Alex Carson
Mike Tyson AKA Iron Mike is one of the most illustrious boxers in history. Despite a life full of controversy and strife, he is one of the greatest fighters to ever enter the ring. At the age of 20, he became the youngest heavyweight champion of all time. Since then he has only stacked up accolades, fame, fortune, and even a bit of notoriety.
He was born on June 30. 1966 in Brooklyn, New York. His formative years were filled with struggle and trouble. He was a member of various street gangs before he was sent to a reform school up north to help combat his wayward ways.
It was there that his boxing prowess and potential was first discovered by Bobby Stewart, a boxing aficionado that was working at the school as a social worker at the time. Famed trainer Cad D’Amato then took him on not only as a mentor but also as his legal guardian.
He quickly started climbing the inherently competitive ladder of the amateur circuit earning himself a highly impressive 24 to 3 record of wins and losses before going professional in 1985.
We’re going to take you on a guided journey of Tyson’s professional career leading up to his much-anticipated return to the ring on September 12, 2020. Fans everywhere are ecstatic to learn that after so many years, Mike will finally face off against Roy Jones Jr after 15 years of retirement.
Facts Verse Presents: Mike Tyson Finally Returns to the Ring
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Stick around till the end of this video to learn what Jones had to say to those concerned about Jones and Tyson fighting at their advanced age.
A unique fighting style
After D’Amato took Tyson in, he taught him what is known as a peekaboo boxing style. This style consists of the fighter keeping there hands close to their cheeks as a protective shield and staying in constant motion bobbing around the ring. It was this unique fighting style that made him nearly impenetrable for so many years.
Tyson is considered a heavyweight fighter. He stands at five feet 11 inches tall and weighs a total of 218 pounds. Typically boxers are taller than he is. He has a unique short and stout build that lends to him having an astonishing level of agility coupled with his aggressiveness that aids in his virtual unstoppability.
Quickly rising to boxings upper echelons
No one expected him to ascend to the top of the boxing hierarchy as quickly as he did, especially since he wasn’t exactly what boxing aficionados were used to seeing in terms of his build and fighting style. His story is very much so the story of an underdog rising above the criticisms of naysayers who didn’t believe in him.
It was on that fateful evening of November 22. 1986 that he became the youngest heavyweight of all time. He beat out Trevor Berbick with a second-round knockout. That win earned him the crown of the World Boxing Council. It was less than one year later that he earned the much-coveted belt from the World Boxing Association when he knocked out James Smith. In that same year, he earned the unanimous recognition of all three major sanctioning boxing organizations including the two we just mentioned as well as the International Boxing Federation after defeating Tony Tucker on August 1, 1987.
Speaking of recognition, did you ever get around to liking this video and subscribing to our channel? It only takes a second and it is the easiest way for you to show us some support. It might not make you the heavyweight champ of the world but it makes you a winner in our book.
Anyways…
Enter Don King and continued controversy
Following the tragic deaths of his trainer D’Amato and his manager Jimmy Jacobs, Tyson linked up with Don King despite his controversial reputation. Mike proceeded to defend his heavyweight champion title 10 more times.
Soon enough, Tyson would tie the knot with actress Robin Givens in 1988, but it was certainly not a match made in heaven, because they would divorce less than one year later following allegations of domestic violence. Robin would even file assault and harassment charges against Tyson which proved to be pretty damaging to his reputation.
One of the biggest upsets in history
It’s no surprise that at some point his winning streak would come to an end. On February 11, 1990, James “Buster” Douglas would steal the undefeated heavyweight champion title away from Tyson following a technical knockout in the 10th round.
Tyson’s ego wouldn’t let that loss hold him back, however, and he promptly rebounded from that defeat with 4 victories in a row. Despite his winning streaks and growing prestige, Mike couldn’t help but attract controversy and trouble. Dark clouds were looming over the horizon for him
Tyson faces more legal trouble
In 1992, still enduring the tarnished reputation of his domestic abuse charges in 88, Tyson got hit with a new set of charges. This time they took on a much more serious tone. Tyson was charged and convicted for the sexual assault of a young beauty pageant contestant.
He would spend several years in prison before being released in 1995. With a quickness, he found himself back in the ring. He’d regain two of his Belts with wins against Frank Bruno and Bruce Seldon. Looks like he still had some fight left in him.
The Holyfield Incident
On November 9, 1996 Mikes’ ego and record would take another hit when he lost to Evander Holyfield – another fighter who had twice held the heavyweight champion status. He lost that fight by yet again succumbing to a technical loss in the 11th round. Mike was heated. There is nothing more that he hates worse than losing.
So the two would face yet again in a rematch on June 28, 1997. Tyson would make a mistake during this fight that would cost him his boxing license. He twice bit Holyfield’s ear hard enough to take a chunk out of it. This is a major infraction in the world of boxing. Nobody takes kindly to this kind of behavior which is considered by most to be a form of cheating.
For nearly 2 years he lost the privilege to box professionally but he regained his license in 1999 and knocked out his first opponent Franz Botha in the fifth round of their fright.
That wasn’t the end of his troubles, however. One month later he would be sentenced to one year of prison, 2 years of community service, 24 months of probation and a sizable fine after pleading no contest to assault charges filed against him the year before involving an incident that took place between Mike and 2 elderly individuals right after an auto accident.
Tyson couldn’t help but keep finding himself at the wrong end of the law.
Self-control issues continue
In 2000 in a fight against Lou Savarese, Tyson refused to stop fighting even after the referee ordered the fight to stop. In the slew of fists he kept hurling he injured the referee.
Tyson then followed up this bizarre event with another shocking press conference where he said outlandish and offensive things about Lennox Lewis, a British heavyweight champion. This started a feud that would build in intensity until the two would finally take their differences to the ring in 2002. Proceeding this fight, Tyson would even attack Lewis at a press conference and land one of his infamous bites on the unsuspecting boxer.
Lennox put an end to their beef when he knocked Tyson out in the eighth round of their fight. Following this wincing blow, Tyson would only have one more professional victory in 2003.
2003 and beyond
Despite having earned over $400 million over the span of this career, Tyson would file for bankruptcy in 2003. Apparently he was $34 million dollars in debt.
In 2004 and 2005 he would lose the last two notable fights of his career before earning new drug charges in 2007 that would result in him spending another 24 hours in prison.
In 2008 the documentary film Tyson would first be premiered at Cannes. This revealing film served as a blessing and a curse for Mike who needed a boost of relevancy to his floundering career but it also revealed many unflattering truths about the athlete that he would have rather not seen come to light.
In 2012, Mike would take it to the stage in a one-man show entitled Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth. Since 2014 he has been apart of the animated Scooby-Doo-esque series Mike Tyson Mysteries on Cartoon Networks ‘Adult Swim’ Programming bloc.
He was also inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011 despite his many controversies and numerous times he has lost his boxing license. There is no question even looking past his torrid life that Mike Tyson is one of the greatest boxers to ever enter the ring.
The Upcoming Fight
Despite not having had a professional fight in 15 years and not clinching a victory since 2003, Tyson will go head to head with Roy Jones Jr on September 12th. You can catch the fight in person at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, or on pay-per-view. The fight will also be broadcast on the digital media platform Triller. Additionally, Triller will be featuring Mike in a ten-part. documentary series leading up to the fight.
Tyson is 54 years old but he is confident that he can take it to the ring and hold his own. Jones is also getting up in age at 51. In his prime, he was known for his relentless mix of speed, technique, and wit. He had a 66 to 9 record at the peak of his career.
Match To Antonio Tarver In 2004
Jones’s career went on the decline when he lost a fateful match to Antonio Tarver in 2004. Unlike Tyson however, Jones has still fought professionally in recent years. His last fight before officially retiring took place in February of 2018 when he defeated Scott Sigmon.
When asked what he thought about his and his opponent’s age, he didn’t seem to have any apprehension or doubt of his or Tyson’s ability to fight, in fact, he said “Trust me, we can take care of ourselves”
Well, that wraps up our look at the upcoming fight of the decade between Jones and Tyson. We’re pretty excited to see how this fight pans out. But we really want to hear from you! Who do you think is going to take victory in the fight between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr.? Let us know what you think in the comments section. And, if you got a second, make sure you hit like, turn on notifications and subscribe to our channel.
