Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is a former two-time
American world heavyweight boxing champion and is the youngest man to win
the heavyweight title. During his prime in the late 1980s, Tyson was
considered one of the greatest heavyweights and one of the most recognizable
athletes in the world. Nicknamed "Iron Mike Tyson", "Kid Dynamite" and "The
Baddest Man on the Planet" Tyson adopted the Muslim name Malik Abdul Aziz,
after his conversion to Islam while in prison for his rape conviction. [2][3]
For his behavior both in and out of the ring, ESPN has ranked Tyson as the
#1 Most Outrageous Character in modern sports history as determined by a
panel of experts and an internet poll. [4]
Trained by Hall of Fame trainer Cus D'Amato early in his career, Tyson
unified the belts in the splintered heavyweight division in the late 1980s
and won many of his fights by knockout. Tyson knocked out his first 19
professional opponents within six rounds, stopping 13 of them in the first
round. He reigned as undisputed
heavyweight champion for over two years before losing in a shocking upset to
Buster Douglas in early 1990. He was convicted of raping a beauty pageant
contestant in 1992, and after being released from prison in 1995, he engaged
in a series of comeback fights before losing in another upset, this time to
Evander Holyfield. In 1997, his rematch with Holyfield ended when Tyson bit
off a portion of Holyfield's ear in retaliation for what he perceived as
intentional headbutts. He fought for a championship again at the age of 35,
losing by knockout to Lennox Lewis in 2002. After losing two consecutive
bouts to journeymen, Tyson retired from competitive boxing in 2005. He has
since engaged in a series of exhibition bouts in a tour across the US to pay
his numerous debts. Despite receiving over US$30 million for several of his
fights and $300 million over his career, Tyson declared bankruptcy in 2003.
Early years
Tyson was born in the notorious Brownsville section of Brooklyn. His
early childhood was marked by strife and hunger, forcing his mother, Lorna
Smith Tyson, to provide for her family following the departure of their
father, Jimmy Kirkpatrick,[5]
when Tyson was two years old. Tyson's reputation as a youth who would beat
up anyone who ridiculed his high-pitched, lisping voice was fueled by
constant abuse by older children on the streets of Brownsville.[5]
Expelled from junior high school for fighting, Tyson passed through juvenile
detention centers, yet remained in trouble with the state for petty crime
and violence. He made his way through the tough streets of New York by
mugging and purse-snatching; by the time he was 13, he had been arrested 38
times.[6] He eventually
ended up at the Tryon School for Boys in Upstate New York. It was at Tryon
that Tyson's raw boxing ability and incredible potential in the ring was
discovered by a juvenile detention center counselor and former boxer named
Bobby Stewart.[5] As Tyson
was an outstanding physical specimen, Stewart trained him for a few months
and then introduced him to the legendary Cus D'Amato.[5]
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Mike Tyson in
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Tyson was later removed from reform school by D'Amato, a well-known
boxing trainer whose protégés included former champions Floyd Patterson and
José Torres.[7] He saw the young
boxer's potential and took him off Stewart's hands to train him; he later
became Tyson's legal guardian,[5]
and Tyson has often mentioned his love for D'Amato as a father figure. Kevin
Rooney also trained Tyson under D'Amato, and they were occasionally assisted
by Teddy Atlas but Atlas was kicked out by D'Amato when Tyson was 15, and
Rooney would eventually take over all training duties.
Amateur career
As an amateur, Tyson amassed a 24-3 record and was considered a
formidable opponent and prime candidate to represent the USA in the 1984
Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. However, two losses to Henry Tillman ended
his chances to represent the US in the Olympics. In 1984 he was also the
National Golden Gloves Heavyweight Champion. Tyson turned professional soon
after.[8]
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 19
of his first 22 fights by knockout, 13 of which came 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 reportedly 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 break the clinches and 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]
Floyd Patterson had been the youngest heavyweight champ to that time, at the
age of 21 and 10 months, having won the title by beating Archie Moore in an
elimination series following the retirement of Rocky Marciano. Muhammad Ali
holds the record as the second youngest man to take the lineal title from
the reigning undisputed champion (Sonny Liston) in the ring.[13]
At age 20, Tyson was around 221 lbs
(100 kg) with approximately 5.5% body fat, and was stocky for his height of
5 ft 11.5 in (182 cm). Because of Tyson's strength, many fighters were said
to be too intimidated to hit him[14]
and this was backed up by his above-average hand speed, accuracy,
coordination, power, and timing. Tyson was also noted for his defensive
abilities.[15] 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.[15]
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.[16]
'Tyson mania' in the media was becoming rampant.[17]
He beat Pinklon Thomas in May with a knockout in the sixth round.[18]
On August 1 he took the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title from
Tony Tucker in a twelve round unanimous decision.[19]
He became the first heavyweight to own all three major belts — WBA, WBC, and
IBF — at the same time. His only other fight in 1987 was in October against
the 1984 Olympic Super Heavyweight gold medalist Tyrell Biggs,
that ended with a victory for Tyson by knockout in the seventh round.[20]
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 an aged but still game Larry
Holmes on January 22, 1988, and defeated the legendary former champion by
fourth round knockout.[21] 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.[22]
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. 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.[23]
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,[24]
and his future contract was being fought over by Don King and Bill Cayton.[25]
In late 1988, Tyson fired longtime trainer Kevin Rooney, the man many credit
for honing Tyson's craft after the death of D'Amato.[15]
Without Rooney, Tyson's skills slowly deteriorated and he became more prone
to looking for the one-punch knockout, rather than utilizing the
combinations that brought him to stardom.[26]
He also began to headhunt, neglecting to attack the opponent's body first.[27]
In addition, he lost his defensive skills and began to barrel straight in
toward the opponent, neglecting to jab and slip his way in.[28]
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,[29]
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.[30]
In 1989, Tyson was granted an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters from
Central State University in Ohio.
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 two weeks prior to the fight, and fought the fight of
his life.[31] Tyson failed
to find a way past Douglas's lightning fast jab that had a 12-inch (300 mm)
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 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 contenders 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 is thought of as one of the hardest
punching heavyweights ever. 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]
Tyson's trial is chronicled in the book Down For The Count by Mark
Shaw,[39] which suggests that
Tyson would not have been convicted if he had been provided adequate legal
defense counsel and that Tyson thus did not receive a fair trial.
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 on March 1995 after serving three
years.[40] During his
incarceration, Tyson converted to Islam.[2]
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 USD $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
Tyson's next defense of his fringe title came against Evander Holyfield,
who 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
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 till 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. 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, USD $3-million was immediately
withheld from Tyson's $30 million purse by the Nevada state boxing
commission (the most it can legally hold back).[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 USD
$3-million and ordered to pay the legal costs of the hearing.[62]
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]
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]
Tyson vs. Lewis
Tyson once again had the opportunity to fight for a heavyweight
championship in 2002, against his former friend, 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] Like the
Holyfield fights, various circumstances in the 1990s delayed any earlier
professional level match-up of Tyson with Lewis.
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]
Legacy
Although Tyson was considered a formidable champion during his prime, his
apparent lack of discipline and self control, both in and out of the ring,
led to a series of personal problems as well as periods of imprisonment.
After being released from prison in 1995, Tyson failed to reclaim his
previous dominance during his heavily anticipated comeback. His greatest
impact upon the boxing world was as a fighter during the 1980s, as the
latter part of his career was overshadowed by controversy, although he
eventually regained two title belts. A 1998 ranking of "The Greatest
Heavyweights of All-Time" by Ring magazine placed Tyson at #14 on the list.[82]
Professional boxing record
| 50 Wins (44 knockouts, 5
decisions, 1 disqualification), 6 Losses (5 knockouts, 1
disqualification), 0 Draws, 2 No Contests[83] |
|
Res |
Opponent |
Type |
Rd., Time |
Date |
Location |
Notes |
|
Loss |
Kevin McBride |
TKO |
6
(10), 3:00 |
2005-06-11 |
Washington, DC |
Tyson's trainer Jeff Fenech asked for the fight
to be stopped after the sixth
round. Tyson didn't appear to be hurt and was winning the fight
on all three judges' score cards. McBride pushed Tyson over in
the sixth and he struggled to get up and looked exhausted.
Fenech decided Tyson was unable to continue through exhaustion
and called the fight off. |
|
Loss |
Danny Williams |
KO |
4
(10), 2:51 |
2004-07-30 |
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. The next day, Tyson underwent successful surgery to
repair the torn knee ligaments. |
|
Win |
Clifford Etienne |
KO |
1
(10), 0:49 |
2003-02-22 |
Memphis, TN |
|
|
Loss |
Lennox Lewis |
KO |
8
(12), 2:25 |
2002-06-08 |
Memphis, TN |
IBF/IBO/WBC Heavyweight titles on the line. |
|
Win |
Brian Nielsen |
TKO |
7
(10), 3:00 |
2001-10-13 |
Copenhagen,
Denmark |
Corner retirement. |
|
NC |
Andrzej Gołota |
No contest |
3
(10) |
2000-10-20 |
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 |
Lou Savarese |
TKO |
1
(10), 0:38 |
2000-06-24 |
Glasgow, Scotland |
|
|
Win |
Julius Francis |
TKO |
2
(10), 1:03 |
2000-01-29 |
Manchester,
England |
|
|
NC |
Orlin Norris |
No contest |
1
(10), 3:00 |
1999-10-23 |
Las Vegas, NV |
Norris suffered a knee injury, following a
post-bell punch from Tyson. |
|
Win |
Francois Botha |
KO |
5
(10), 2:59 |
1999-01-16 |
Las Vegas, NV |
|
|
Loss |
Evander Holyfield |
Disqualification |
3
(12) |
1997-06-28 |
Las Vegas, NV |
"The Bite Fight", Tyson disqualified for twice
biting Holyfield's ears in rounds three and four. |
|
Loss |
Evander Holyfield |
TKO |
11
(12), 0:37 |
1996-11-09 |
Las Vegas, NV |
Lost WBA Heavyweight title. |
|
Win |
Bruce Seldon |
TKO |
1
(12), 1:49 |
1996-09-07 |
Las Vegas, NV |
Won WBA Heavyweight title. WBC title not on the
line, although it was stripped from Tyson on September 24. |
|
Win |
Frank Bruno |
TKO |
3
(12), 0:50 |
1996-03-16 |
Las Vegas, NV |
Won WBC Heavyweight title. |
|
Win |
Buster Mathis, Jr. |
KO |
3
(12), 2:32 |
1995-12-16 |
Philadelphia, PA |
|
|
Win |
Peter McNeeley |
Disqualification |
1
(10) |
1995-08-19 |
Las Vegas, NV |
McNeeley was disqualified after his manager
entered the ring. |
|
Win |
Donovan Ruddock |
Decision
(unanimous) |
12 |
1991-06-28 |
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 |
Donovan Ruddock |
TKO |
7
(12), 2:22 |
1991-03-18 |
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 |
Alex Stewart |
TKO |
1
(10), 2:27 |
1990-12-08 |
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 |
Henry Tillman |
KO |
1
(10), 2:47 |
1990-06-16 |
Las Vegas, NV |
Tyson gained revenge over the man who had beaten
him twice in the amatuers. |
|
Loss |
James Douglas |
KO |
10
(12) |
1990-02-11 |
Tokyo, Japan |
Lost IBF/WBA/WBC Heavyweight titles. |
|
Win |
Carl Williams |
TKO |
1
(12), 1:33 |
1989-07-21 |
Atlantic City, NJ |
Retained IBF/WBA/WBC Heavyweight titles. |
|
Win |
Frank Bruno |
TKO |
5
(12), 2:55 |
1989-02-25 |
Las Vegas, NV |
Retained IBF/WBA/WBC Heavyweight titles. |
|
Win |
Michael Spinks |
KO |
1
(12), 1:31 |
1988-06-27 |
Atlantic City, NJ |
Retained IBF/WBA/WBC Heavyweight titles. |
|
Win |
Tony Tubbs |
TKO |
2
(12), 2:54 |
1988-03-21 |
Tokyo, Japan |
Retained IBF/WBA/WBC Heavyweight titles. |
|
Win |
Larry Holmes |
TKO |
4
(12), 2:55 |
1988-01-22 |
Atlantic City, NJ |
Retained IBF/WBA/WBC Heavyweight titles. |
|
Win |
Tyrell Biggs |
TKO |
7
(12), 2:59 |
1987-10-16 |
Atlantic City, NJ |
Retained IBF/WBA/WBC Heavyweight titles. |
|
Win |
Tony Tucker |
Decision
(unanimous) |
12 |
1987-08-01 |
Las Vegas, NV |
Won IBF Heavyweight title and retained WBA/WBC
Heavyweight titles, becoming Undisputed Heavyweight champion. |
|
Win |
Pinklon Thomas |
TKO |
6
(12), 2:00 |
1987-05-30 |
Las Vegas, NV |
Retained WBA/WBC Heavyweight titles. |
|
Win |
James Smith |
Decision
(unanimous) |
12 |
1987-03-07 |
Las Vegas, NV |
Won WBA Heavyweight title and retained WBC
Heavyweight title. |
|
Win |
Trevor Berbick |
TKO |
2
(12), 2:35 |
1986-11-22 |
Las Vegas, NV |
Won WBC Heavyweight title. |
|
Win |
Alfonso Ratcliff |
TKO |
2
(10), 1:41 |
1986-09-06 |
Las Vegas, NV |
|
|
Win |
José Ribalta |
TKO |
10
(10) |
1986-08-17 |
Atlantic City, NJ |
|
|
Win |
Marvis Frazier |
KO |
1
(10), 0:30 |
1986-07-26 |
Glens Falls, NY |
|
|
Win |
Lorenzo Boyd |
KO |
2
(10), 1:43 |
1986-07-11 |
Swan Lake, NY |
|
|
Win |
William Hosea |
KO |
1
(10), 2:03 |
1986-06-28 |
Troy, NY |
|
|
Win |
Reggie Gross |
TKO |
1
(10) |
1986-06-13 |
New York City, NY |
|
|
Win |
Mitch Green |
Decision
(unanimous) |
10 |
1986-05-20 |
New York City, NY |
|
|
Win |
James Tillis |
Decision
(unanimous) |
10 |
1986-05-09 |
Glens Falls, NY |
|
|
Win |
Steve Zouski |
KO |
3
(10), 2:39 |
1986-03-10 |
Uniondale, NY |
|
|
Win |
Jesse Ferguson |
TKO |
6
(10), 1:19 |
1986-02-16 |
Troy, NY |
|
|
Win |
Mike Jameson |
TKO |
5
(8), 0:46 |
1986-01-24 |
Atlantic City, NJ |
|
|
Win |
David Jaco |
TKO |
1
(10), 2:16 |
1986-01-11 |
Albany, NY |
|
|
Win |
Mark Young |
TKO |
1, 0:50 |
1985-12-27 |
Latham, NY |
|
|
Win |
Sammy Scaff |
TKO |
1
(10), 1:19 |
1985-12-06 |
New York City, NY |
|
|
Win |
Conroy Nelson |
TKO |
2 |
1985-11-22 |
Latham, NY |
|
|
Win |
Eddie Richardson |
KO |
1, 1:17 |
1985-11-13 |
Houston, TX |
|
|
Win |
Sterling Benjamin |
TKO |
1, 0:54 |
1985-11-01 |
Latham, NY |
|
|
Win |
Robert Colay |
KO |
1
(8), 0:37 |
1985-10-25 |
Atlantic City, NJ |
|
|
Win |
Donnie Long |
TKO |
1
(6), 1:28 |
1985-10-09 |
Atlantic City, NJ |
|
|
Win |
Michael Johnson |
KO |
1
(6), 0:39 |
1985-09-05 |
Atlantic City, NJ |
|
|
Win |
Lorenzo Canady |
KO |
1
(6), 1:05 |
1985-08-15 |
Atlantic City, NJ |
|
|
Win |
Larry Sims |
KO |
3
(6), 2:04 |
1985-07-19 |
Poughkeepsie, NY |
|
|
Win |
John Alderson |
TKO |
2
(6) |
1985-07-11 |
Atlantic City, NJ |
|
|
Win |
Ricardo Spain |
KO |
1
(6), 0:39 |
1985-06-20 |
Atlantic City, NJ |
|
|
Win |
Don Halpin |
KO |
4
(4) |
1985-05-23 |
Albany, NY |
|
|
Win |
Trent Singleton |
TKO |
1
(4) |
1985-04-10 |
Albany, NY |
|
|
Win |
Hector Mercedes |
TKO |
1
(4), 1:47 |
1985-03-06 |
Albany, NY |
|
After professional boxing
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, "He
(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]
Marriage and children
Tyson has been legally married twice and has had children with several
different women. His first marriage was to actress Robin Givens, then known
for her work on the sitcom Head of the Class, from February 7, 1988
to February 14, 1989.[24]
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]
Tyson's marriage to Givens did not produce any children.
His second marriage was to Monica Turner from April 19, 1997 – January
14, 2003.[95] At the time
of the divorce filing, Turner worked as a pediatric resident at Georgetown
University Medical Center in Washington DC.[96]
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."[96]
Tyson has six children: Gena, Mikey, Rayna, Amir, Miguel, and Exodus.[84]
Rayna (born February 14, 1996) and Amir (August 5, 1997) are from his second
wife.[96]
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.[97] As such, Tyson
has appeared in myriad popular media in either cameo appearances or as a
subject of parody or satire.
Boxing championships and accomplishments
Tyson established an impressive list of accomplishments, mostly early in
his career:[98]
Titles
- National Golden Gloves Champion Heavyweight 1984
- Undisputed Heavyweight champion (held all three major championship
belts; WBA, IBF, and WBC) — 1 August 1987 – 11 February 1990
- In a Reservation vs. The World contest, Iron Mike Tyson defeated the
Hickiwan Hurricane in Why, Arizona in the 1st rd. 00:04 seconds by way
of KO
- WBC Heavyweight Champion — 22 November 1986 – 11 February 1990, 16
March 1996 – 1997 (Vacated)
- WBA Heavyweight Champion — 7 March 1987 – 11 February 1990, 7
September 1996 – 9 November 1996
- IBF Heavyweight Champion — 1 August 1987 – 11 February 1990
Records
- Youngest Heavweight champion—20 years and 4 months
Awards
- Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year—1988
- BBC Sports Personality of the Year Overseas Personality—1989
- Ring magazine Prospect of the Year—1985
Preceded by
Evander Holyfield |
Ring
Magazine Fighter of the Year
1988 |
Succeeded by
Pernell Whitaker |
Preceded by
Trevor Berbick |
WBC
Heavyweight Champion
22 November 1986–11 February 1990 |
Succeeded by
Buster Douglas |
Preceded by
James Smith |
WBA
Heavyweight Champion
7 March 1987–11 February 1990 |
Preceded by
Tony Tucker |
IBF
Heavyweight Champion
1 August 1987–11 February 1990 |
Preceded by
Frank Bruno |
WBC
Heavyweight Champion
16 March 1996–1997 (Vacated) |
Succeeded by
Vacancy filled by
Lennox Lewis |
Preceded by
Bruce Seldon |
WBA
Heavyweight Champion
7 September 1996–9 November 1996 |
Succeeded by
Evander Holyfield |
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