When Mike Tyson came onto the scene in 1985, he was a teenage phenom- a tank of a human with a neck the size of a highway and hands as fast as a Lamborghini. With his menacing scowl, all-black outfit, and highlight-reel power, he went from boxer to celebrity almost instantly.
But as soon as he won the WBC heavyweight title from Trevor Berbick to become the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history at age 20 on November 22, 1986, Tyson’s celebrity exploded. No longer was he just an athlete, he was one of the most popular figures in the world. He transcended sports. From then on, Tyson’s life became a fishbowl – at times a drama, a spectacle, and a nightmare – but always viewed by the judging eyes of the world.
Act 1
In his ascent to the heavyweight title, Tyson’s life and career were guided by his trainer, mentor, and father-figure, Cus D’Amato. When D’Amato died in 1985, his career continued to be expertly managed by D’Amato protégé Jimmy Jacobs. But when Jacobs died in March 1988, Tyson lost the last piece that kept him grounded, and that is the point that everything began to unravel.
Tyson had married actress Robin Givens in February 1988, and the relationship was a paparazzi’s dream. The duo was followed and hounded all over the world, including Tyson’s second-round blowout of Tony Tubbs in Japan in March 1988. Everything seemed fine until the mammoth Michael Spinks unification fight in June 1988. Suddenly, Givens’ mother, Ruth Roper, initiated a hostile takeover of Tyson’s career (along with promoter Don King) and forced a split from one of Tyson’s original team members, Bill Cayton. And though a prime-time Tyson destroyed Spinks in 91 seconds, the chaos that began just before that fight ultimately cost Tyson the heavyweight title 20 months later.
What followed the Spinks fight was an endless slate of mishaps and dramas, including a late-night street brawl with old foe Mitch “Blood” Green, a Barbara Walters interview with Givens that became one of the most infamous in television history, and a car crash that some believed was a suicide attempt.
By October of 1988, Tyson and Givens were finished. But the effects the bedlam had on his career were profound.
“Iron Mike” looked rusty and, for the first time ever, vulnerable in February 1989 when he stopped Frank Bruno in five rounds. The big Brit wobbled Tyson early and showed that the heavyweight champ had some chinks in his armor. A first-round knockout of Carl “The Truth” Williams in July 1989 masked the reality: Tyson had slipped.
His bad habits were exposed in a historic way in February 1990, when Tyson was knocked out by 42-1 underdog James “Buster” Douglas in Tokyo. Not only was Tyson dominated from beginning to end – save for a surprise knockdown in round eight – he was unceremoniously flattened in the 10th round, fumbling for his mouthpiece while on his knees as the referee counted him out. King claimed there was a long count and boldly tried to steal the heavyweight title from Douglas through political means. When that failed, Tyson was left to pick up the pieces of a shattered career.
After comeback wins over Henry Tillman (KO 1), Alex Stewart (KO 1), and Razor Ruddock (TKO7 and W 12), Tyson was scheduled to challenge new heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield in November 1991. An injury forced a postponement, and in October 1991, he was accused of rape by a beauty pageant contestant. In February 1992, he was convicted and went to prison for three years.
Act 2
Upon his release from prison in March 1995, Tyson’s career was immediately taken over by King, who was often blamed for destroying it. While that may be unfair, Tyson was no longer a teenager, as he was with D’Amato and Jacobs. He was now a 29-year-old man. But King’s involvement caused many to question Tyson’s commitment and, thus his future as a dominant fighter.
Tyson’s comeback fight was a gimme, as he took out hopeless journeyman Peter McNeeley in less than a round in August 1995. He shook off some rust in a third-round knockout of slippery Buster Mathis Jr. in December 1995 before challenging old foe Bruno for his old WBC crown in March 1996. He stopped a terrified Bruno in round three. Six months later, he stopped another scared opponent, Bruce Seldon, in one round. And suddenly, it looked like the old Tyson was back and in unstoppable form.
Then things began to go south.
In November 1996, Tyson finally defended against old rival Holyfield in an ever-elusive showdown. And, just as in the Douglas fight, “Iron Mike” was upset amid big odds (as high as 25-1 at one time). The rematch, one of the most anticipated fights in boxing history, took place on June 28, 1997. And it was the precursor to another Tyson downfall.
After starting out strong, Tyson began to get bullied by Holyfield, just as in the first fight. Complaining of headbutts, a frustrated Tyson bit off a chunk of Holyfield’s ears in the third round. When action resumed, he bit Holyfield’s other ear, forcing his third-round disqualification and setting off bedlam. It was one of the most surreal scenes in the history of the sport, and it caused Tyson to be banned from boxing for a year. When he returned in January 1999, he was locked in another tough fight with Francois Botha, trying at one point to break the South African’s arm during a clinch. Another melee seemed imminent, but order was restored before Tyson flattened Botha with one punch in the 5th round. Later, in 1999, Tyson became involved in yet another controversy, belting Orlin Norris after the first-round bell and putting him on the deck – again flirted with a DQ. Norris was unable to continue, and the fight was ruled a No Contest.
With American commissions tired of his antics, Tyson took his show abroad, flattening Julius Francis in England in two rounds in January 2000. In June 2000, Tyson courted disaster yet again, hurting Lou Savarese in round one but refusing to let up as referee John Coyle tried to intervene – tossing Coyle to the canvas. Again, order was restored and Tyson was saved – again.
Still, Tyson seethed – declaring in a bizarre post-fight diatribe that his skills were impregnable and his desire to eat Lennox Lewis’s unborn children. Finally, in June 2002, Tyson challenged Lewis, the reigning heavyweight champion. It was actually scheduled for earlier in the year, but more Tyson antics – this time charging Lewis at a press conference and setting off another melee – forced a delay. When it finally happened, the press conference was better than the fight. It was no contest, as Lewis knocked out a badly faded Tyson in round eight. Afterward, Tyson said he only hoped to “fade to bolivion.”
Yet he returned in February 2003, getting a fresh face tattoo before knocking out Clifford Etienne in one round in what would be the final victory of his career. Two knockout losses to Danny Williams (TKO by 4) in 2004 and Kevin McBride (TO by 6) in 2005 spelled the end of “Kid Dynamite.”
Act 3
Tyson’s life turned upside down in 2009 when his four-year-old daughter Exodus died in a tragic exercise treadmill accident. Three years later, he debuted “Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth,” a one-man show that took a look at his personal life, including his struggles with drug addiction, his mother’s alcoholism, his three-year prison sentence, and ended with a dedication to Exodus.
Through it all, Tyson seemed to have completely metamorphosized from arrogant, selfish, self-absorbed celebrity to wise, kind, funny everyman, coming up with clever philosophical quotes like:
“Social media made you all way too comfortable with disrespecting people and not getting punched in the face for it.”
And
“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”
The fifty-something Tyson seemed to settle into his role as a sage, and his boxing career seemed well behind him.
Act 4
Then, in 2020, it was announced that Tyson would return for an exhibition against former three-division world champion Roy Jones Jr. Surprising after the disastrous fights that ended his career vs. Williams and McBride, Tyson whipped himself into good shape. On Nov. 28, 2020, Tyson and Jones fought to an eight-round draw in an exhibition that the California State Athletic Commission sanctioned. Tyson fought well at age 54.
It set up what will possibly be the biggest, most watched fight in boxing history, as Tyson takes on former YouTube star-turned-boxer Jake Paul on November 15 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The event will be streamed globally on Netflix, the first-ever live sports event on the platform.
It’s hard to believe that the shy kid with the lisp who exploded onto the scene almost 40 years ago will once again don the black trunks, black shoes and drape the white towel over his shoulders and enter the ring again. But, even at age 58, Tyson is who he is. More than a celebrity, a movie star, a tabloid subject, and a wise sage – Tyson is a fighter. And he will enter the ring one more time to do what he has always done best: fight.
Matthew Aguilar may be reached at maguilarnew@yahoo.com
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