Mike Tyson

Background

Michael Gerard Tyson, popularly known as Mike Tyson, was the greatest boxing champion between 1985 and 1990. He is one of the most famous boxers of all time. Tyson was born in Brooklyn, New York. His father abandoned him and his siblings when Tyson was just a toddler. His mom, Lorna Lee Tyson, raised them alone. Tyson’s family had several financial issues; they had to move and live in a high crime-rate neighborhood. By age 13, Tyson had been arrested 38 times for minor crimes, mostly street fights. Tyson attended Tryon School for Boys in New York. There, former boxer Bobby Stewart discovered his fighting abilities. Stewart trained Tyson for a few months and introduced him to Cus D’amato. D’amato became Tyson’s manager and eventually his legal guardian after his mother died when he was 16.

At the beginning of his career, Tyson won two gold medals at the Junior Olympic Games — in 1981 against Joe Cortez and 1982 against Ketton Brown. Tyson made his professional debut in 1985; he defeated Hector Mercedes in Albany, New York. From 1985 to 1990, Tyson was the undefeated world heavyweight champion. In 1986, he broke the record as the youngest boxer in the world to hold a heavyweight title — he was 20 years old. One of the most important fights of his career was in 1988; Tyson beat the undefeated boxer Michael Spinks in the first 91 seconds of the first round.

In 1990, Buster Douglas defeated Tyson who had not lost a fight in almost five years. Tyson was devastated. That fight marked a timeline in Tyson’s career. Tyson is still considered one of the greatest boxers of all time. He has been married thrice and has seven children. Tyson lives in Nevada with his wife, Lakisha Spicer.