But if people thought that he had slowed down or shrugged off his capacity for the outrageous, they were wrong. In March of 1999 he spent a short time in jail after pleading no contest to two misdemeanor assault charges stemming from a road rage incident. Then, after defeating Lou Savarese in 38 seconds in the summer of 2000, his post-fight behavior and remarks again drew worldwide attention. After the referee stopped the bout, Tyson continued to pound Savarese and even hit the referee with a wild shot. Then outside the ring immediately after the fight he told the assembled media, according to the ESPN website, "I am the most ruthless, brutal champion ever." Tyson continued, "I am Sonny Liston and Jack Dempsey. There is no one who can match me." But he saved his most bizarre remarks for a possible future opponent, heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis. According to the ESPN website, Tyson’s message for Lewis was this: "I want your heart. I want to eat your children." Tyson then added that when he fought Lewis, "I will rip out his heart and feed it to him." Ironically, he admitted later that he was not ready for Lewis yet.
A Living Testament: Today,
mike tyson life in prison Tyson is a testament to the power of the human spirit to overcome adversity. His story is a vivid tapestry of triumph, despair, and redemption. The narrative reminds us that even the hardest of exteriors beats a heart capable of profound change and deep compassion.
Mike Tyson's life story captivates, but other boxing legends also have tales worth exploring. Take Buster Douglas, the underdog who shocked the world by defeating Tyson in 1990. Douglas' enigmatic journey from obscurity to heavyweight champion is filled with twists, turns and lesser-known facts that will leave you craving more. So why not dive into the fascinating world of Buster Douglas and uncover the secrets behind one of boxing's greatest upsets? You might just discover a new appreciation for the sweet science and its many unsung heroes.
If I was scared to be in the house, I was also scared to go outside. By then, I was going to public school and that was a nightmare. I was a pudgy kid, very shy, almost effeminate shy, and I spoke with a lisp. The kids used to call me "Little Fairy Boy" because I was always hanging out with my sister, but my mother had told me that I had to stay around Denise because she was older than me and had to watch me. They also called me "Dirty Ike" or "Dirty Motherfucker" because I didn’t know about hygiene back then. We didn’t have hot water to shower in, and if the gas wasn’t on, we couldn’t even boil water. My mother tried to teach me about it, but I still didn’t do a very good job. She used to take soap and fill a bucket up with hot water and wash me. But when you’re a young kid, you don’t care about hygiene. Eventually I’d learn it in the streets from the older kids. They told me about Brut and Paco Rabanne and Pierre Cardin.
On September 7, 1996 Tyson knocked out Bruce Seldon in 109 seconds. Many spectators and fans watching the pay-per-view event thought the fight was fixed because few saw Tyson punch Seldon, but Sel-don’s trainer said that his man was so scared that he may have had a nervous breakdown. Seldon would never box again and Tyson had won back one of his championship belts: the WBA.
It was a bitter blow, but far from a knockout punch. Tyson still had his co-manager, Jimmy Jacobs, D'Amato's old friend and a legendary trainer in his own right. He had a good team around him, he had that glare, a strong neck that let him take a fair amount of punishment, and fists that seemed unstoppable. Before long they were calling him "Iron Mike," and not long after that, they were calling him champ.
Despite his remarkable success, Mike Tyson’s life was not without its share of setbacks and controversies. In 1990, Tyson suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of Buster Douglas, in what is considered one of boxing’s biggest upsets. This loss, coupled with personal turmoil and legal issues, marked a turning point in Tyson’s life and career.
Året därpå lade Tyson även under sig WBA- (poängvinst 12 ronder över James "Bonecrusher" Smith) och IBF-titlarna (poäng 12 ronder över Tony Tucker), och samlade därmed ihop alla VM-bältena vilka han sedan med bravur försvarade. Bland annat gjorde gamle mästaren Larry Holmes comeback men denne blev besegrad på knock out i rond 4 efter sammanlagt tre nedslagningar. Även Tony Tubbs och Tyrell Biggs mötte samma öde.
Months earlier, in July 1991,
Washington and Tyson had crossed paths at a rehearsal for the Miss Black America pageant in Indianapolis, Indiana, where Washington was a contestant. The 18-year-old went to Tyson’s room with him, where she says he raped her.
Michael Gerard Tyson was born in Brooklyn, New York on June 30, 1966 to Loma Tyson and Jimmy Kirk-patrick. Kirkpatrick left the family when his son was two years old. As a youth Tyson joined a street gang at a very early age and was in trouble with the law many times before he was 12 years old. After an arrest for armed robbery he was sent to the Tyron School in 1978, a correction center for juveniles in upstate New York. It was there that his life changed direction. The school’s physical education teacher saw potential in the young man and introduced him to legendary boxing trainer Cus D’Amato, who lived near the facility at the time. Tyson thrived under the new structure and discipline in his life. Tyson moved in with D’Amato and when the boxer’s mother died when he was 16. D’Amato became his
legal guardian. Tyson was sent back to the Tyron school for a time after he was threatened with a gun by his then-trainer Teddy Atlas. The trainer had heard that Tyson sexually abused a 12-year-old girl and was trying to frighten him. Tyson made stunning progress as an amateur and decided to try out for the Olympic team at the age of 17. After failing to make the 1984 Olympic team, D’Amato decided that it was time for his fighter to turn professional.
