“You see, you wouldn’t ask why the rose that grew from the concrete had damaged petals. On the contrary, we would all celebrate its tenacity. We would all love its will to reach for the sun.” – Tupac Shakur – The Rose That Grew from Concrete
Michael Gerald Tyson, better known to the world as Mike Tyson, is the perfect example of greatness coming from the darkest beginnings.
Tyson connected with an entire generation in a way that has arguably not been achieved since. From the most hardcore boxing fan to the complete casual, everybody knew Tyson during his fighting days, and watching a Tyson fight, whatever the time of day around the world, was a special occasion. “Iron Mike” brought excitement and fear like no other fighter since. Mike transcended boxing to become a worldwide phenomenon and a notable pop culture icon. No one like him had been seen before, and no one like him has been seen since. Granted, Sonny Liston and George Foreman were also hard-hitting heavyweights who intimidated their opponents before the first bell. However, neither Liston nor Foreman were man-childs who had recently come out of reform school and loved spending time with pigeons.
Tyson was a respected figure in boxing and is known as one of the hardest hitters of all time alongside the likes of Joe Louis, Earnie Shavers, and Liston, as well as one of the greatest heavyweights ever. Years following his retirement, the respect that many people from different walks of life and cultures have for Tyson speaks volumes regarding his impact as a fighter and a person. As Tyson once said: “Greatness is not guarding yourself from the people. Greatness is being accepted by the people.”
Early Life
Tyson was born in Brooklyn, New York, on June 30, 1966. He was only two when his father abandoned him and his family. Lorna Mae, Tyson’s mother, was forced to move her family, two sons, and a daughter, to Brownsville, a ‘Ghetto’ by the true meaning of the word, and still one of the most violent areas in the United States to this day. They had no choice as Lorna’s financial situation had become difficult, and Tyson was molded in one of the roughest cities in the United States. Violence and robberies were common on these streets, and Tyson was the main culprit.
Through all the darkness and difficulties during his childhood, Tyson found solace through watching pigeons, and one day, his reaction to the killing of one of his pigeons changed his life forever. A local kid called Gary Flowers snapped the neck of Mike’s bird and smeared the blood across Tyson’s face and shirt. What followed was a powerful punch that floored his first opponent in the same manner many more men would fall in the ring. Legendary trainer Cus D’Amato would transform Mike from a teenage criminal, a street fighting hood rat, to a devastating and polished power punching boxing phenom.
Before teaching Tyson the fundamentals of boxing inside the ring, D’Amato tapped into what he believed was the true foundation of a fighting champion: a fighter’s mind. At the forefront of these teachings was the concept of fear. D’Amato drilled it into Tyson’s mind that if he wasn’t afraid of fighting, he was crazy. Fear is a necessity for survival, as dictated by nature. Without fear, foolishness would lead to death. However, it must be controlled. Like fire, fear could destroy, or it could be a helpful tool.
Tyson spoke in his Autobiography about what D’Amato told him: “Your mind is not your friend, Mike. I hope you know that. You have to fight with your mind, control it, put it in its place. You have to control your emotions. Fatigue in the ring is ninety percent psychological. It’s just the excuse of a man who wants to quit. The night before a fight, you won’t sleep. Don’t worry, the other guy didn’t either. You’ll go to the weigh-in; he’ll look much bigger than you and calmer, like ice, but he’s burning up with fear inside. Your imagination is going to credit him with abilities he doesn’t have. Remember, motion relieves tension. The moment the bell rings and you come in contact with each other, suddenly your opponent seems like everybody else because now your imagination has dissipated. The fight itself is the only reality that matters. You have to learn to impose your will and take control over that reality.”
Tyson Begins To Create Havoc In The Heavyweight Division
A few years after Tyson and D’Amato’s link up, Tyson was wreaking havoc in professional boxing as a young, unbeatable wrecking machine in the second half of the 1980s, becoming the youngest heavyweight champion in history.
Tyson achieved this historical feat on November 22, 1986, becoming champion at 20, stopping Trevor Berbick in the second round, breaking the record formerly held by another Cus D’Amato pupil in, Floyd Patterson, a record held since 1956. Tyson’s record is unlikely to be broken anytime soon, if ever. In 1986 alone, Tyson fought an astonishing 13 times and recorded 11 knockouts. He captivated the boxing world.
From his professional debut on 6 March 1985 until 27 June 1988, when Tyson faced Michael Spinks, Tyson was arguably the most exciting fighter in history, with his speed, power, timing, and elusiveness contributing to some of the most explosive knockouts in quick fashion the heavyweight division has seen. He was recognized worldwide as The Baddest Man on The Planet. He became the first heavyweight to hold all three major belts simultaneously with the WBC, WBA, and IBF titles.
Tyson was terrifyingly destructive despite his 5’10 frame as a heavyweight. He had athleticism, raw power, speed, head movement, footwork, and devastating combination punching honed to perfection under the tutelage of Cus D’Amato to create one of the most devastating and frightening fighters ever. Tyson could stop opponents with various punches whilst being an elusive target. D’Amato had instilled his famous “Peek-a-boo” style for the shorter, machine-built Tyson. With his guard up high, both gloves slightly covering his cheekbones, enough to protect his chin while not sacrificing his vision, Tyson could charge forward in angles whilst being well protected from counterpunches, making his way to the inside against his bigger foes, where he would unleash his thunderous, lightning quick bombs. His ferocity and explosiveness are legendary, with his “Iron Mike” reputation cemented forever. As a heavyweight, Mike provided fans with the sort of excitement that is very rare. There was no regard for building leads on judges’ scorecards or ‘downloading data.’ Just get in the ring and let those explosive, powerful hands fly.
Tyson Becomes A Pop-Culture Attraction
In terms of influence and impact on the sport, Tyson’s exploits from the late 80s to the 90s defined a period in the sport’s history, and his influence is indelible.
There is no better reference point for what a peak Tyson presented than the night of 27 June 1988. ‘‘He(Michael Spinks) fell apart. He just went to pieces,’’ said all-time great trainer Ray Arcel. ”You see sudden changes in a fighter, in their makeup. And I know Spinks for a long time, and admired his courage and determination, but he was simply in there with someone who, well, who is the nearest thing to Jack Dempsey in his prime. He could hit you once on top of the head and finish you.’’
This fight perfectly epitomized the vintage Iron Mike of the 80’s. Tyson walked to the ring wearing black shoes and trunks, with not even the minimal niceties of robe and socks to cover up the rawness he wanted the world to know he embodied. He entered the ring with a menacing scowl, waving at nobody with no time for pleasantries. Spinks was an outstanding light-heavyweight who had dethroned former long-reigning heavyweight king Larry Holmes and had not lost in his 11 years as a professional. The mere thought of the savagery Tyson was about to bring melted Spinks’ resolve, and Tyson brutally knocked out The Ring and lineal champion in 91 seconds.
Tyson intimidated his opponents with an assassin’s swagger, which also kept his demons at bay. In an interview with Graham Bensinger, whilst speaking about intimidating opponents, Tyson said: “You just know it when you see it, from the experience and doing it over and over for years and years, you just see it… You see it when you come in the room… You just know it, you smell it, you feel it… Even guys that are professional and disciplined enough to hide it, you can see it right through them.”
However, Tyson then proceeded to talk about his fears before fights: “I sounded tough, I always said I wanted to kill him… but I’m always scared to death… That’s all I can remember about fighting—being afraid.”
Things Took A Turn For The Worst
After the Spinks annihilation, Tyson fired head trainer Kevin Rooney and most of the team that had taken him to the sport’s summit. He then got into a brutal street brawl in which he broke his hand on the face of bitter rival Mitch ‘Blood’ Green, then his wife and actress, Robin Givens, filed for divorce after one year of marriage. All in a single year. To quote sportswriter Jack Newfield: “The day Tyson fired Kevin Rooney, there was a cap put on Mike Tyson’s development as a fighter. He did not develop anymore beyond that day.”
After his separation from Rooney, Tyson was indeed never the same fighter again. With time, his skills eroded further and further. There was a decline in both his personal life and the ring, but the world just didn’t know it yet. Until the James ‘Buster’ Douglas fight in 1990, Tyson was undefeated, seemingly invincible, and the world’s undisputed heavyweight champion. He seemed to be doing just fine without Rooney. In the fight before the James ‘Buster’ Douglas upset, Tyson knocked out Carl ‘The Truth’ Williams in 93 seconds, and it seemed as though Tyson might never lose. The cracks had already started taking effect but had not yet become visible to the world. They became evident in his next fight against Douglas in 1990. Tyson no longer bob-and-weaved like before, and he had become more susceptible to the punches of his bigger opponents. With time, his combination punching and devastating body punches were replaced with head-hunting single punches.
Tyson’s Career Made Him An Icon
When reflecting on Tyson’s career, there may be many “what if” questions: the money taken from him, the great career that never lived up to its full potential, l and the people he involved himself with. However, Tyson left the sport with his faculties intact and can enjoy life with his family; being the best husband and father he can be on his quest to be the best human being he can be, having turned his life around for the better. In the ring, he cemented his standing as one of the greatest heavyweight champions in history, dominating his era as one of the most intimidating and hardest-hitting fighters of all time. In reality, Tyson’s life and legacy have been a real success story that will be remembered forever.
