Mike Tyson

Michael Gerard Tyson was once the heavyweight champion of the world. His notorious behavior on and off the ring has spawned interest in his fights, some of which are regarded as the best bouts in the world of boxing.

Tyson was born on June 30, 1966 in Brownsville, Brooklyn. He was a product of a broken family and grew up in a crime-infested neighborhood in New York City. At only the age of 13, he had already been arrested 38 times for robbery and theft. He was committed to the Tryon School for Boys where he made use of his street-acquired brawling skills to begin boxing. His skills in the sport were promising that he was trained for a few months by the institute’s counselor, Bobby Stewart, who was a former boxer himself. He was later to introduced to Cus D’Amato, who was his first coach. D’Amato later became his legal guardian when Tyson’s mother died.

Tyson faired good during his amateur career. In 1985, only at the age of 19, Tyson competed professionally. His career began with a bang when he made his first knockout beating Hector Mercedes only during the first round. He acquired his first major world title in 1986 when he beat Trever Berbick to win the World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight championship. That fight put Tyson in the record as the youngest boxer in boxing history, to become a heavyweight champion, only at the age of 20 years and 4 months.

Throughout his entire career, Tyson was well-known for his KO wins. In 1888 and 1889, the 5’11.5-footer won all fights with KOs. His unmatched skill in boxing earned him praises from fans and critics alike that he was given the title “Kid Dynamite” and the more popular “Iron Mike”.

One of the most upsetting moments in his career was when he lost to underdog James Douglas in Tokyo. Douglas even managed to send Tyson to the canvas. The loss was blamed on Tyson’s disarrayed personal life and training. However, in his next bouts, Tyson again showed the world that he was still the champ. In a 1991 Las Vegas match, he won over World Contender No. 2 Danovan Ruddock via a referee decision to stop the fight during the 7th round. Thereafter, the Tyson-Holyfield match up was brewed.

Another alias Tyson was known for was “Baddest Man on the Planet” and he proved it true when he was convicted in 1992 for raping a beauty queen in Indianapolis. This event temporarily ended Tyson’s career, who was later released in 1995 after 3 years of detention. In that same year, his fans awaited for his comeback fight against Peter McNeeley, which he won without difficulty.