Many of us have heard of the legendary last name Tyson. We are sure that even children often know who we are speaking about. There was a time when Mike Tyson was everywhere. He was the Beast, the iconic fighter of the 80s and 90s, the legend that made the impossible his reality!
In today’s article we will take an insightful look into the fighter’s life inside and outside of the ring.
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Introduction to Mike Tyson’s Legacy
The baddest man on the planet, even at his 58 years old in 2024, is an icon of sportsmanship and charisma. This title of the baddest man on earth is reserved for heavyweight title holders. However, it fits perfectly to just one man even though he has been away from the ring for decades. “Iron Mike” was the prime example of being the best of the best in boxing. Every contender and even audience had chills down the spine at the moment of seeing Tyson.
Early Life and Struggles
His life was filled with tough lessons from a young age; the New Yorker grew up in a rough neighborhood without a father. But as we know, reality overcomes fantasy; Mike Tyson was not in any way violent or problematic. He was a normal boy who wore glasses and was constantly bullied for his high-pitched voice; sadly, he also had to pass through traumatic times.
His love for animals was easily visible, since all he cared about while growing up was his flock of pigeons, which he fed everyday. By the age of 11 years old, his physic was very strong, more than the average boy. In this period one bully killed one of his birds, which made him snap and hurt the bully really bad. This new Mike was fearless. This earned him the respect of everyone in the streets.
By the age of 13, after joining a local gang, he was arrested more than 30 times, mainly because of theft and violence. His fate was destined to end up in jail or dead. Nevertheless, a man called Bob Stewart was Mike’s counselor in the correctional facility. Stewart was a former boxing champion and saw the great potential in Tyson. He helped him focus his raw strength on an amazing sport, which is boxing.
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Rise to Boxing Stardom
Bob Stewart introduced Mike to Cus D’Amato, one of the most important people in Tyson’s life. D’Amato was a celebrated coach who trained former heavyweight Floy Patterson and other important boxing figures. However, he was aging fast, just by turning 70 years old, and didn’t want to be hired by anyone, less likely by any championship-holder boxer. However, just at that moment, life put the 14-year-old Tyson and D’Amato together.
The Path to Becoming the Youngest Heavyweight Champion
The path of a champion is never easy. This is why we will check out the mental and physical training that Tyson had. His rise to being the youngest heavyweight champion against all statistical odds was not just a miracle but very extreme and hard work.
We are exploring the most important moments of Tyson’s career and his dedication to reaching the pinnacle of this unique sport. You can also explore boxing and betting on iconic matches on trustworthy platforms, like 1xBet. Get an opportunity to explore the thrilling world of boxing and earn a fortune!
Cus D’Amato’s Influence and Mentorship
The experience of being a former coach of champions that D’Amato had plus the love he bore for Mike, made the coach and the sportsman a match made in heaven. D’Amato made this small boy into one of the greatest sportsmen in history.
Coach D’Amato created a training style that perfectly matched the physiognomy and raw strength of Tyson. As a heavyweight we used to see giants in average 180 – 190cm and Tyson was undersized for this category at 173cm with a reach of 71 inches. But as we know everything has their pluses. Tyson was very fast, strong, and built like a tank, just explosive power destroying everything in his way.
His style of fighting, developed by Cus, was called “Peekaboo” like the game. It did fit his body perfectly, because his build gave him a low center of gravity. In his beginning his fights were the perfect, textbook example of this “Peekaboo” style.
This style is performed when the boxer lowers his body and hands covering his face, his chin, coming near the opponents and throwing punches and uppercuts. His opponents had more reach; this tecniche also protects from hard punches if the opponent fighter is a “jab expert”.
Tyson studied boxing and different techniques while he was a teenager. And the mentorship of Cus made him walk straight as an arrow.
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Record-Breaking Fights on the Road to Glory
Most of his matches were against older fighters in which none of them could hold more than a few rounds against Tyson. His fists of steel and perfect boxing body made him win the junior Olympics twice in 1981 and 1982.
After his failed attempt to join the Olympics in 1984, he decided to become a pro. In 1985 at the age of 18, there was his big debut against Hector Mercedes, who was not equal in his skills and strength. Mercedes lasted less than two minutes before the TKO, winning 500 USD which is around 1500 USD in 2024.
D’Amato saw his creation and his iron fist very clearly. He made Tyson the sensation of the year with a record for his first time as PRO of 15-0 with only one fighter still standing up in round 3.
Tyson’s Training Regimen and Mental Conditioning
His training regime as a young fighter was tough, which made him the best. From 4 am to 8:30 pm, his day was full of training. He went through 3-4 mile runs, healthy food, sparings, ring work for one hour, calisthenics, over 2000 squats, 500 push-ups, and 10 min of neck work. This last one is the key to his success. Tyson’s neck muscles were so hard that there was no blow to the head that could knock him out.