From a Brooklyn kid with 38 arrests by age 10 to the youngest heavyweight champion in history, Mike Tyson's life is a raw and relentless story of chaos, conquest, and redemption.
Key Takeaways
- Mike Tyson was born on June 30, 1966, in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City.
- Mike Tyson's biological father is listed as Jimmy Kirkpatrick, but he never knew him.
- Mike Tyson was raised primarily by his mother Lorna Smith in a turbulent household with multiple stepfathers.
- Mike Tyson turned professional on March 6, 1985, defeating Hector Mercedes by first-round KO.
- Mike Tyson won his first 15 professional fights, 12 by knockout, all in 1985.
- Mike Tyson's professional debut purse was $500 against Hector Mercedes.
- Mike Tyson youngest heavyweight champ at 20 years, 4 months, 22 days old.
- Mike Tyson held the WBC heavyweight title from November 22, 1986, to March 18, 1990.
- Mike Tyson made 9 consecutive WBC title defenses, a record at the time.
- Mike Tyson married Robin Givens on February 7, 1988, in a high-profile wedding.
- Mike Tyson and Robin Givens divorced in 1989 after allegations of domestic violence.
- Mike Tyson has seven biological children from multiple relationships.
- Mike Tyson was convicted of rape in 1992 and sentenced to 6 years in prison.
- Mike Tyson served 3 years of his 6-year sentence at Indiana Youth Center from 1992-1995.
- Mike Tyson faced road rage assault charges in 1999, acquitted.
Mike Tyson overcame a troubled childhood to become the youngest heavyweight champion in history.
Early Life
- Mike Tyson was born on June 30, 1966, in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City.
- Mike Tyson's biological father is listed as Jimmy Kirkpatrick, but he never knew him.
- Mike Tyson was raised primarily by his mother Lorna Smith in a turbulent household with multiple stepfathers.
- At age 10, Mike Tyson was arrested 38 times for various petty crimes including theft and fighting.
- Mike Tyson attended the Tryon School for Boys in upstate New York as a juvenile delinquent.
- Mike Tyson won his first amateur boxing match at age 12 against a wrestler named Joey Hayes.
- Mike Tyson's amateur boxing record was 24 wins and 5 losses before turning professional.
- Mike Tyson won the Junior Olympic Games gold medal in 1984 in the heavyweight division.
- Mike Tyson was trained by Cus D'Amato starting at age 13 in Catskill, New York.
- Cus D'Amato legally adopted Mike Tyson after his mother's death in 1982.
- Mike Tyson dropped out of high school at age 15 but later earned a GED.
- Mike Tyson's first Golden Gloves championship was won in 1985 at heavyweight.
- Mike Tyson sparred with professional boxers like Floyd Patterson while still amateur.
- Mike Tyson's childhood nickname was "Fairy Boy" due to his high-pitched voice.
- Mike Tyson weighed 200 pounds by age 13 during his early training.
- Mike Tyson moved to Catskill, NY, at 14 to live with Cus D'Amato.
- Mike Tyson's mother Lorna died of cancer when he was 16.
- Mike Tyson won the 1984 New York State Junior Olympic heavyweight title.
- Mike Tyson lost to Henry Tillman in the 1984 Olympic trials semifinals.
- Mike Tyson avenged his loss to Kelton McCallum twice in amateur bouts.
- Mike Tyson's amateur career included victories over Daren Laswell and Cameron Jackson.
- Mike Tyson was 178 cm (5 ft 10 in) tall with a 180 cm (71 in) reach.
- Mike Tyson weighed approximately 100 kg (220 lbs) in his prime.
- Mike Tyson began boxing at age 10 under trainer Bobby Stewart in a detention center.
- Mike Tyson won the 1985 United States Amateur Boxing Championship.
- Mike Tyson's early life involved living in over a dozen foster homes.
- Mike Tyson was influenced by Muhammad Ali and Jack Dempsey in his youth.
- Mike Tyson's first tattoo was a tribal design on his face done in 2003.
- Mike Tyson had a pet tiger named Kenya that he purchased in the 1980s.
Early Life Interpretation
Born into chaos and sculpted by Cus D'Amato's discipline, Mike Tyson's journey from a 10-year-old with 38 arrests to the youngest heavyweight champion was a violent, tragic, and meticulously engineered masterpiece of controlled fury.
Legal Issues
- Mike Tyson was convicted of rape in 1992 and sentenced to 6 years in prison.
- Mike Tyson served 3 years of his 6-year sentence at Indiana Youth Center from 1992-1995.
- Mike Tyson faced road rage assault charges in 1999, acquitted.
- Mike Tyson pleaded guilty to drug possession in 1989, fined $1000.
- Mike Tyson was fined $3 million and banned for biting Holyfield in 1997.
- Mike Tyson filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on August 1, 2003, with $23M debt.
- Mike Tyson settled a lawsuit with tattoo artist over Hangover 2 tattoo in 2011.
- Mike Tyson arrested for DUI in California in 2018, no charges filed.
- Mike Tyson violated parole terms in 1991 leading to rape trial.
- Mike Tyson paid $100,000 fine for marijuana possession in New York in 2000.
- Mike Tyson sued promoter Don King for $100 million in 1998 over withheld purses.
- Mike Tyson reached settlement with Don King in 2004 for $30 million.
- Mike Tyson faced battery charges from airport incident in 2004, plea deal.
- Mike Tyson ordered to pay $15,000 to a court officer after 2007 Las Vegas scuffle.
- Mike Tyson had probation revoked in 2007 for positive cocaine test.
- Mike Tyson completed 27.5 hours community service for 2007 probation violation.
- Mike Tyson lost a $3.5 million defamation lawsuit to Bradford Cornell in 1998.
- Mike Tyson was involved in a 2010 nightclub brawl in Hawaii, no charges.
Legal Issues Interpretation
Mike Tyson's life outside the ring is a tragic masterclass in self-sabotage, where his fists, his finances, and his freedom all took far more brutal beatings than any of his opponents ever did.
Personal Life
- Mike Tyson married Robin Givens on February 7, 1988, in a high-profile wedding.
- Mike Tyson and Robin Givens divorced in 1989 after allegations of domestic violence.
- Mike Tyson has seven biological children from multiple relationships.
- Mike Tyson's first child, daughter Dena Tyson, was born in 1990.
- Mike Tyson married Monica Turner on April 19, 1997; divorced in 2003.
- Mike Tyson wed Lakiha Spicer on June 6, 2009, his third marriage.
- Mike Tyson has two children with Lakiha Spicer: Milan and Morocco.
- Mike Tyson's daughter Exodus died at age 4 in a treadmill accident on May 26, 2009.
- Mike Tyson struggled with drug addiction, including cocaine and alcohol, throughout his life.
- Mike Tyson declared bankruptcy in 2003 despite earning over $400 million in career.
- Mike Tyson converted to Islam while in prison and took the name Malik Abdul Aziz.
- Mike Tyson has a face tattoo designed by artist S. Victor Whitmill, applied in 2006.
- Mike Tyson hosted a one-man Broadway show "Undisputed Truth" in 2013.
- Mike Tyson weighs around 130 kg (290 lbs) in retirement as of 2023.
- Mike Tyson practices veganism intermittently and has a cannabis business.
- Mike Tyson fathered a child with girlfriend Jordan Sparks in 2013 named Amir.
- Mike Tyson has spoken openly about bipolar disorder diagnosis in 2002.
- Mike Tyson attempted suicide multiple times during personal lows.
- Mike Tyson owns a 4000-acre ranch in Ohio for his animals.
Personal Life Interpretation
The relentless, painful cycle of Mike Tyson's life outside the ring—marked by fleeting marriages, profound loss, financial ruin, and a quest for peace—has been a far more grueling and complex fight than any he ever faced as champion.
Pro Career
- Mike Tyson turned professional on March 6, 1985, defeating Hector Mercedes by first-round KO.
- Mike Tyson won his first 15 professional fights, 12 by knockout, all in 1985.
- Mike Tyson's professional debut purse was $500 against Hector Mercedes.
- Mike Tyson fought 15 times in 1985, setting a record for heavyweight activity.
- Mike Tyson defeated Jesse Ferguson by TKO in the 6th round on February 16, 1986.
- Mike Tyson's first fight outside the US was against Alonzo Jaco on January 26, 1986, in Houston.
- Mike Tyson knocked out Marvis Frazier in 30 seconds on July 26, 1986.
- Mike Tyson defeated Trevor Berbick by TKO in round 2 on November 22, 1986, to win his first heavyweight title.
- Mike Tyson's 1986 title win made him the youngest heavyweight champion at 20 years old.
- Mike Tyson defended his WBC title 9 times consecutively from 1986 to 1988.
- Mike Tyson unified titles by defeating James Smith for WBA on March 7, 1987.
- Mike Tyson knocked out Tony Tucker in round 12 on August 1, 1987, to claim IBF title.
- Mike Tyson's fight against Larry Holmes on January 22, 1988, ended in 4th round TKO.
- Mike Tyson defeated Michael Spinks in 91 seconds on June 27, 1988, unifying all three belts.
- Mike Tyson's purse for the Spinks fight was $20 million.
- Mike Tyson lost his titles to Buster Douglas by KO in round 10 on February 11, 1990.
- Mike Tyson's comeback after prison included a win over Peter McNeeley by DQ in 1995.
- Mike Tyson defeated Frank Bruno by TKO in round 3 on March 16, 1996.
- Mike Tyson won the WBA and WBC titles back by defeating Bruce Seldon on September 7, 1996.
- Mike Tyson's second reign ended with loss to Evander Holyfield on November 9, 1996.
- Mike Tyson bit Evander Holyfield's ear during their rematch on June 28, 1997, leading to disqualification.
- Mike Tyson's final professional record was 50 wins, 6 losses, 44 knockouts.
- Mike Tyson fought his last bout against Kevin Rooney on June 7, 2005, winning by unanimous decision.
- Mike Tyson had 28 first-round knockouts in his career.
- Mike Tyson's average fight time was under 5 rounds for his knockout wins.
- Mike Tyson defeated 27 opponents who were previously undefeated.
- Mike Tyson won his first 19 pro fights by knockout.
- Mike Tyson became the lineal heavyweight champion after beating Spinks.
- Mike Tyson fought in 5 different decades professionally (1980s-2000s).
- Mike Tyson won the WBC International Heavyweight title in 1985 against Conroy Nelson.
Pro Career Interpretation
Mike Tyson's career was a masterclass in savage efficiency, blazing from a $500 debut to unified champion with terrifying speed, only to unravel into a chaotic opera of self-destruction that somehow spanned five decades.
Titles
- Mike Tyson youngest heavyweight champ at 20 years, 4 months, 22 days old.
- Mike Tyson held the WBC heavyweight title from November 22, 1986, to March 18, 1990.
- Mike Tyson made 9 consecutive WBC title defenses, a record at the time.
- Mike Tyson unified WBC, WBA, IBF, and lineal titles after defeating Tony Tucker on August 1, 1987.
- Mike Tyson was the undisputed heavyweight champion from August 1987 to February 1990.
- Mike Tyson won the WBA heavyweight title by defeating James "Bonecrusher" Smith on March 7, 1987.
- Mike Tyson captured the IBF heavyweight title against Tony Tucker by 12th round TKO on August 1, 1987.
- Mike Tyson defended his unified titles 6 times between 1987 and 1988.
- Mike Tyson was stripped of his IBF title in 1987 for not fighting James "Buster" Douglas.
- Mike Tyson regained WBC and WBA titles by defeating Frank Bruno on March 16, 1996.
- Mike Tyson's second WBC title reign lasted 13 days before losing to Holyfield.
- Mike Tyson was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011.
- Mike Tyson won Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year in 1986 and 1987.
- Mike Tyson was named Sportsman of the Year by The Sporting News in 1986.
- Mike Tyson ranked #1 pound-for-pound by Ring Magazine in 1988.
- Mike Tyson won the Sugar Ray Robinson Award for best performance vs. Spinks in 1988.
- Mike Tyson held three major heavyweight titles simultaneously three times in his career.
- Mike Tyson defended a world title 12 times in total across reigns.
- Mike Tyson was the first heavyweight to simultaneously hold WBC, WBA, and IBF titles.
- Mike Tyson won the vacant WBC heavyweight title twice in his career.
- Mike Tyson's knockout percentage was 88% across 50 wins.
- Mike Tyson inducted into World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1989 while still active.
- Mike Tyson won Fighter of the Decade award for 1980s from some outlets.
- Mike Tyson named to Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers at #1.
Titles Interpretation
Before the world even knew what hit it, a 20-year-old Mike Tyson had already unified the heavyweight titles and begun assembling a legacy of terrifying dominance that was as brilliant as it was brief.
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