Mike Tyson training. Mike Tyson: height, weight and biography of the boxer Year of birth of Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson (height see below) is a professional boxer from America. Multiple world heavyweight champion. Holder of several boxing records. Has three convictions. In this article we will describe a brief biography of the athlete.

Childhood

Mike Tyson, whose height is known to all his fans, was born in Brooklyn in 1966. The boy had a soft character, and until the age of 10 he did not know how to stand up for himself. Therefore, older guys regularly bullied him, taking away sweets, money, etc. Sometimes Mike was even beaten.

An incident changed everything. The boy had a hobby - breeding pigeons. One day, while Mike was sitting with one of these birds, a member of a local gang, who was older than Tyson, snatched the pigeon from his hands and tore off the head. Mike flew into a rage, rushed at the enemy and severely beat him. This act led to the fact that Tyson began to be respected by all the juvenile gangsters in the area.

Passion for boxing

At the age of 13, Mike was sent to a school for juvenile delinquents. Bobby Stewart, who used to be a boxer, taught physical education there. The young man told the coach that he would like to do the same. From that day on, the young man’s only hobby was boxing. Mike Tyson trained very fanatically. Sometimes he even woke up the school staff at 3-4 o'clock in the morning, practicing blows on the bag. In his interview, Stewart stated that Mike, at the age of 13, was able to bench press a barbell weighing 100 kilograms. At the same time, his own weight reached only 80 kg.

Carier start

Mike's amateur career began in 1981 under the direction of Cus D'Amato. Tyson had just turned 15 years old. The athlete fought about 30 fights, of which he lost only 6. A year later, the young man won the Youth Olympic Games.

By 1984, Mike Tyson's punch had become so strong that he was winning every fight. The end of his amateur career was supposed to be the Olympics in Los Angeles, but the young man lost the qualifying fight. His rival Henry Tillman then became champion. Tyson “revenged” him six years later, knocking him out in the first round.

Going pro

In March 1985, the talented athlete finally switched to professional boxing. Mike Tyson fought about 15 fights, winning all by knockout. In November, he set a world record, becoming the youngest heavyweight champion.

Jail

In 1991, the boxer attended the Miss America beauty pageant. At this event, he met one of the contestants named Desiree. The next day, the girl accused Mike of rape. There was a large amount of circumstantial evidence and witness testimony confirming that everything happened by mutual consent. But in the end, the court chose the girl’s side and sentenced the boxer to six years in prison. For good behavior, Tyson was released three years later.

By the way, while in prison, the athlete became a Muslim. Although before that he was a convinced Christian.

Mike Tyson: height

Regarding this parameter, fans and eyewitnesses always talk about different numbers. The first believe that the athlete’s height is from 180 to 183 centimeters. The latter talk about lower figures - from 175 to 178 centimeters.

To find out the true parameters of the boxer, let's turn to the source. Mike himself stated in an interview that his height is 178 centimeters. Therefore, speculation about other meanings can be thrown out of your head.

Health problems and excess weight

Even as a child, Mike Tyson, whose height was indicated above, had lung problems. Therefore, he and his mother often visited hospitals.

In 1989, the boxer began to abuse alcohol and gave up training. But after his first loss in the ring, the athlete signed up for treatment.

From 1990 to 2010, Tyson was a drug addict, which caused his health to suffer greatly. So, Mike began to gain excess weight. At his best, the athlete weighed almost 100 kilograms. In 2007-2009, this figure reached as much as 160 kilograms. The boxer became a vegan, went on a diet and lost weight to 120.

Personal life of Mike Tyson

The boxer had three marriages. He lived with his first wife, an actress, for only a year. The divorce cost the athlete ten million dollars.

In 1997, Tyson married Monica Turner, who works as a doctor at the clinic. This marriage lasted six years. Monica gave Mike two children - Amir and Reina. The couple broke up because Tyson loved to go crazy and did it on a regular basis.

The boxer's third chosen one was Lakia Spicer. In 2011, the lovers had a son.

Without exaggeration, Mike Tyson can be called one of the best professional boxers who competed in the heavy weight category. Iron Mike became famous not only for his colorful fights and scandalous antics, but also for his incredibly effective training program, with the help of which he was able to achieve such success.

Biography of Mike Tyson

The future boxing star was born in 1966 in Brooklyn. Mike's childhood could hardly be called simple: every day he had to deal with bullying from classmates and other problems. Everything changed when he turned 10 years old. It was at this time that he became part of a group that taught him the basics of robbery and theft. Naturally, this could not last long and soon Tyson found himself in a correctional facility, where, by the way, he first met Muhammad Ali himself, giving advice to difficult teenagers. Mike later claimed that this meeting prompted him to start boxing.

Some time later, due to inappropriate antics, the boy was sent to a special school, where the physical education teacher was former boxer Bobby Stewart. He became a real “mentor” of the future star and taught him the basics of boxing.

Mike's amateur career began when he was 15 years old. He became one of the candidates for the US Olympic team. Unfortunately, the guy was unable to get to the Olympics itself, because he lost twice in very important fights.

If we talk about his professional career, the boxer faced it in 1985. He quickly became famous thanks to his unusual image: Tyson entered the ring without music, a robe, and also wore boxers on his bare feet. Mike's first opponent was Hector Mendez, who was knocked out in the first round. Throughout the year, almost all of the athlete’s fights took place in a similar vein.

Tyson's first championship fight dates back to November 22, 1986. His opponent was a certain Trevor Berbick. He lost to his opponent without a chance, after which Mike declared that he was ready to get into the ring with anyone. The next opponents of the invincible boxer found themselves in a similar situation. Almost all of them could not last more than 6 rounds. The battle with Tony Tucker brought Tyson the title of absolute world champion in the heavyweight division. However, in 1990 in Japan, the boxer, whose victory no one doubted, after a fight with J. Douglas, lost the title of champion. This episode greatly darkened Tyson’s life, and a year later he ended up in prison for rape. After 4 years, Mike was released.

Without a moment's delay, Tyson returned to big-time sports. In September 1996, a fight with Seldon allowed the boxer to regain the title in just two minutes. But in June of the same year, a real scandal occurred: Iron Mike, in a fit of aggression, bit off the ear of his rival Evander, after which he was immediately disqualified.

In subsequent fights, Tyson won incredibly quick victories. However, years later, the boxer began to feel unsure of his abilities. Unexpected defeats began, for which Mike was definitely not prepared. This greatly affected his psychological component. Therefore, unable to bear another loss in a fight with Kevin McBride in 2005, the 38-year-old star announced his retirement from the sport.

What is Mike Tyson doing now?

As you know, in 2003 the boxer was declared bankrupt. Two years later, he ended his career and many began to wonder: what will Mike Tyson do now and how will he repay all his debts? Well, soon the answer to this question became known: the boxer decided to try himself as an actor and producer. The former world champion continues to work in the field of cinema to this day. His portfolio mainly includes sports films, such as: “Rocky Balboa”, “Tyson”, “Champions”, “Ip Man” and so on. But there are also comedies on the list. We are talking about two parts of “The Bachelor Party,” as well as the films “Meet the Black Family” and “Scary Movie 5.”

Mike Tyson with the actors of the movie "The Hangover"

Moreover, Mike is still part of the boxing world. In 2013, he founded a promotion company and now organizes boxing shows. The athlete also promotes young talents. As Mike himself states, it is very important for him that young boxers have a chance to break into the big sport. Tyson has his own gym in which about 20 promising athletes train. Let's see if Iron Mike will be able to realize their potential and pave the way to boxing Olympus.

Mike Tyson training program

Legendary boxing star Mike Tyson is considered a role model in the eyes of many people involved in the sport. Of course, his fans want to know how the former champion’s daily routine and training goes. It’s worth noting right away that the load that the boxer has set for himself is incredibly difficult. It is necessary not only to have a high level of training, but also to have dedication and perseverance.

But before moving on to a direct analysis of Mike Tyson’s training, I would like to talk about the boxer’s daily routine, because this is also an important part of the preparation process. At his peak, Mike would get out of bed at 5 a.m. and immediately begin a run that took about an hour. During this time he managed to run 3 miles.

After that, Tyson took a shower and went back to bed. The second time he woke up at 10 o’clock and went to have breakfast. At 12.00 the boxer sparred in the ring for 10 rounds, and at 14.00 he had lunch. Then he rested until 16.00. But from this period all the fun began: until 20.00, Tyson worked with a punching bag, performed sets of strength exercises, exercised on an exercise bike, and so on. An hour later Mike had dinner and went to bed.

As for the training program, it includes strength and speed exercises, as well as sparring. Thanks to this complex, all the muscles of the body are worked out. Most of the load falls on the pectoral and gluteal muscles, triceps, and the front of the thigh. The back muscles feel additional stress. For beginners, it will be quite difficult to immediately master such a program.

The most important thing is that you can perform a similar set of exercises at home. You don't need to have additional equipment. The only thing is that you need a horizontal bar, but almost everyone probably has one. Exercises include the following: standard push-ups, abs, squats, dips.

The program is characterized by a cyclical nature (exercises are performed in a circle). Rest between cycles is only 30 seconds. So, according to his program, Mike Tyson performed the following exercises:

• 200 squats;
• 30-45 dips;
• 50 press reps;
• 50 push-ups.

At the end of the cycle, a 10-minute neck warm-up is performed. This can be done through a wrestling exercise (you need to make a bridge on your neck without arms, swaying smoothly).

Mike Tyson performed about ten cycles daily. Of course, this seems difficult to achieve, but such results are achieved after years of training. The way out of the situation is to reduce the number of cycles or repetitions. However, in addition to this program, Mike Tyson also adhered to another one - boxing. He trained as follows:

1. Completed 4 rounds of shadow boxing (30 second break between rounds).
2. Worked with paws (6 three-minute rounds, 30 second break between them).
3. Sparred.
4. For 10 minutes I worked with a fast bag, which was secured with stretch marks.
5. I jumped rope for 20 minutes.
6. Performed 6 rounds of work on a heavy bag (30 second break).
7. I practiced on a small speed bag for 5 minutes.
8. At the end of the complex, I performed 5 sets of 20 push-ups and 15 sets of 20 sit-ups.
9. Then came the massage.

Thus, it can hardly be said that the champion title went to Mike Tyson just like that. The boxer trained hard every day and became one step closer to his main dream. As a result, he achieved it, so we can confidently say that the set of exercises that Iron Mike followed is effective and really makes a real machine out of a person. However, it must be remembered that equally important qualities are perseverance, determination and hard work. It is these characteristics, combined with Mike Tyson's training program, that will allow anyone to achieve success.

Mike Tyson is a world legend, a boxer who for a long time held the title of the best fighter in the world ring, was born on June 16, 1966 in New York, USA.

Childhood

It's hard to believe now, but little Mike was a very soft and vulnerable child. He had a difficult childhood. The father left the family as soon as he learned that another child would be born. But Michael’s mother did not dare to have an abortion and ended up left completely alone with three babies - the newly born baby and his older brother and sister.

In childhood

Naturally, she had to work hard all the time to provide her children with at least the necessities. Michael spent most of his time in the care of his elders, who were not eager to babysit him. The older brother and his company made the baby the object of constant ridicule and often beat him for no reason.

For a long time, Mike endured all the bullying, and by the age of 10 he had developed many complexes. But sooner or later even angelic patience ends. When one of the guys, wanting to bring him to tears once again, in front of the baby’s eyes, tore off the head of one of the pigeons that Mike was constantly feeding, he, as if maddened, rushed at the offender and beat him soundly.

Since then, the boy's life has changed dramatically. He felt confident in himself, and people in the yard even began to fear him. Very soon local bandits drew attention to him, which was very flattering for a boy who grew up in a black neighborhood that lived by its own harsh laws.

He was accepted into one of the local groups, and gradually he became involved in their ordinary life - robberies, theft, night parties.

By the age of 13, he managed to earn a certain authority in the criminal world and was sent to a colony for juvenile offenders. Who knows what the boy’s fate would have been like if you hadn’t had a chance meeting with the legendary Mohammed Ali, who came to the boarding school to talk to difficult teenagers.

This man was then the idol of all the boys. And when he talked about his fate, which began in the same way as the life of young Tyson, he first thought about a boxing career.

Soon Mike was released and practically forgot about this meeting, again plunging into a life of crime. But, once again finding himself behind bars, he learned that their sports classes were taught by a former boxer. The coach seriously talked to the boy and set conditions for him - he would train him only if the boy began to study normally and stopped being rowdy.

By that time, they had long ceased to believe in the possibility of Michael’s correction. He gained fame as a cruel and psychotic fighter who is completely uncontrollable. But his first coach, Bobby Stewart, managed to direct these qualities in the right direction and even teach the guy to control his own emotions.

True, it was not very good - he was able to restrain aggression only for a while.

Carier start

Tyson turned out to be a very capable student, also stubborn and capable of working in the gym for hours. Very quickly he mastered all the techniques that his first coach could teach him and he, realizing that the boy needed to develop further, asked his friend and colleague Casa D’Amato for help.

He met with the teenager and became convinced that Mike was simply obsessed with boxing. By this time, the boy had noticeably improved at school and had no complaints about discipline.

The new coach receives permission to take him to his own home and begins to actively prepare him for his first competitions. When Tyson's mother dies of an incurable disease, he takes custody of him. They maintained a very warm relationship throughout their lives, and Casu D’Amato always remained an indisputable authority for Mike.

In 1981, Tyson entered the amateur ring for the first time. Nobody takes the aspiring teenager seriously, and for many of his opponents this became a fatal mistake. Tyson knocks out one of the first ones just 8 seconds after the gong. After this, not only spectators, but also professional agents of promotion companies begin to closely monitor his career.

During his debut year, Tyson managed to fight more than 30 times, losing only six. Then his career develops rapidly. He actively takes part in competitions at any level and constantly replenishes his piggy bank with awards. In 1984, the coach decides that he is ready to participate in the Olympics. But at the qualifying competitions, Tyson lost the main battle for a place in the team.

Professional career

Then the coach decides to transfer his ward to professional boxing. After another year of preparation, they organized his first fight, which he brilliantly won. During 1985, he entered the ring 15 more times and was always triumphant.

Although it was this stellar year, which rapidly raised the boxer in the world rankings, that was very difficult for him. The most significant person in his life has passed away - the coach who gave him a ticket to big-time sports - Casa D'Amato.

The coaching baton was picked up by the former famous boxer Kevin Rooney, who had his own small managerial staff. Tyson's professional career began to actively develop, and at the age of 20 he entered his first championship fight.

Everyone who was interested in boxing knew that his opponent Trevor Berbick had virtually no chance of retaining the title. And so it happened - after the 2nd round, Tyson was declared champion.

Until 1991, Tyson remained unbeaten and was number one in the world boxing rankings. From time to time he leads a rather wild life, gets into trouble with the police and even dabbles in drugs, but before each entry into the ring he manages to curb himself and win the next battle.

But in 1991 he goes to prison on charges of rape. It is still believed that it was partially fabricated. However, prison took Tyson almost 5 years.

Although Tyson continued to train behind bars and was physically absolutely ready to successfully continue his career, his psyche suffered quite seriously - he became more and more aggressive and uncontrollable every day.

In 1995 he regained the championship title. But in 1996, during the championship fight, Tyson bit off a piece of his opponent’s ear, for which he was disqualified.

The boxer's reputation was greatly shaken after this incident, and for a long time none of the fighters agreed to enter the ring with him. The next fight was organized only in 1999. But this time, Tyson behaved unsportsmanlike - in the first seconds of the fight, he performed a “dirty” move, trying to break his opponent’s arm. He lost the next three fights and in 2005 announced his retirement from his sports career.

Nevertheless, he forever entered the annals of world boxing and, even twice, into the Guinness Book of Records - as the youngest heavyweight champion and as the athlete who performed the most lightning-fast knockouts. Tyson, who escaped poverty from black neighborhoods, is still an example for black boys who inspires them to take up boxing.

Personal life

Tyson was married three times. His first divorce from aspiring actress Robin Givens caused him severe psychological trauma and lightened his pockets by $10 million. Perhaps it was clear to everyone except Tyson himself that this alliance was concluded solely for the sake of money, which the ex-wife eventually received.

With Robin Givens

After his release from prison, Tyson falls in love with a calm, sweet woman pediatrician, who gives birth to two charming children - a son and a daughter. It would seem that this idyll had to be protected with all our might. But Tyson's dark side prevailed again. In 2003, having accused her husband of treason, Monica Turner filed for divorce.

With Monica Turner

Tyson denied it for a long time, but an examination established his paternity. The mother of the child, born in 2002, turned out to be another boxer’s mistress. After the divorce, he goes to her, and soon a girl is born. At the age of 4, she tragically dies after falling into the ropes of a home exercise machine, but Tyson already has a backup option again.

Mike Tyson is an American professional boxer who competed in the heavyweight division. Multiple world champion according to WBC, WBA, IBF and The Ring.

Childhood and youth

Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson was born on June 30, 1966 in Brooklyn. Mike's father abandoned the family before the boy was born, so the future athlete inherited his last name from his mother's first husband. Tyson also has an older brother, Rodney, and a sister, Denise.

As a child, Mike was weak-willed and completely unable to stand up for himself. He was bullied not only by his classmates, but even by his older brother. A turning point occurred in Tyson’s mind when, in front of the boy’s eyes, a local bully tore off the head of a pigeon.

An enraged Mike attacked and brutally beat the teenager, which immediately earned him the respect of the young bandits. Together with new friends, Tyson soon began to steal, for which he more than once ended up in correctional institutions for juvenile offenders.

During his next visit to the colony, Tyson was lucky enough to meet the famous professional boxer Mohammed Ali, who arrived there to communicate with troubled teenagers. After meeting the great master, Mike first thought about becoming a boxer.

At the age of 13, Mike, who by that time was already considered incorrigible and even mentally retarded, fell into the hands of the legendary trainer Cus D'Amato. It was then that Mike chose his unique style - the fighter entered the ring without musical accompaniment, without a robe, in black shorts and boxers on his bare feet.

Sports career

In 1981, Mike earned his first title - the teenager became the champion of the Youth Olympic tournaments. Tyson repeated his success the following year, and then received gold medals in 1983 and 1984 at the national championships. In the spring of 1985, Tyson made his debut in the professional ring. This year the athlete took part in 15 fights, winning by knockout.

The rise to fame occurred in 1986, after successful fights against such strong opponents as Mike Jameson, Steve Zouski, James Tillis, Reggie Gross, as well as Mitch Green, who after the fight with Tyson did not enter the ring at all for seven years. Mike's popularity was brought by a fight with the most promising fighter at that time, Marvis Frazier, who at that time had only one defeat. In the first round, Tyson sent his opponent to a severe knockout. After this loss, Marvis almost immediately left boxing.

In November 1987, the athlete won a fight against WBC world champion Trevor Berbick, which brought Tyson $1.5 million and the title of the youngest heavyweight champion. Moreover, Mike set a record in this fight, forcing his opponent to fall and get up three times.

This was followed by a victory in a fight against ex-champion Pinklon Thomas (who had never even been knocked down until that moment) and receiving the title of the youngest absolute heavyweight champion after fights with Tony Tucker, Tyrell Biggs and Larry Holmes. In addition to thunderous triumphs, Tyson also had unsuccessful fights - such as, for example, with a weak, at first glance, opponent James “Buster” Douglas in 1990.

In 1991, Mike was accused of raping 18-year-old Black Miss Rhode Island Desiree Washington and was released on bail after 3 years (instead of the original 6). The fighter was destined to return to the ring only in 1995, and this moment was dubbed “the event of the year” by the media. After leaving prison, the boxer's style changed significantly, which brought the athlete many victories, money and the title of three-time world champion.

In the summer of 1997, the famous boxer’s fight took place against Evander Holyfield, during which Tyson bit off part of his opponent’s right ear. The fight ended in a brawl, Mike was deprived of his boxing license and paid a fine of $3 million. Perhaps, this particular incident will always be associated with the name of this scandalous athlete.

Mike Tyson vs Evander Holyfield fight

Mike returned to the ring in 1999, however, according to critics, this was not the same Tyson. In addition, the fighter began to have problems with obesity, drugs and, again, the law. Mike subsequently admitted that he often used other people's urine tests to pass doping tests before fights.

Mike Tyson vs Lennox Lewis fight

In 2002, the highest-grossing fight took place against British boxer Lennox Lewis, who knocked Mike out. And after losing to the generally unknown Irish athlete Kevin McBride in 2005, Tyson announced his retirement from the sport. During these years, Mike experienced serious financial problems and even declared bankruptcy.

Further career

To improve his deplorable financial situation, in the following years Tyson tried himself in various fields of art and business in order to stay afloat. He began actively acting in films and TV series - Mike could be seen in “Rocky Balboa” (2006), “The Hangover” (2009).

In total, from 1993 to 2017, Mike starred in more than five dozen films and TV series. The athlete also participated in an autobiographical show in Las Vegas and television wrestling programs. In 2012, Tyson was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, dedicated to the best wrestlers.

Mike Tyson. Best fights and knockouts

In the same year, Tyson created his own foundation, the mission of which was “to give children a chance to fight.” Tyson soon founded Iron Mike Productions, a boxing promotion company, with Harry Jonas.

In 2013, the Fox Sports 1 channel launched the animated documentary television series “The Secrets of Mike Tyson,” dedicated to the life of the famous boxer. In November of the same year, Tyson released an autobiographical book, Mike Tyson: Undeniable Truths, which hit the New York Times bestseller list.

In January 2017, Tyson launched his YouTube channel with Shots Studios, a comedy video production company with famous Viners such as Lele Pons and Rudy Mancuso. On Tyson's channel you can find parody music videos and sketches.

Personal life of Mike Tyson

Tyson was married three times: to actress Robin Givens (1988-1989), to pediatrician Monica Turner (1997-2003), and to Lakia "Kiki" Spicer (since 2009). Tyson's third wife met the boxer at the age of 18 - her father, an influential Muslim cleric, often took his daughter to boxing competitions.

Her relationship with the controversial boxer took a serious turn in 2008 when Kiki was sentenced to prison for being in the company of her father, who was accused of fraudulent fundraising activities. A week before prison, Kiki found out that she was pregnant with Tyson's child. The girl spent six months in prison, and soon after being free she gave birth to Mike’s daughter Milan.

Mike Tyson was born in New York, in Brooklyn, in the Brownsville area. His parents were Lorna Smith and Jimmy Kirkpatrick. However, Mike inherited his last name from his mother's first husband. His father left the family before Mike was born. Mike has an older brother, Rodney, and an older sister, Denise.

Mike's childhood was full of hardships and various misfortunes. He had a very soft character and did not know how to stand up for himself, besides, Mike was overweight at that time. His older brother Rodney and the neighborhood boys, and later classmates, constantly bullied children younger than their age and Mike too. They beat them and took away the change and sweets that their mothers and fathers gave them. Tyson was no exception. Until the age of 10, he was pathologically unable to defend himself. However, at the age of 9-11, Mike experienced a turning point. As he himself says, one day one of the members of a local street gang, who was several years older (namely 3 years), snatched his beloved pigeon from his hands (breeding pigeons was Mike’s favorite pastime since childhood and remains his main hobby to this day day) and tore off his head. Enraged, Mike attacked his attacker and brutally beat him. From that moment on, Mike was respected among local juvenile bandits, who accepted him into their company and taught him to pick pockets, steal and rob stores. Activities of this kind led to arrests, visits (and repeated ones) to correctional institutions for juvenile offenders, during one of which Tyson managed to meet Muhammad Ali, who came there to communicate with difficult teenagers and try to set them on the right path. Tyson himself later recalled that it was after meeting Ali that he first thought about a boxing career.

To understand the conditions in which Mike had to survive, it is interesting to recall another incident involving pigeons. Poor teenagers sometimes did not even have money to eat, so there was no talk of buying pigeons. The birds were simply stolen. So, one day Mike and a friend climbed into one of the other people's pigeon coops and tried to steal several pigeons. The owners noticed them and immediately caught them. They decided to punish the guys in a “peculiar way” - just hang them! Since there was only one rope, we decided to hang them one by one. Mike's friend was chosen first. Tyson stood and watched as his comrade’s legs twitched in convulsions... Tyson himself was saved only by the fact that the neighbors saw what was happening and threatened to call the police. For the boy’s psyche, such things could not pass without a trace. As Mike later recalled, after this incident he spent his entire life “remaining awaiting execution.”

At the age of 13, Tyson was sent to a special school for juvenile offenders (due to his behavior in a regular school), located in upstate New York. By this time, he was considered incorrigible and was distinguished by enormous physical strength for his age: when Mike lost his temper, he could only be calmed down by the joint efforts of several adult men. At the school where Tyson was assigned, former boxer Bobby Stewart worked as a physical education teacher. Having once found himself in a punishment cell for yet another violation of the regime, Mike suddenly asked for the opportunity to talk with him. Stuart came to him, and Mike said that he wanted to become a boxer. Stuart agreed to train him on the condition that Mike would not violate discipline. Mike's behavior after this really changed for the better, and after some time Stuart made another agreement with him: the better Mike does at school, the more Stuart practices boxing with him. And it worked: Tyson, who had previously been considered mentally retarded, managed to significantly improve his academic performance. He was so obsessed with boxing that school staff would sometimes find him training at 3 or 4 a.m., shadow boxing or working out muscles in his room. In a later interview, Stewart recalled that Tyson, then 13 years old, literally knocked him down with his jab. Already at the age of 13, Mike could lift a 100-kilogram barbell in the bench press. After some time, Stuart realized that his student had already outgrown him, and introduced Mike to the legendary trainer and manager Cus D'Amato. Mike devoted all his free time to training. Cus D'Amato already knew then that Mike was the future world champion. Cas created a professional team around Tyson: coaches, seconds, massage therapists and others. Thus, a disciplined athlete emerged from a street thug.

While living with Cus D'Amato, Mike watched a lot of videos of old professional fights and, impressed by what he saw, chose for himself a rather unusual image for those times: he entered the ring without music, without a robe, in simple black shorts and boxer shorts. barefoot

After the death of his trainer Cus D'Amato on November 4, 1985, Mike broke down mentally. His defeat by “Buster” Douglas on February 11, 1990, in Japan, is still considered the greatest sensation in boxing history: the odds on Douglas winning were 42 to 1.

1986-07-26 Mike Tyson - Marvis Frazier

In July 1986, Tyson met with the son of the famous heavyweight champion Joe Frazier, Marvis Frazier. At that time, Marvis was considered Tyson’s most dangerous opponent; he had 16 victories, including victories over James Tillis, Joe Bugner, James “Bonecrusher” Smith and only one defeat, which he suffered from Larry Holmes. However, in the fight with Tyson, he suffered the most humiliating defeat of those opponents whom Tyson beat. At the beginning of the 1st round, Tyson drove his opponent into a corner and delivered a right uppercut. Fraser was shocked. Tyson immediately carried out another series of strong blows. The enemy fell. The referee began to count, but seeing that Fraser was lying unconscious, he stopped counting. It was a tough knockout. Fraser came to his senses a few minutes later. It took Tyson only 30 seconds to knock out Frazier. This fight turned out to be the shortest in Tyson's professional career. After this fight, Marvis Frazier had three more fights with little-known boxers and retired from boxing in 1988.

1986-11-22 Mike Tyson - Trevor Berbick

In November 1986, Mike Tyson entered the ring against WBC world champion Trevor Berbick. Berbick only won the champion title in February 1986 and only made his first defense. In the 2nd round, Tyson landed a right uppercut to the jaw, and then hit Berbick in the head with a left hook. Berbick pressed himself against Tyson for a moment, and then fell. Berbick tried to stand up twice, but lost his balance each time. On the third attempt he got up, but he was very unsteady. The referee stopped the fight. After this fight, Berbick's career began to decline. After this fight, Tyson set a world record, becoming the youngest heavyweight champion. At the same time, Kevin Rooney (he was 30 years old at that time) set the record, becoming the youngest coach to lead his coach to the championship title.

1987-03-07 Mike Tyson - James Smith

In March 1987, Tyson fought WBA world champion spoiler James "Bonecrusher" Smith. Smith, in order to escape Tyson's attacks, constantly clinch. Tyson dominated the entire fight. At the end of the 12th round, Smith launched a spurt attack, but it was too late. Tyson won on points with a crushing score.

1987-05-20 Mike Tyson - Pinklon Thomas

In May 1987, Tyson entered the ring against former champion Pinklon Thomas. In the 6th round, Tyson carried out a series of uppercuts and hooks from both hands, some of which landed squarely on the challenger’s jaw. Thomas staggered. After another left hook, the challenger fell to the canvas. He didn’t have time to get up to the count of “10”. The referee stopped the fight.

1987-08-01 Mike Tyson - Tony Tucker

In August 1987, a fight for the title of absolute world heavyweight champion took place between the undefeated WBC and WBA champion Mike Tyson and the undefeated IBF champion Tony Tucker. In the first round, Tucker succeeded in something that no other opponent of Tyson’s had ever succeeded in: with a powerful uppercut, he touched Tyson’s chin, thus forcing him to take a couple of steps back, but he was unable to develop his success. Subsequently, Tucker avoided a fight with Tyson, running around the ring and clinching from him. Tyson won by unanimous decision and became the absolute world heavyweight champion. Tucker suffered the first defeat in his career and set a unique record: he held the IBF title for only 64 days. In turn, Tyson set a world record: he became the youngest absolute heavyweight champion. Subsequently, Tucker cited the catastrophic lack of time required to prepare for such a battle as the reason for his defeat.

1987-10-16 Mike Tyson - Tyrell Biggs

In October 1987, a fight took place between two undefeated boxers - the absolute world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and the Olympic champion Tyrell Biggs, who defeated Lennox Lewis and Francesco Damiani at the 1984 Olympics. The fight against Tyrell Biggs was Tyson's dream, which came true in 1987. Mike wanted to prove to everyone that he, too, could represent America at the Olympics and decided to punish Tyrell Biggs. Tyrell Biggs hoped to beat Tyson with his quick movements and jab, which Tyson blocked more than once in this fight. However, Tyson continued a series of blows to the face and body, which subsequently allowed him to knock down Tyrell Biggs with a left hook in the 7th round. Tyson said immediately after the fight: “I could have beaten Tyrell Biggs in the third round, but I wanted him to remember my blow and this night for a long time.”

1988-01-22 Mike Tyson - Larry Holmes

In January 1988, an important fight for Tyson took place against the world famous Larry Holmes. Tyson dominated all four rounds and knocked out Holmes in the fourth round. Larry Holmes spent the last five seconds of the fight in shock; he did not understand what was happening in the ring. A doctor was urgently called to help Holmes get back on his feet. As Larry Holmes later stated, “Tyson is much better than I thought. His speed and striking tactics are well developed. He is a true champion." For Tyson, Holmes' words were very pleasant. In response, Tyson mentioned that Larry Holmes is the best boxer he ever fought in the ring.

1988-03-21 Mike Tyson - Tony Tubbs

In March 1988, Tyson entered the ring against former champion Tony Tubbs. In the second round, Tyson threw a left hook. Tubbs stumbled back and fell before he could get up before the end of the count.

1988-06-27 Mike Tyson - Michael Spinks

In June 1988, a fight took place between two undefeated boxers - the absolute world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and the former absolute world light heavyweight champion, as well as the former IBF world heavyweight champion Michael Spinks. In the middle of the 1st round, Tyson delivered a left uppercut to the chin and then added a right hook to the body. Spinks dropped to his knee. He stood on the count of "3". Immediately after the fight resumed, Tyson sent his opponent to the canvas again with a right uppercut to the head. Spinks was still on the floor at the count of 10 and the referee stopped the fight. Tyson won the Ring magazine title and became the lineal champion. In this fight, Tyson set a kind of record: He earned at that time the largest fee in boxing history ($22 million) in the shortest time (91 seconds).

1989

In February 1989, Tyson knocked out the strongest British heavyweight, Frank Bruno.

1989-07-21 Mike Tyson - Carl Williams

In July 1989, Tyson entered the ring against Carl Williams. In the middle of the 1st round, Tyson sent the challenger to the canvas with a left uppercut to the jaw. Williams stood at the count of 8, but referee Randy Neumann looked at him and stopped the fight. The decision was controversial. The referee said in a post-fight interview that Williams did not answer the question about his readiness to continue the fight. Williams also gave a post-fight interview in which he stated that he was knocked down, not knocked out, that he was ready to continue the fight, and when asked by the referee about his readiness to continue the fight, he raised his hands, and did not understand why the referee stopped the fight.

1990-02-11 Mike Tyson - James Douglas

On February 11, 1990, Mike Tyson met James “Buster” Douglas in Japan. Tyson underestimated his opponent and was poorly prepared for the fight. At the end of the 8th round, Tyson delivered a right uppercut to the jaw, and Douglas fell to the floor. He was on the floor for more than 10 seconds, the referee counted very slowly, stopped counting at seven, turned around twice and continued counting. At the count of 10, Douglas was still on the floor, the gong rang and the referee stopped counting. Douglas lay on the floor for some time. A normal count would be 16 seconds. In the middle of the 10th round, Douglas landed a right uppercut to the jaw, and then a combination - a left cross, a right cross and again a left cross. Tyson fell. His mouthguard flew out. Tyson almost immediately got up, but the referee quickly counted to 8 and stopped the fight. At the time the fight was stopped, the judges' score was a draw: Larry Rosadilla (82-88 Douglas), Ken Morita (87-86 Tyson), Masakazu Uchida (86-86). After the fight, Tyson's promoter Don King said that the referee took too long to count the knockdown on Douglas, and in fact there was a knockout. The fight received the status of “upset of the year” according to Ring magazine. After this fight, Douglas was not the undisputed champion for long and made only one defense against Evander Holyfield in March 1991, to whom he lost by knockout in the 3rd round, after which he would leave boxing for 6 years, and when he returned he lost in 1998 by knockout in 1 round to Lou Savariz, who was then defeated by Mike Tyson in the same 1st round. Years later, Douglas will say that he should have ended his career after the fight with Tyson, because after it he felt like a deflated balloon. Before this fight, Tyson had shown a lack of discipline in his career, later commenting: "I didn't train at all."

1990-06-16 Mike Tyson - Henry Tillman

In June 1990, Tyson entered the ring against Henry Tillman. At the end of the 1st round, Tyson sent his opponent to the canvas with a right hook to the upper part of the head. At the count of 10, Tillman was still on the floor. Pure knockout. Interestingly, Tillman beat Mike twice in the amateurs.

1990-12-08 Mike Tyson - Alex Stewart

In December 1990, Tyson entered the ring against prospect Alex Stewart. At the beginning of the 1st round, he sent Stewart to the canvas with a right hook to the top of the head. Stewart rose to the count of 5. A minute later, with the same blow, Tyson again sent his opponent to the canvas. Stewart stood at the count of 10 and the referee allowed the fight to continue. A minute later, Tyson sent Stewart to the floor again with a right hook to the jaw. This time Stuart didn't even try to get up. Tyson wins by pure knockout.

Tyson did not like the criticism of himself from the famous HBO commentator Larry Merchant. He gave the channel’s management an ultimatum: “Either Merchant or me.” Management chose Merchant. Tyson left HBO for Showtime.

1991-03-18 Mike Tyson - Donovan Ruddock

In March 1991, Tyson faced Donovan Ruddock. Ruddock by that time was considered one of the strongest heavyweights; their fight was planned back in 1990, but Tyson then refused, citing illness. In the 7th round, he hit Ruddock in the jaw with a left hook. Ruddock staggered and leaned on the ropes. Referee Richard Steele suddenly stopped the fight. The decision was very controversial. After the fight was stopped, a brawl between two corners began in the ring. After security intervened, the fight was stopped.

1991-06-28 Mike Tyson - Donovan Ruddock (2nd fight)

Due to the controversial stoppage of the 1st Tyson-Ruddock fight, a re-fight was scheduled. It took place in June 1991. This time Tyson won on points. Ruddock was knocked down in the 2nd and 4th rounds. Referee Mills Lane deducted points for violations from Tyson in the 4th, 9th and 10th rounds, and from Ruddock in the 8th. After this, Ruddock’s career began to decline; much later, he stated that he spent all his physical and mental strength fighting Tyson, and that after these fights, both Ruddock himself and Tyson ended.

After this fight, Tyson went to prison for 3 years.

1995-08-19 Mike Tyson - Peter McNeely

In August 1995, Tyson entered the ring against Peter McNealy. At the very beginning of the 1st round, Tyson sent his opponent to the floor with a right hook to the head. McNeely jumped up and suddenly ran around the ring. The referee grabbed his arm and began counting the knockdown. The fight continued. In the middle of the round, Tyson carried out a successful attack and knocked down McNealy with a right uppercut. Referee Mills Lane began the count. People from McNealy's corner entered the ring. The referee asked them to leave, but they refused, after which Lane decided to disqualify McNealy, but Peter shouted into the camera that he would come back and show everyone what he was really capable of.

1995-12-16 Mike Tyson - Buster Mathis

In December 1995, Tyson entered the ring against the undefeated Buster Mathis Jr. In the 3rd round, Tyson sent Mathis to the canvas with a right uppercut. Mathis did not have time to rise to the count of 10. The referee recorded a knockout.

March 16 Mike Tyson - Frank Bruno (2 fight)

The rematch between Tyson and Bruno took place on March 16, 1996. Everything became clear from the 1st round, when Tyson touched Bruno’s head on the right in the first seconds. Bruno started clinching at the first opportunity and did not want to let Tyson out of his arms. This helped him survive the first round, but it was beginning to irritate referee Mills Lane. But Iron Mike looked much better in this round than in his last fights before prison. In the third round, Tyson struck with a right to the body, a left hook to the jaw, and then carried out a long series with both hands, ending with several right uppercuts. Bruno fell into the ropes, which kept him on his feet, and the referee saved him from further beating, and the WBC championship went to Mike Tyson. However, then the WBC management refused to sanction the unified fight between Tyson and Bruce Seldon and Tyson was stripped of the title.

September 7 Mike Tyson - Bruce Seldon

In September 1996, Tyson faced WBA world champion Bruce Seldon. Tyson immediately went on the attack. Seldon, in order to escape from Tyson’s attacks, constantly clinch. In the middle of the round, Tyson threw a cross. Seldon collapsed onto the canvas. He rose to the count of 5. Immediately after the resumption of the fight, Tyson again sent his opponent to the canvas with a left straight to the head. Seldon was still on the floor at the count of 10 and the referee stopped the fight. Tyson won the WBA title and became a three-time world champion

November 9 Mike Tyson - Evander Holyfield

1999-01-16 Mike Tyson - Francois Botha

In January 1999, Tyson met South African Francois Botha. Tyson won the fight. At the end of the 5th round, Tyson sent his opponent to the canvas with a right cross to the chin. Botha stood up for the count of 10, but immediately fell onto the ropes. The referee recorded a knockout.

1999-10-23 Mike Tyson - Orlin Norris

In October 1999, Tyson faced Orlin Norris. In the 1st round, Tyson sent his opponent to the canvas with a short left hook to the jaw after the bell. Norris stood up. The referee deducted 2 points from Tyson. Norris did not advance to the 2nd round. A doctor examined him. On his advice, the fight was stopped. The fight was declared invalid.

2000

Due to problems with the law, Tyson spent the next 2 fights outside the United States.

In January 2000, Tyson faced British champion Julius Francis. Francis fell 5 times. After the 5th fall, the referee stopped the fight. Tyson won by knockout in round 2.

2000-06-24 Mike Tyson - Lou Savarise

In June 2000, Tyson faced Lou Savarise. Savaris defeated James Douglas in his last fight. At the beginning of the 1st round, Tyson knocked down Savarise with a left hook. When the enemy stood up, intending to continue the fight, Tyson attacked him to finish him off. Referee John Coyle, trying to put an end to the beating of the helpless Savarise, tried to separate the boxers, but Tyson, not paying attention to the judge, continued to throw punches. Forgetting caution, the boxer, who had gone wild, accidentally hit the referee with his fist and he fell into the ring. Coyle stood up and again categorically demanded that the fight be stopped. This time Tyson complied. There was a hitch; no one knew what the verdict would be. In the end, Tyson was awarded the victory by technical knockout, despite the incident. Savarise, nevertheless, threw up his hands for a long time, as if not understanding why the referee did not allow him to continue the fight. In a post-match interview with Showtime, Mike Tyson said that he is Jack Dempsey and Sonny Liston rolled into one, he is invincible, and finally threatened to eat Lennox Lewis’s children and rip out his own heart.

2000-10-20 Mike Tyson - Andrzej Golota

In October 2000, Tyson became involved with Andrzej Golota. At the end of the 1st round, Tyson knocked down his opponent with a right hook to the jaw. Golota immediately stood up. During the break between rounds 1 and 2, Golota told the coach that Tyson broke his jaw and asked him to stop the fight, but the coach did not believe him. During the break between the 2nd and 3rd rounds, Golota refused to continue the fight. Golota's corner tried to persuade him to continue the fight, but to no avail. Golota ran out of the ring. While he was leaving the hall, spectators threw various objects at him, mainly drink glasses. Near the exit, he was hit by a can of ketchup, which spilled over the boxer’s body. Later, representatives of the Showtime television channel said that Golota was a coward, and they would never show him on their channel again. Shortly after the fight, Tyson's doping test showed traces of marijuana in his blood, and the fight was declared invalid. In October 2001, Tyson went to Denmark to fight a local fighter - Mike Tyson

Personal life

He was married three times: the first time to actress Robin Givens, the second time to Monica Turner, a pediatrician at Georgetown University Medical Center. Since June 6, 2009, he has been married for the third time to Lakia Spicer. Children: Reina (born February 14, 1996), Amir (born August 5, 1997), Deamata Kilrain (born 1990), Miki Lorna (born 1990), Miguel Leon (born 2002), Exodus (died in an accident case in 2009). Son, born January 25, 2011.

Because of this, he often ended up in the hospital.

In the documentary, Tyson said that before the fight with Berbick, he contracted gonorrhea, which made him unable to concentrate on the fight. In 1989, Mike began having problems with alcohol due to a divorce and other problems, so Mike soon gave up training, but after the fight with Douglas, he signed up for treatment.

From mid-1990 to 2010, Mike had problems with drugs, and this greatly affected his career and psyche and problems with the law. For example, the fight with Andrzej Golota, when Tyson won the fight, but a doping test showed traces of marijuana in Tyson’s blood and the fight was declared invalid. In the second fight with Holyfield, after another headbutt, Tyson could not stand it and bit his opponent’s ear, and then in the clinch, after 2 blows, he bit him again. After the fight was stopped, Tyson rushed at Holyfield and began to beat everyone who prevented him from getting to Holyfield. Tyson later made a statement that he was crazy because of the violations on the part of Holyfield and the fact that the judge did nothing, and that he had one thought on his mind - to kill Holyfield, but 15 years later Tyson made a statement that in addition to rage due to Holyfield's headbutts, bit him while under the influence of drugs. On December 29, 2008, Mike Tyson was arrested for using cocaine while driving, but was released the next day.

Because of the drugs, Mike began to have problems with excess weight. In his best shape, as Mike himself said, he weighed no more than 98 kilograms. At the end of his 90s, Mike's weight fluctuated between 101-102 kg. In the fight with Brian Nielsen, he weighed 108 kg, but this did not stop him from winning. In the fight with Lewis, he already weighed 106 kg and the excess weight was clearly visible on his body. From 2007 to 2010, Mike weighed 150-160 kilograms, but in 2009 he became a vegetarian, started playing sports again and lost more than 40 kilograms.

In popular culture

• Mike Tyson served as the prototype for boxer Ian McGregor from the anime series “Baki the Fighter”.
• Mike Tyson has appeared in more than 55 films and TV series. In all of them he played himself.
D-Generation X this article, adding links to authoritative sources.
This mark is set November 25, 2012.

Henry Romeres: “I’m not going to say that Mike Tyson is the best heavyweight of all time, but there is no doubt that he is the most exciting and entertaining.”

Angelo Dundee said after Tyson's fight with Trevor Berbick: “He's throwing combinations that I haven't seen before. I am amazed. It seemed like nothing could surprise me, because I worked with Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard, but now I see a three-punch combination (from Tyson) that is not inferior to any other in history. Have you ever seen a guy with a right to the kidneys, then the same right uppercut to the head and finishing with a left hook to the head? The question is rhetorical. There was no such guy before or after Tyson. What this man brought to boxing deserves the highest marks. And you shouldn’t rush into “expert” opinions that Mike Tyson didn’t achieve what he could, that he simply wasted his talent, that he will forever remain in history as a boxer who “could have been, but didn’t.” He could, and he became, the standard of world boxing by which other champions are measured to this day."

Muhammad Ali said on the Arsenio Hall show about Mike Tyson: “He knows how to be modest and pleasant, but this man is a great boxer and I don’t know what would have happened if he hit me.”

Leonard, Sugar Ray said: “Tyson is so aggressive and destructive that sometimes you want to lock him up somewhere for your own safety.”

Evander Holyfield said about Mike Tyson: "He was the perfect fighter based on his size. We knew each other since we were amateurs. He was the best heavyweight, and I was the best cruiserweight, and I knew that in the end "We'll meet in the ring after all. I respected him from the start, I've seen all his professional fights. I knew he was the one I had to beat because he was that good. I really think he was much better." than people thought, because a lot of people said he was just a street fighter in the ring, but he fought perfectly based on his size. He has short arms, he is short. If you have short arms, you have to fight aggressively. You just have to fight in a style to win, and he was capable of doing that."

Corey Sanders believes that working with Tyson was a great experience for him, and that Mike helped him as much as he helped Mike: “Training with such a master gave me confidence. I boxed against many fighters and never faced anyone such a strong blow. It looks like he has stones hidden under his gloves."

George Foreman believes Mike Tyson can still help revive interest in boxing. “He is still the best heavyweight,” said the former champion. “If he works as hard as in his younger years, he can become a champion again.” He has not yet lost any of his qualities, with the exception of the desire to work.” According to Foreman, he is sincerely pleased with the news that Tyson is back in the training room: “Mike has no other activity other than boxing, he lives for it. He has always been a very good boxer and if he dedicates himself to the sport again, it could solve a lot of his problems.”

Frank Bruno noted after the fight: “I know that Tyson is a great boxer, but I have heard opinions that the peak of his boxing skill has passed. Believe me, this is not true. You can feel nuclear power in Tyson’s punches, and I’m sure that thanks to it he will win many more victories.”

Larry Holmes said after the fight with Tyson: “Tyson is much better than I thought. His speed and striking tactics are well developed. He is a real champion.”

Danny Williams answered the question of who hits harder - Klitschko or Tyson, he said: “Tyson hits much harder. It’s no wonder why Vitali doesn’t have many first-round knockouts - his punches are very painful, but he can’t knock out anyone with one punch. And Here's Tyson - every time he hits you, your head gets foggy and you don't know where you are. Every blow from Tyson can send you into a deep knockout, but Vitaly's blows are just pain, pain and more pain. Terrible pain."

Lennox Lewis said about Tyson when he was in his prime: “He was like a tornado, knocking out all his opponents. That was when he was at his peak. I think his environment influenced him. He had nothing, and suddenly he became a millionaire , everyone started worshiping him. You know, I'm an analyst, I analyze everything. Even his relationship with Robin Givens helped me. They helped a lot of athletes, showing that you have to be very careful with such women because they play their own games.

Monte Barrett thanks Tyson for what you've done for boxing: "He's really done a lot for the sport. I really respect Mike and I appreciate that." He said, "In boxing, when you break it down into layers, you show who you really exist and you have to be sincere, always be sincere.”

Arthur Abraham noted that his idol and favorite boxer Mike Tyson was the best in his time. “Tyson is Tyson,” he emphasized. “In his best years it is impossible to compare him with anyone.”

Famous heavyweight boxer Riddick Bowe grew up with Tyson on the same block in Brownsville, he and Tyson went to the same school, only Bowe was years later. When Riddick becomes famous, Tyson will say that he did not know him at that time and was not familiar with him, and Riddick will say that he remembers Mike at that time as a very large guy for his age and a school bully, just like the fact that many guys The weaker ones tried not to appear in the school yard again, since they could run into Tyson and his gang.

Heavyweight boxer James Buster Douglas lost 6 times in his career. 3 of the 6 opponents who defeated him were beaten by Mike Tyson. Namely: Jesse Ferguson beat Douglas on points. Tyson defeated Ferguson by technical knockout in the 6th round. Tony Tucker defeated Douglas by TKO in the 10th round. Tyson defeated Tucker by unanimous decision. Lou Savarise defeated Douglas by knockout in the 1st round, Tyson defeated Savarise by knockout in the 1st round.

After one of his adventures, Mike Tyson ended up in prison, where he met Mohamed Ali, who came to the correctional facility to instruct children on the right path. From that moment on, Mike decided to become a professional boxer. In prison, Tyson, following the example of his idol Muhammad Ali, converted to Islam. True, unlike Ali, Mike Tyson’s spiritual name is less known - Malik Abdul Aziz. In 2010, he made a pilgrimage to Mecca. He also donated $250,000 for the construction of the mosque.

Tyson, Mike on Wikimedia Commons
• Tyson, Mike Service Record (English)