyman fighters and borderline contenders,[9] and his win streak attracted media attention, leading to his being billed as the next great heavyweight champion. D'Amato died in November 1985, relatively early into Tyson's professional career; some speculate that his death was the genesis of many of the troubles Tyson was to experience later as his life and career progressed.[10]

Tyson's first nationally televised bout took place on February 16, 1986, at Houston Field House in Troy, NY against journeyman heavyweight Jesse Ferguson. Tyson knocked down Ferguson with an uppercut in the fifth round that broke Ferguson's nose.[11] During the sixth round, Ferguson began to hold and clinch Tyson in an apparent attempt to avoid further punishment. After admonishing Ferguson several times to obey his commands to box, the referee finally stopped the fight near the middle of the sixth round. Initially ruled a win for Tyson by disqualification (DQ) of his opponent, the ruling was subsequently "adjusted" as a win by technical knockout (TKO) after Tyson's corner protested that a DQ win would end Tyson's string of knockout victories, and that a knockout would have been the inevitable result. The rationale offered for the revised outcome was that the fight was actually stopped because Ferguson could not (rather than would not) continue boxing.

On November 22, 1986, Tyson was given his first title fight against Trevor Berbick for the World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight championship. Tyson won the title by second round TKO, and at the age of 20 years and 4 months became the youngest heavyweight champion in history.[12]

Because of Tyson's strength, many fighters were said to be too intimidated to hit him[13] and this was backed up by his outstanding hand speed, accuracy, coordination, power, and timing. Tyson was also noted for his defensive abilities.[14] Holding his hands high in the Peek-a-Boo style taught by his mentor Cus D'Amato, he slipped and weaved out of the way of the opponent's punches while closing the distance to deliver his own punches.[14] One of Tyson's trademark combinations was to throw a right hook to his opponent's body, then follow it up with a right uppercut to his opponent's chin.

Undisputed Champion

Expectations for Tyson were extremely high, and he embarked on an ambitious campaign to fight all the top heavyweights in the world. Tyson defended his title against James 'Bonecrusher' Smith on March 7, 1987, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He won by unanimous decision and added Smith's World Boxing Association (WBA) title to his existing belt.[15] 'Tyson mania' in the media was becoming rampant.[16] He beat Pinklon Thomas in May with a knockout in the sixth round.[17] On August 1 he took the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title from Tony Tucker in a twelve round unanimous decision.[18] He became the first heavyweight to own all three major belts — WBA, WBC, and IBF — at the same time. Another fight in 1987 was in October that ended with a victory for Tyson by knockout in the seventh round, against 1984 Olympics Super Heavyweight Gold Medallist Tyrell Biggs.[19] Also in 1987, Nintendo released the video game, Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, for its Nintendo Entertainment System. Punch-Out!! is an early example of a video game endorsed by a professional athlete.

Tyson had three fights in 1988. He faced Larry Holmes on January 22, 1988, and defeated the legendary former champion by fourth round knockout.[20] This was the only knockout loss Holmes suffered in 75 professional bouts. In March, Tyson then fought contender Tony Tubbs in Tokyo, Japan, fitting in an easy two-round victory amid promotional and marketing work.[21]

On June 27, 1988, Tyson faced Michael Spinks. Spinks, who had taken the heavyweight championship from Larry Holmes via a 15-round decision in 1985, had not lost his title in the ring but was not recognized as champion by the major boxing organizations. Holmes had previously given up all but the IBF title, and that was eventually stripped from Spinks after he elected to fight Gerry Cooney (winning by a5th-round TKO) rather than IBF Number 1 Contender Tony Tucker, as the Cooney fight provided him a larger purse. However, Spinks did become the lineal champion by beating Holmes and many (including Ring magazine) considered him to have a legitimate claim to being the true heavyweight champion. Tyson knocked out Spinks in 91 seconds of the first round.[22] Spinks, previously unbeaten, would never fight professionally again.

Controversy and upset

During this period, Tyson's problems outside boxing were also starting to emerge. His marriage to Robin Givens was heading for divorce,[23] and his future contract was being fought over by Don King and Bill Cayton.[24] In late 1988, Tyson fired longtime trainer Kevin Rooney, the man many credit for honing Tyson's craft after the death of D'Amato.[14] Without Rooney, Tyson's skills quickly deteriorated and he became more prone to looking for the one-punch knockout, rather than using the combinations that brought him to stardom.[25] He also began to head-hunt, neglecting to attack the opponent's body first.[26] In addition, he lost his defensive skills and began to barrel straight in toward the opponent, neglecting to jab and slip his way in.[27] In 1989, Tyson had only two fights amid personal turmoil. He faced the popular British boxer Frank Bruno in February in a fight where Bruno managed to stun Tyson at the end of the 1st round,[28] although Tyson went on to knock out Bruno in the fifth round. Tyson then knocked out Carl "The Truth" Williams in one round in July.[29]

In 1989, Tyson was granted an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Central State University in Ohio.[30]

By 1990, Tyson seemed to have lost direction, and his personal life and training habits were in disarray. In a fight on February 11, 1990, he lost the undisputed championship to James "Buster" Douglas in Tokyo.[31] Tyson was a 1/42 favorite, but Douglas was at an emotional peak after losing his mother to a stroke 23 days prior to the fight, and fought the fight of his life.[31] Tyson failed to find a way past Douglas's quick jab that had a 12-inch (30 cm) reach advantage over his own. Tyson did send Douglas to the floor in the eighth round, catching him with an uppercut, but Douglas recovered sufficiently to hand Tyson a heavy beating in the subsequent two rounds (after the fight, the Tyson camp would complain that the count was slow and that Douglas had taken longer than ten seconds to get to his feet).[32] Just 35 seconds into the 10th round, Douglas unleashed a brutal combination of blows that sent Tyson to the canvas for the first time in his career. He was counted out by referee Octavio Meyran.[31]

The knockout victory by Douglas over Tyson, the previously undefeated "baddest man on the planet" and arguably the most feared boxer in professional boxing at that time, has been described as one of the most shocking upsets in modern sports history.[33]

After Douglas

After the loss, Tyson recovered by knocking out Henry Tillman[34] and Alex Stewart[35] in the first round in his next two fights. Tyson's victory over the 1984 Olympics Boxing Heavyweight gold medalist (and 1983 Boxing Heavyweight silver medalist of the Pan American Games) Tillman enabled Tyson to avenge his early career amateur losses at Tillman's hands. These bouts set up an elimination match for another shot at the undisputed world heavyweight championship, which Evander Holyfield had taken from Douglas in his first defense of the title.

Tyson, who was the #1 contender, faced #2 contender Donovan 'Razor' Ruddock on March 18, 1991, in Las Vegas. Ruddock at the time was seen as the most dangerous heavyweight around and was thought of as one of the hardest punching heavyweights. Tyson and Ruddock went back and forth for most of the fight, until referee Richard Steele controversially stopped the fight during the seventh round in favor of Tyson. This decision infuriated the fans in attendance, sparking a post-fight melee in the audience and the referee had to be escorted from the ring.[36]

Tyson and Ruddock met again on June 28 that year, with Tyson knocking down Ruddock twice and winning a 12 round unanimous decision.[37] A fight between Tyson and Holyfield for the undisputed championship was arranged for the fall of 1991.

Rape conviction, prison, and aftermath

However, the much-anticipated match between Tyson and reigning champion Holyfield was not to be. Tyson was arrested in July 1991 for the rape of Miss Black Rhode Island, Desiree Washington, in an Indianapolis hotel room. Tyson was convicted on the charge on February 10, 1992.[38]

Under Indiana law, a defendant convicted of a felony must begin serving his prison sentence immediately after the sentence is imposed. He was given a sentence of six years and was released in March 1995 after serving three years.[39] During his incarceration, Tyson converted to Islam[40].

Tyson did not fight again until later in 1995. He had two comeback bouts against Peter McNeeley and Buster Mathis Jr., which he won easily. Interest in Tyson's first comeback fight since his incarceration was high enough that it grossed more than US$96 million worldwide, including a United States record $63 million for PPV television. The fight was purchased by 1.52 million homes, setting both PPV viewership and revenue records for that time.[41] The brief 89 second fight wherein McNeeley swiftly crumpled on facing Tyson, elicited criticism that Tyson's management lined up "Tomato Cans," easily defeatable and unworthy boxers for his return.[42]

He regained one belt by easily winning the WBC title from Frank Bruno (their second fight) in March 1996 by knocking him out in the third round.[43] Tyson added the WBA belt by defeating champion Bruce Seldon in one round in September that year. Seldon was severely criticized and mocked in the popular press for seemingly collapsing to innocuous punches from Tyson in the fight.[44]

The Tyson-Holyfield fights

Tyson vs. Holyfield I

Main article: Tyson-Holyfield I

Tyson attempted to defend the WBA title against Evander Holyfield. Holyfield was in the fourth fight of his own comeback after retiring in 1994 following the loss of his championship to Michael Moorer (who subsequently lost to George Foreman by knockout during his first defense). It was said that Don King and others saw Holyfield, the former champion, who was 34 at the time of the fight and a huge underdog, as a washed up fighter.[45]

On November 9, 1996, in Las Vegas, Nevada, Tyson faced Holyfield in a title bout dubbed 'Finally' . In a surprising turn of events, the supposedly "washed-up" Holyfield, who was given virtually no chance to win by numerous commentators,[46] defeated Tyson by TKO when referee Mitch Halpern stopped the bout in round 11.[47] Holyfield made history with the upset win by being the second person ever to win a heavyweight championship belt three times. However Holyfield's victory was marred by allegations from Tyson's camp of Holyfield's frequent headbutts[48] during the bout. Although the headbutts were ruled accidental by the referee,[48] they would become a point of contention in the subsequent rematch.[49]

Tyson vs. Holyfield II and aftermath

Poster publicizing the June 28, 1997, Holyfield-Tyson II fight, dubbed The Sound and The Fury.
Main article: Holyfield-Tyson II

Tyson and Holyfield fought again on June 28, 1997. Originally, Halpern was supposed to be the referee, but after Tyson's camp protested, Halpern stepped aside in favor of Mills Lane.[50] The highly anticipated rematch was dubbed "The Sound and the Fury," and was held at the Las Vegas MGM Grand Garden Arena, site of the first bout. It was a lucrative event, drawing even more attention than the first bout and grossing $100-million. Tyson received $30 million and Holyfield $35 million — the highest paid professional boxing purses ever until 2007.[51][52] The fight was purchased by 1.99 million households, setting a pay-per-view buy rate record that stood until the May 5, 2007, De La Hoya-Mayweather boxing match.[53][52]

Soon to become one of the most controversial events in modern sports,[54] the fight was stopped at the end of the third round, with Tyson disqualified[55] for biting Holyfield on both ears. The first time he bit him they stopped the match but later resumed. However after the match resumed Tyson did it again except this time he got disqualified and Holyfield won the match. One bite was severe enough to remove a piece of Holyfield's right ear, which was found on the ring floor after the fight.[56] Tyson later stated that it was retaliation for Holyfield repeatedly head butting him without penalty.[49] In the confusion that followed the ending of the bout and announcement of the decision, a near riot erupted in the arena and several people were injured in the ensuing melee.[57]

As a subsequent fallout from the incident, US$3 million was immediately withheld from Tyson's $30-million purse by the Nevada state boxing commission (the most it could legally hold back at the time).[58] Two days after the fight, Tyson issued a statement,[59] apologizing directly to Holyfield for his actions and asked not to be banned for life over the incident.[60] Tyson was roundly condemned in the news media but was not without defenders. Novelist and commentator Katherine Dunn wrote a column that criticized Holyfield's sportsmanship in the controversial bout and charged the news media with being biased against Tyson.[61]

On July 9, 1997, Tyson's boxing license was revoked by the Nevada State Athletic Commission in a unanimous voice vote; he was also fined US$3 million and ordered to pay the legal costs of the hearing.[62] As most state athletic commissions honor sanctions imposed by other states, this effectively made Tyson unable to box in the United States. The revocation was not permanent, as a little more than a year later on October 18, 1998, the commission voted 4-1 to restore Tyson's boxing license.[63]

During his time away from boxing in 1998, Tyson made a guest appearance at WrestleMania XIV as an enforcer for the main event match between Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin.

1999 to 2005

After Holyfield

In January 1999, Tyson returned to the ring to fight the South African Francois Botha, in another fight that ended in controversy. While Botha initially controlled the fight, Tyson allegedly attempted to break Botha's arms during a tie-up and both boxers were cautioned by the referee in the ill-tempered bout. Botha was ahead on points on all scorecards and was confident enough to mock Tyson as the fight continued. Nonetheless, Tyson landed a straight right-hand in the fifth round that knocked out Botha.[64]

Legal problems caught up with Tyson once again. On February 6, 1999, Tyson was sentenced to a year's imprisonment, fined $5,000, and ordered to serve two years probation and perform 200 hours of community service for assaulting two motorists after a traffic accident on August 31, 1998.[65] He served nine months of that sentence. After his release, he fought Orlin Norris on October 23, 1999. Tyson knocked down Norris with a left hook thrown after the bell sounded to end the first round. Norris injured his knee from the off-the-clinch-punch when he went down and said he was unable to continue the fight. Consequently, the bout was ruled a no contest.[66]

In 2000, Tyson had three fights. The first was staged at the MEN Arena, Manchester, England against Julius Francis. Following controversy as to whether Tyson should be allowed into the country, he took four minutes to knock out Francis, ending the bout in the second round.[67] He also fought Lou Savarese in June 2000 in Glasgow, winning in the first round (the fight lasted only 38 seconds). Tyson continued punching after the referee had stopped the fight, knocking him to the floor as he tried to separate the boxers.[68] In October, Tyson fought the similarly controversial Andrzej Gołota,[69] winning in round three after Gołota refused to fight. The result was later changed to no contest after Tyson refused to take a pre-fight drug test and then tested positive for marijuana in a post-fight urine test.[70] Tyson fought only once in 2001, beating Brian Nielsen in Copenhagen with a seventh round TKO.[71]

Lewis vs. Tyson

Main article: Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson
File:Lewis-Tyson.jpg
The Lewis-Tyson fight that took place on June 8, 2002, was one of the most anticipated heavyweight fights in years.

Tyson once again had the opportunity to fight for a heavyweight championship in 2002, against Lennox Lewis, who held the WBC, IBF and IBO titles at the time. As promising amateurs, Tyson and Lewis had sparred together at a training camp, in a meeting arranged by Cus D'Amato in 1984.[72] Tyson sought to fight Lewis in Nevada for a more lucrative box-office venue, but the Nevada boxing commission refused him a license to box as he was facing possible sexual assault charges at the time.[73]

Two years prior to the bout, in a post-fight interview following the Savarese fight, Tyson had made several inflammatory remarks to Lewis, "I want your heart, I want to eat your children."[74] On January 22, 2002, a brawl involving the two boxers and their entourages occurred at a press conference held in New York to publicize the planned event.[75] The melee put to rest any chance of a Nevada fight and alternative arrangements had to be made, with the fight eventually occurring on June 8 at the Pyramid Arena in Memphis, Tennessee. Lewis dominated the fight and knocked out Tyson in the eighth round. Tyson was magnanimous after the fight and praised Lewis on his victory.[76] This fight was the highest-grossing event in pay-per-view history at that time, generating $106.9 million from 1.95 million buys in the USA.[53][52]

Late career, bankruptcy and retirement

On February 22, 2003, Tyson beat fringe contender Clifford Etienne 49 seconds into round one, once again in Memphis. The pre-fight was marred by rumors of Tyson's lack of fitness and that he took time out from training to party in Las Vegas and get a new facial tattoo.[77] This would be Tyson's final professional victory in the ring.

In August 2003, after years of financial struggles, Tyson finally filed for bankruptcy.[78] Tyson is said to have squandered nearly $300 million in ring earnings through lavish spending and bad advice. In 2003, amid all his economic troubles, he was named by Ring Magazine at number 16, right behind Sonny Liston, among the 100 greatest punchers of all time.

On July 30, 2004, Tyson faced the British boxer Danny Williams in another comeback fight, this time staged in Louisville, Kentucky. Tyson dominated the opening two rounds. The third round was even, with Williams getting in some clean blows and also a few illegal ones, for which he was penalized. In the fourth round, Tyson was unexpectedly knocked out. After the fight, it was revealed that Tyson was trying to fight on one leg, having torn a ligament in his other knee in the first round. This was Tyson's fifth career defeat.[79] He underwent surgery for the ligament four days after the fight. His manager, Shelly Finkel, claimed that Tyson was unable to throw meaningful right-hand punches after the knee injury.[80]

On June 11, 2005, Tyson stunned the boxing world by quitting before the start of the seventh round in a close bout against journeyman Kevin McBride. After losing the third of his last four fights, Tyson said he would quit boxing because he no longer had "the fighting guts or the heart anymore." [81]

Exhibition Tour

To help pay off his debts, Tyson subsequently returned to the ring on a world tour in a series of four round exhibitions against journeyman heavyweight Corey 'T-Rex' Sanders. Tyson, without headgear at 5'11.5" and 216 pounds, was in great shape but far from his prime against Sanders, with headgear at 6'8" and an obese 293 pounds, a loser of his last seven pro bouts and nearly blind from a detached retina in his left eye. Tyson appeared to be 'holding back' in these exhibitions to prevent an early end to the 'show'. "If I don't get out of this financial quagmire there's a possibility I may have to be a punching bag for somebody. The money I make isn't going to help my bills from a tremendous standpoint, but I'm going to feel better about myself. I'm not going to be depressed," explained Tyson about the reasons for his 'comeback'.[82]

Legacy

A 1998 ranking of "The Greatest Heavyweights of All-Time" by Ring magazine placed Tyson at #14 on the list.[83]

A computer program, cited by British boxing commentator and journalist Reg Gutteridge in his 1995 book 'Mike Tyson - The Release Of Power', took into account the skill, speed, power, strength, title defences, weight, career records and calibre of opponents. The careers of all heavyweight champions from the last 100 years were evaluated and Tyson ranked as the 4th greatest heavyweight from the last 50 years and 7th greatest of all-time.

In Ring Magazine's list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years, released in 2002, Tyson was ranked at #72.

After professional boxing

File:Just before I had him.jpg
Mike Tyson giving an after dinner speech in 2005.

On the front page of USA Today on June 3, 2005, Tyson was quoted as saying: "My whole life has been a waste - I've been a failure." He continued: "I just want to escape. I'm really embarrassed with myself and my life. I want to be a missionary. I think I could do that while keeping my dignity without letting people know they chased me out of the country. I want to get this part of my life over as soon as possible. In this country nothing good is going to come of me. People put me so high; I wanted to tear that image down."[84] Tyson began to spend much of his time tending to his 350 pigeons in Paradise Valley, an upscale enclave near Phoenix, Arizona.[85]

Tyson has stayed in the limelight by promoting various websites and companies.[86] In the past Tyson had shunned endorsements, accusing other athletes of putting on a false front to obtain them.[87] He has also done entertainment boxing shows at a casino in Las Vegas[88] and started a tour of exhibition bouts to pay off his numerous debts.[89]

On December 29, 2006, Tyson was arrested in Scottsdale, Arizona, on suspicion of DUI and felony drug possession after he nearly crashed into a police SUV shortly after leaving a night club. According to a police probable-cause statement, filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, "[Tyson] admitted to using [drugs] today and stated he is an addict and has a problem."[90] Tyson pleaded not guilty on January 22, 2007, in Maricopa County Superior Court to felony drug possession and paraphernalia possession counts and two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence of drugs. On February 8 he checked himself into an in-patient treatment program for "various addictions" while awaiting trial on the drug charges.[91]

On September 24, 2007, Mike Tyson pleaded guilty to possession of narcotics and driving under the influence. He was convicted of these charges in November 2007 and sentenced to 24 hours in jail, 360 hours community service and 3 years probation. Prosecutors had requested a year long jail sentence, but the judge praised Tyson for seeking help with his drug problems.[92]

As of December 2008, various online sites have posted pictures of Mike Tyson with a 50 to 60 pound weight gain [4]. In fact the New York Daily News posted that Mike Tyson had ballooned to over 300 pounds however this was never confirmed.

Personal life

Tyson has been legally married twice and has had children with several different women. His first marriage was to actress Robin Givens from February 7, 1988 to February 14, 1989.[23] Givens was known for her work on the sitcom Head of the Class. Tyson's marriage to Givens was especially tumultuous with allegations of violence, spousal abuse and mental instability.[93] Matters came to a head when Tyson and Givens gave a joint interview with Barbara Walters on the ABC TV newsmagazine show 20/20 in September 1988, in which Givens described life with Tyson as "torture, pure hell, worse than anything I could possibly imagine."[94] Givens also described Tyson as "manic depressive" on national television while Tyson looked on with an intent and calm expression.[93] A month later, Givens announced that she was seeking a divorce from Tyson.[93] They had no children but she had a miscarriage.[95]

His second marriage was to Monica Turner from April 19, 1997 – January 14, 2003.[96] At the time of the divorce filing, Turner worked as a pediatric resident at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington DC.[97] She is also the sister of Michael Steele, the former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland. Turner filed for divorce from Tyson in January 2002, claiming that he committed adultery during their five-year marriage, an act that "has neither been forgiven nor condoned."[97] The couple had two children: Rayna (born February 14, 1996) and Amir (August 5, 1997).[97] Tyson has other children: Mikey Lorna(18), Miguel Leon(5), and Exodus(3).

[98] [99] [100] [101]

Main article: Mike Tyson in popular culture

At the height of his fame and career in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, Tyson was one of the most recognized sports personalities in the world. Apart from his many sporting accomplishments, his outrageous and controversial behavior in the ring and in his private life has kept him in the public eye.[102] As such, Tyson has appeared in myriad popular media in either cameo appearances (such as the film, Rocky Balboa) or as a subject of parody or satire.

Mike Tyson has also appeared in a song and music video "Second Round Knockout" by then upcoming lyrical specialist, Canibus. The addition of Mike Tyson to the track served as an extended metaphor to the rap battle Canibus had with LL Cool J back in 1998. The song has some boxing references in the lyrics as well as the video containing some boxing and training footage of Tyson coaching a young Canibus.

Published in 2007, author Joe Layden's book The Last Great Fight: The Extraordinary Tale of Two Men and How One Fight Changed Their Lives Forever, chronicled the lives of Tyson and Douglas before and after their heavyweight championship fight. The book received positive reviews and claimed the fight was essentially the beginning of the end of boxing's popularity in mainstream sports.

In 2008, the documentary "Tyson" premiered at the annual Cannes Film Festival in France. The film was directed by James Toback and has interviews with Tyson and clips of his fights.

Boxing championships and accomplishments

Tyson established an impressive list of accomplishments, mostly early in his career:[103]

Titles

  • National Golden Gloves Champion Heavyweight 1984
  • Undisputed Heavyweight champion (held all three major championship belts; WBA, IBF, and WBC) — August 1, 1987 – February 11, 1990
  • WBC Heavyweight Champion — November 22, 1986 – February 11, 1990, March 16, 1996 – 1997 (Vacated)
  • WBA Heavyweight Champion — March 7, 1987 – February 11, 1990, September 7, 1996 – November 9, 1996
  • IBF Heavyweight Champion — August 1, 1987 – February 11, 1990

Records

  • Youngest Heavyweight champion—20 years and 4 months

Awards

Professional boxing record

50 Wins (44 knockouts, 5 decisions, 1 disqualification), 6 Losses (5 knockouts, 1 disqualification), 0 Draws, 2 No Contests[104]
Res. Record Opponent Type Rd., Time Date Location Notes
Loss 50-6 Republic of Ireland Kevin McBride TKO 6 (10), 3:00 2005-06-11 Washington, D.C. Washington, DC Tyson's trainer Jeff Fenech asked for the fight to be stopped after the sixth
round. McBride pushed Tyson over in the sixth. Tyson struggled to get up and looked exhausted. Fenech decided Tyson was unable to continue through exhaustion and called the fight off.
Loss 50-5 United Kingdom Danny Williams KO 4 (10), 2:51 2004-07-30 Kentucky Louisville, KY With 30 seconds left in round one, Tyson sustained ligament damage to his left knee and visibly reached for his knee in pain. Tyson was knocked out in round four and claimed afterwards he was struggling to even stand from the injury. Four days later, Tyson underwent successful surgery to repair the torn knee ligaments.
Win 50-4 United States Clifford Etienne KO 1 (10), 0:49 2003-02-22 Tennessee Memphis, TN
Loss 49-4 United Kingdom Lennox Lewis KO 8 (12), 2:25 2002-06-08 Tennessee Memphis, TN IBF/IBO/WBC Heavyweight titles on the line.
Win 49-3 Denmark Brian Nielsen TKO 7 (10), 3:00 2001-10-13 Denmark Copenhagen, Denmark Corner retirement.
NC 48-3 Poland Andrew Gołota No contest 3 (10) 2000-10-20 Michigan Auburn Hills, MI Originally a win after round two for Tyson after Gołota refused to continue fighting, the bout was ruled a no contest by the Michigan State Athletic Commission due to Tyson testing positive for marijuana after the fight.
Win 48-3 United States Lou Savarese TKO 1 (10), 0:38 2000-06-24 Scotland Glasgow, Scotland
Win 47-3 United Kingdom Julius Francis TKO 2 (10), 1:03 2000-01-29 England Manchester, England
NC 46-3 United States Orlin Norris No contest 1 (10), 3:00 1999-10-23 Nevada Las Vegas, NV Norris suffered a knee injury, following a post-bell punch from Tyson.
Win 46-3 South Africa Francois Botha KO 5 (10), 2:59 1999-01-16 Nevada Las Vegas, NV
Loss 45-3 United States Evander Holyfield Disqualification 3 (12) 1997-06-28 Nevada Las Vegas, NV "The Bite Fight", Tyson disqualified for twice biting Holyfield's ears in round three.
Loss 45-2 United States Evander Holyfield TKO 11 (12), 0:37 1996-11-09 Nevada Las Vegas, NV Lost WBA Heavyweight title.
Win 45-1 United States Bruce Seldon TKO 1 (12), 1:49 1996-09-07 Nevada Las Vegas, NV Won WBA Heavyweight title. WBC title not on the line. Tyson relinquished the WBC title on September 24.[105]
Win 44-1 United Kingdom Frank Bruno TKO 3 (12), 0:50 1996-03-16 Nevada Las Vegas, NV Won WBC Heavyweight title.
Win 43-1 United States Buster Mathis, Jr. KO 3 (12), 2:32 1995-12-16 Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA
Win 42-1 United States Peter McNeeley Disqualification 1 (10) 1995-08-19 Nevada Las Vegas, NV McNeeley was disqualified after his manager entered the ring.
Win 41-1 Canada Donovan Ruddock Decision (unanimous) 12 1991-06-28 Nevada Las Vegas, NV The rematch was as brutal as the first and as a result Ruddock sustained a broken jaw and Tyson suffered a perforated eardrum.
Win 40-1 Canada Donovan Ruddock TKO 7 (12), 2:22 1991-03-18 Nevada Las Vegas, NV The fight was surrounded in controversy after referee Richard Steele stopped Ruddock in the 7th round after a barrage of punches from Tyson even though he appeared to be ok to continue. As a result of the premature stoppage a fight broke out in the ring between both camps and a rematch was called for.
Win 39-1 United Kingdom Alex Stewart TKO 1 (10), 2:27 1990-12-08 New Jersey Atlantic City, NJ The fight was waved off by the referee as a result of the three knock-down rule. Alex Stewart had gone down three times in the first round.
Win 38-1 United States Henry Tillman KO 1 (10), 2:47 1990-06-16 Nevada Las Vegas, NV Tyson gained revenge over the man who had beaten him twice in the amateurs.
Loss 37-1 United States James Douglas KO 10 (12) 1990-02-11 Japan Tokyo, Japan Lost IBF/WBA/WBC Heavyweight titles.
Win 37-0 United States Carl Williams TKO 1 (12), 1:33 1989-07-21 New Jersey Atlantic City, NJ Retained IBF/WBA/WBC Heavyweight titles.
Win 36-0 United Kingdom Frank Bruno TKO 5 (12), 2:55 1989-02-25 Nevada Las Vegas, NV Retained IBF/WBA/WBC Heavyweight titles.
Win 35-0 United States Michael Spinks KO 1 (12), 1:31 1988-06-27 New Jersey Atlantic City, NJ Retained IBF/WBA/WBC Heavyweight titles.
Win 34-0 United States Tony Tubbs TKO 2 (12), 2:54 1988-03-21 Japan Tokyo, Japan Retained IBF/WBA/WBC Heavyweight titles.
Win 33-0 United States Larry Holmes TKO 4 (12), 2:55 1988-01-22 New Jersey Atlantic City, NJ Retained IBF/WBA/WBC Heavyweight titles.
Win 32-0 United States Tyrell Biggs TKO 7 (12), 2:59 1987-10-16 New Jersey Atlantic City, NJ Retained IBF/WBA/WBC Heavyweight titles.
Win 31-0 United States Tony Tucker Decision (unanimous) 12 1987-08-01 Nevada Las Vegas, NV Won IBF Heavyweight title and retained WBA/WBC Heavyweight titles, becoming Undisputed Heavyweight champion.
Win 30-0 United States Pinklon Thomas TKO 6 (12), 2:00 1987-05-30 Nevada Las Vegas, NV Retained WBA/WBC Heavyweight titles.
Win 29-0 United States James Smith Decision (unanimous) 12 1987-03-07 Nevada Las Vegas, NV Won WBA Heavyweight title and retained WBC Heavyweight title.
Win 28-0 Jamaica Trevor Berbick TKO 2 (12), 2:35 1986-11-22 Nevada Las Vegas, NV Won WBC Heavyweight title.
Win 27-0 United States Alfonso Ratcliff TKO 2 (10), 1:41 1986-09-06 Nevada Las Vegas, NV
Win 26-0 Cuba José Ribalta TKO 10 (10) 1986-08-17 New Jersey Atlantic City, NJ
Win 25-0 United States Marvis Frazier KO 1 (10), 0:30 1986-07-26 New York (state) Glens Falls, NY
Win 24-0 United States Lorenzo Boyd KO 2 (10), 1:43 1986-07-11 New York (state) Swan Lake, NY
Win 23-0 United States William Hosea KO 1 (10), 2:03 1986-06-28 New York (state) Troy, NY
Win 22-0 United States Reggie Gross TKO 1 (10), 2:36 1986-06-13 New York (state) New York City, NY
Win 21-0 United States Mitch Green Decision (unanimous) 10 1986-05-20 New York (state) New York City, NY
Win 20-0 United States James Tillis Decision (unanimous) 10 1986-05-09 New York (state) Glens Falls, NY
Win 19-0 United States Steve Zouski KO 3 (10), 2:39 1986-03-10 New York (state) Uniondale, NY
Win 18-0 United States Jesse Ferguson TKO 6 (10), 1:19 1986-02-16 New York (state) Troy, NY
Win 17-0 United States Mike Jameson TKO 5 (8), 0:46 1986-01-24 New Jersey Atlantic City, NJ
Win 16-0 United States David Jaco TKO 1 (10), 2:16 1986-01-11 New York (state) Albany, NY
Win 15-0 United States Mark Young TKO 1, 0:50 1985-12-27 New York (state) Latham, NY
Win 14-0 United States Sammy Scaff TKO 1 (10), 1:19 1985-12-06 New York (state) New York City, NY
Win 13-0 Canada Conroy Nelson TKO 2 1985-11-22 New York (state) Latham, NY
Win 12-0 United States Eddie Richardson KO 1, 1:17 1985-11-13 Texas Houston, TX
Win 11-0 Trinidad and Tobago Sterling Benjamin TKO 1, 0:54 1985-11-01 New York (state) Latham, NY
Win 10-0 United States Robert Colay KO 1 (8), 0:37 1985-10-25 New Jersey Atlantic City, NJ
Win 9-0 United States Donnie Long TKO 1 (6), 1:28 1985-10-09 New Jersey Atlantic City, NJ
Win 8-0 United States Michael Johnson KO 1 (6), 0:39 1985-09-05 New Jersey Atlantic City, NJ
Win 7-0 United States Lorenzo Canady KO 1 (6), 1:05 1985-08-15 New Jersey Atlantic City, NJ
Win 6-0 United States Larry Sims KO 3 (6), 2:04 1985-07-19 New York (state) Poughkeepsie, NY
Win 5-0 United States John Alderson TKO 2 (6) 1985-07-11 New Jersey Atlantic City, NJ
Win 4-0 United States Ricardo Spain KO 1 (6), 0:39 1985-06-20 New Jersey Atlantic City, NJ
Win 3-0 United States Don Halpin KO 4 (4) 1985-05-23 New York (state) Albany, NY
Win 2-0 United States Trent Singleton TKO 1 (4) 1985-04-10 New York (state) Albany, NY
Win 1-0 Puerto Rico Hector Mercedes TKO 1 (4), 1:47 1985-03-06 New York (state) Albany, NY
Awards
Preceded by Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year
1988 		Succeeded by
Sporting positions
Preceded by WBC Heavyweight Champion
22 November 1986–11 February 1990 		Succeeded by
Preceded by WBA Heavyweight Champion
7 March 1987–11 February 1990
Preceded by IBF Heavyweight Champion
1 August 1987–11 February 1990
Preceded by WBC Heavyweight Champion
16 March 1996–1997 (Vacated) 		Succeeded by
Vacancy filled by
Lennox Lewis
Preceded by WBA Heavyweight Champion
7 September 1996–9 November 1996 		Succeeded by

See also

References

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