Mike Tyson

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Mike Tyson

Statistics
Real name Michael Gerard Tyson
Nickname Iron Mike
Kid Dynamite
Baddest Man on the Planet
Weight Heavyweight
Nationality Flag of United States American
Birth date June 30, 1966 (age 40)
Birth place Brooklyn, New York, USA
Style Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights 58
Wins 50
Wins by KO 44
Losses 6
Draws 0
No contests 2

Michael Gerard Tyson, (born June 30, 1966) is a former American World Heavyweight boxing Champion. Tyson, the youngest man to have won a heavyweight title belt, was rated in 1999 by Ring magazine as the fourteenth greatest heavyweight of all time. Tyson unified the belts in the splintered heavyweight division in the mid-eighties and quickly disposed of all rival contenders.

Nicknamed "Iron Mike Tyson", "Mighty Mike Tyson", "Kid Dynamite", and "The Baddest Man on the Planet", Tyson adopted the Muslim name Malik Abdul Aziz after his conversion to Islam.[1]

Although Tyson was considered unbeatable during his prime, he lacked discipline and self control in and out of the ring, leading to personal problems and extended periods of imprisonment. After being released from his first prison sentence, Tyson's heavily anticipated comeback failed to reclaim his previous dominance. Tyson's greatest impact upon the boxing world was as a fighter during the 1980s, as the latter part of his career was overshadowed by controversy even though he eventually regained a title belt.

Contents

[edit] Early years

Tyson was born and raised in the notorious Brownsville section of Brooklyn. Tyson's early childhood was marked by strife and unhappiness forcing his mother, Lorna Smith Tyson, to provide for her family following the departure of their father, Jimmy Kirkpatrick,[2] when Tyson was two years old. Tyson's reputation as a youth who would beat anyone who ridiculed his high-pitched, lisping voice was fueled by constant abuse by older children on the streets of Brownsville.[2] Expelled from junior high school for fighting, Tyson passed through juvenile detention centers, yet remained in perpetual trouble with the state for petty crime and violence. Tyson's raw boxing ability and incredible potential in the ring was discovered by a juvenile detention center counselor and former boxer named Bobby Stewart while Tyson was in a in New York detention center.[2] As Tyson was an outstanding physical specimen, Stewart trained him for a few months and then introduced him to the legendary Cus D'Amato.[2]

Tyson was later removed from reform school by D'Amato, a well-known boxing trainer whose proteges included former champions Floyd Patterson and José Torres.[3] He saw the young boxer's potential and took him off Stewart's hands to train him; he later became Tyson's legal guardian,[2] and Tyson has often referred to his love for D'Amato as a father figure. D'Amato died in 1985, early in Tyson's professional career; some speculate that his death was the genesis of many of the troubles Tyson was to experience as his life and career progressed.[4] Teddy Atlas was another trainer who worked with Tyson in his early career with D'Amato.

[edit] Rise to stardom

Mike Tyson made his professional debut on March 6, 1985, in Albany, New York, a match he won by a first round knockout over Hector Mercedes.[2] Fighting frequently in his first two years as a professional, Tyson won the first 19 of his 22 fights by knockout, 14 of which came in the first round. His quality of opposition gradually increased to journeyman fighters and borderline contenders, and his win streak attracted much media attention, leading to his being billed as the next great heavyweight champion.

Tyson's first nationally televised bout took place on February 16, 1986 at Houston Field House in Troy, NY against journeyman heavyweight Jesse Ferguson. Tyson knocked down Ferguson with an uppercut in the fifth round that reportedly broke Ferguson's nose.[5] During the sixth round, Ferguson began to hold and clinch Tyson in an apparent attempt to prolong the fight. After admonishing Ferguson several times to obey his commands to break the clinches and box, the referee eventually stopped the fight near the middle of the sixth round and Tyson was declared the winner by TKO.

On November 22, 1986, Tyson was given his first title shot, fighting Trevor Berbick for the WBC heavyweight title. Tyson won the title by second round technical knockout, and at the age of 20 years and 4 months became the youngest heavyweight champion ever.[6] Floyd Patterson still holds the record as the youngest lineal champ.

Tyson aged 20 was around 222 lb (101 kg) with approximately 5.5 percent body fat, and was stocky for his height of 5'11" (180 cm). Feared for his brute strength, many fighters were too scared to hit him and this was backed up by his incredible hand speed, accuracy, coordination, and extremely powerful hits and timing. Perhaps what was most overlooked was Tyson's defensive abilities. Holding his hands high in the Peek-a-Boo style taught by his mentor Cus D'Amato, he would slip and weave out of the way of the opponent's punches while closing the distance to deliver his own devastating attacks.

July 4th, 1988 Sports Illustrated cover depicting Tyson's iconic victory over Spinks.
July 4th, 1988 Sports Illustrated cover depicting Tyson's iconic victory over Spinks.

Expectations for the young champion were extremely high, and he embarked on an ambitious campaign to fight all the top heavyweights in the world. In 1987, Tyson defended his title against James 'Bonecrusher' Smith on March 7 in Las Vegas, Nevada. He won by unanimous decision and added Smith's WBA title to his existing belt. 'Tyson mania' in the media was becoming rampant. He beat Pinklon Thomas in May with a knockout in the sixth round. On August 1 he took the IBF title from Tony Tucker. He became the first heavyweight to own all three major belts (WBA, WBC, IBF) at the same time. His only other fight in 1987 was in October against the 1984 Olympic champion Tyrell Biggs, a great performance from Tyson which ended with a victory by knockout in the seventh round.

Tyson had three fights in 1988. He faced an aged but still game Larry Holmes on January 22, and defeated the legendary former champion by fourth round knockout.[7] This would be the only knockout loss Holmes would suffer in 75 professional bouts. Tyson then fought contender Tony Tubbs in Tokyo in March, fitting in an easy two-round victory amid promotional and marketing work.

On June 27, 1988, Tyson met Michael Spinks. Spinks, who had taken the heavyweight championship away from Larry Holmes via a fifteen round decision in 1985, had never lost his title in the ring. The IBF title which he had won from Holmes had been stripped from him, but many (including Ring magazine) considered him to have a legitimate claim to being the true heavyweight champion. Tyson cleared up all confusion by brutally knocking him out within 91 seconds of the first round.[8] This fight was featured on the cover of the July 4, 1988, issue of Sports Illustrated with the iconic image of Tyson at the peak of his fighting prowess towering over the defeated Spinks.

[edit] Controversy

During this time period, Tyson's problems outside boxing were also starting to gain prominence. His marriage to Robin Givens was heading for divorce, and his future contract was being fought over by Don King and Bill Cayton. In late 1988, Tyson fired longtime trainer Kevin Rooney, the man many credit for honing Tyson's craft after the death of D'Amato in November 1985. Without Rooney, Tyson's skills slowly deteriorated and he became more prone to looking for the one-punch knockout, rather than utilizing the fierce combinations that brought him to stardom. He also began to headhunt, neglecting to attack the opponent's body first. In addition, he lost his fabulous defensive skills and began to barrel straight in toward the opponent, neglecting to jab and slip his way in. In 1989, Tyson had only two fights amid personal turmoil. He faced the popular British boxer Frank Bruno in February in a below-par fight where Bruno managed to stun Tyson at the end of the 1st round,[9] and managed a one round knockout of Carl Williams in July.

In 1989 Tyson was granted an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters from Central State University in Ohio. Many in the academic community expressed displeasure at this (as well as at the practice of giving honorary doctorates to celebrities in general), claiming that it cheapened the value of such awards, particularly for those who had worked years in their fields to earn them.[10]

By 1990 Tyson seemed to have lost direction, and his personal life and training habits were in disarray. In a fight on February 11 he lost his championship to James "Buster" Douglas in Tokyo.[11] On paper it looked like an easy victory for Tyson, but Douglas was at an emotional peak after losing his mother to a stroke three weeks prior to the fight, and fought the fight of his life. Tyson failed to find a way past Douglas's lightning fast jab that had a thirteen-inch reach advantage over his own. Tyson did send Douglas to the floor in the eighth round, catching him with an uppercut, but Douglas recovered sufficiently to hand Tyson a heavy beating in the later rounds. After the fight Tyson and his corner complained that Douglas had received longer than ten to get to his feet. Thirty-five seconds within the start of the 10th round, Douglas unleashed a combination of blows that sent Tyson to the canvas for the first time in his career. He was counted out by referee Octavio Meyran.[11] The victory over Tyson, the previously undefeated "baddest man on the planet" and arguably the most feared boxer in professional boxing at that time, at the hands of the 42-1 betting odds underdog Douglas, has been described as one of the most shocking upsets in modern sports history.[12]

[edit] After Douglas

After the loss, Tyson returned to his old form, knocking out heavyweight contenders Henry Tillman and Alex Stewart in the first round in each of his next two fights. This set up an elimination match for another shot at the Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship, which Evander Holyfield had taken from Douglas in his first defense of the title.

Tyson, who was the #1 contender, faced #2 contender Donovan 'Razor' Ruddock on March 18, 1991, in Las Vegas. Tyson and Ruddock went back and forth for most of the fight, with Tyson scoring with solid shots, until referee Richard Steele controversially stopped the fight during the seventh round in favor of Tyson. This decision infuriated the fans in attendance, sparking a post-fight melee in the audience and the referee subsequently had to be escorted from the ring.[13]

Tyson and Ruddock would meet again to settle the disputed decision on June 28 that year, with Tyson leaving no doubt who the top contender was by flooring Ruddock twice and winning a 12 round unanimous decision.[14] A fight with Holyfield was eventually booked, and was scheduled to take place in the fall.

[edit] Rape conviction, prison, and aftermath

However, the Holyfield fight was not to be. Tyson was arrested later in July 1991 for the rape of Miss Black Rhode Island, Desiree Washington, in an Indianapolis hotel room. Tyson was convicted on the charge of rape on February 10, 1992.[15]

He was given a sentence of six years and was released on March 1995 after serving three years.[16] Under Indiana law, a defendant convicted of a felony must begin serving his prison sentence immediately after the sentence is imposed.

Tyson did not fight again until later in 1995. He had two comeback bouts against Peter McNeeley and Buster Mathis Jr., which he won easily. Interest in Tyson's first comeback fight since his incarceration against McNeeley was high enough for it to gross more than USD $96 million worldwide, including a United States record $63 million for pay-per-view television. The fight was purchased by 1.52 million homes, setting both PPV viewership and revenue records for that time.[17] The brief 89 second fight wherein McNeeley speedily crumpled on facing Tyson, elicited criticism that Tyson's management lined up "Tomato Cans", easily defeated and unworthy boxers for his return.[18]

He regained one belt by easily winning the WBC title from Frank Bruno (their second fight) in March 1996 by knocking him out in the third round.[19] Tyson would add the WBA belt to his collection by pummeling champion Bruce Seldon in one round in September that year.[20] However, he would be stripped of the WBC belt for refusing to fight Lennox Lewis, the organization's #1 contender.[21]

[edit] The Holyfield-Tyson fights

[edit] Holyfield-Tyson I

Tyson's next defense of his title came against Evander Holyfield, who was in the fourth fight of his comeback to boxing after retiring in 1994 following the loss of his championship. It was said that Don King and others saw Holyfield, the former champion, who was 34 at the time of the fight and a huge underdog, as a washed up fighter.[22]

The fight, which was billed as "Finally", took place on November 9 in Las Vegas. As usual, Tyson came out fast, and when he sent Holyfield reeling with his first solid punch, it seemed the fight would end quickly. Holyfield kept his composure, though, and lasted the round without taking another heavy punch. In the second, Holyfield drove Tyson into the ropes and stung him with a hard combination, and his strategy for the match began to become clear. As Tyson mainly threw one punch at a time, Holyfield blocked the first attack, then used his strength to clinch, and shove Tyson backwards. Keeping Tyson on the back foot minimised his power and affected his balance, and gave Holyfield the opportunity to come forward and score with combinations to the head.

As the rounds passed, Tyson was unable to adjust, and found himself being thoroughly outboxed. In the fifth round, Tyson landed a fierce combination, his best of the match, and Holyfield was not even made to stagger. In the sixth, a headbutt from Holyfield (judged accidental by referee Mitch Halpern) opened a cut over Tyson's left eye, and Tyson also suffered a knockdown, as Holyfield caught him off balance coming in. Tyson was being slowly broken down and demoralised, and he had no answer to Holyfield's dominance. At the end of the tenth round, a punch from Holyfield sent Tyson staggering across the ring. Holyfield chased him into the ropes and landed a series of devastating blows. By the sound of the bell, Tyson was out on his feet and defenseless, but his corner allowed him out for the eleventh. Holyfield quickly landed another brutal extended combination, sending Tyson back into the ropes.

Halpern had seen enough, and he stopped the fight, giving Holyfield one of the most famous upset victories in the history of boxing. Holyfield also became the first person since Muhammad Ali to win a heavyweight championship belt three times, although, unlike Ali, Holyfield's third championship win had not been for the "linear" heavyweight title, which was at that time held by George Foreman.

[edit] Holyfield-Tyson II and aftermath

Poster publicizing the 28 June, 1997, Holyfield-Tyson II fight, dubbed The Sound and The Fury.
Poster publicizing the 28 June, 1997, Holyfield-Tyson II fight, dubbed The Sound and The Fury.
Main article: The Bite Fight

Tyson and Holyfield would fight again on June 28, 1997. Originally, Halpern was supposed to be the referee, but after Tyson's camp protested, Halpern stepped aside in favor of Mills Lane.[23] The highly anticipated rematch was dubbed "The Sound and the Fury", was a $100-million plus drawing fight, with the rematch drawing more attention than the first bout; with Tyson getting $30 million, Holyfield $35 million, and pay per view fees set at $49.95.[24]

The fight itself would eventually end in a massive debacle. In one of the most controversial events in modern sports,[25] it was stopped at the end of the third round, and Tyson was disqualified[26] for biting Holyfield twice on the ears.[27] Several people were injured in the near riot that followed the ending of the bout and announcement of the decision. [28]

In the subsequent fallout from the incident, USD $3 million was immediately withheld from Tyson's $30 million purse by the Nevada state boxing commission (the most it can legally hold back).[29] Two days after the fight, Tyson issued a statement,[30] apologizing directly to Holyfield for his actions and asked not to be banned for life over the incident. [31] On July 9, 1997, Tyson's boxing license was revoked by the Nevada State Athletic Commission in a unanimous voice vote; he was also fined USD $3 million and ordered to pay the legal costs of the hearing.[32]

The revocation of his boxing license was not permanent, as little more than a year later on October 18, 1998, the Nevada Athletic Commission voted 4-1 to restore Tyson's boxing license.[33]

[edit] 1999 to 2005 (retirement from professional boxing)

In January 1999 Tyson returned to the ring to fight the South African Francois Botha and while Botha initially controlled the fight, Tyson allegedly attempted to break Botha's arms during a tie-up. Nonetheless, Tyson landed a straight right-hand in the fifth round that knocked Botha out.[34]

On February 6, 1999, Tyson was sentenced to a year's imprisonment, fined $5,000, and ordered to serve 2 years probation and perform 200 hours of community service for assaulting two motorists after a traffic accident on August 31, 1998.[35] He served nine months of that sentence. After his release he fought Orlin Norris on October 23, 1999. Tyson knocked Norris down with a left hook he threw after the bell sounded ending the first round. Norris injured his knee from the off-the-clinch-punch when he went down and said he was unable to continue the fight. Consequently, the bout was ruled a no contest.[36]

In 2000 Tyson had three fights. The first was staged at the MEN Arena, Manchester, England against Julius Francis. Following controversy as to whether Tyson should be allowed into the country, he took just 4 minutes to knock out Francis in the second round.[37] He also fought Lou Savarese in June 2000 in Glasgow, winning in the first round. The entire fight only lasted 38 seconds. Tyson continued punching after the referee had stopped the fight, knocking him to the floor as he tried to separate the boxers.[38] In October Tyson fought the similarly controversial Andrew Golota,[39] winning in round three after Golota refused to carry on. The result was later changed to no contest after Tyson refused to take a pre-fight drug test and then tested positive for marijuana in a post-fight urine test. Tyson fought only once in 2001, beating Brian Nielsen in Copenhagen with a seventh round TKO.[40]

The Lewis-Tyson fight that took place on June 8, 2002, was one of the most anticipated heavyweight fights in years.
The Lewis-Tyson fight that took place on June 8, 2002, was one of the most anticipated heavyweight fights in years.

Tyson sought to fight Lennox Lewis in 2002 in Nevada, but the Nevada boxing commission refused him a license to box as he was facing possible sexual assault charges. Tyson made inflammatory remarks to Lewis prior to the eventual bout stating, "I want your heart, I want to eat your children, praise be to Allah".[41] A mass brawl on January 22, 2002 at a press conference in New York to publicize the planned event finally removed any chance of a Nevada fight.[42] The fight eventually occurred on June 8 in Memphis, Tennessee. Lewis dominated the fight and knocked out Tyson in the eighth round. Tyson stated that the loss was due to not being allowed enough warm up fights leading up to the fight, due to Lewis insisting on the date. However, Tyson was magnanimous after the fight and praised Lewis on his victory.[43] This fight was the highest-grossing event in pay-per-view history, generating $106.9 million from 1.95 million buys in the USA.[44]

On February 22, 2003, Tyson beat fringe contender Clifford Etienne 49 seconds into round one, once again in Memphis. The pre-fight was marred by rumors of Tyson's lack of fitness and that he took time out from training to party in Las Vegas and get a new facial tattoo.[45] This would be Tyson's final professional victory in the ring.

In August 2003, after years of financial struggles, Tyson finally filed for bankruptcy.[46] Tyson is said to have squandered nearly $300m in ring earnings through lavish spending and bad advice. In 2003, amid all his economic troubles, he was named by Ring Magazine at number 16, right behind Sonny Liston, among the 100 greatest punchers of all time.

On July 30, 2004, Tyson faced the British boxer Danny Williams in another comeback fight staged in Louisville, Kentucky. Tyson dominated the opening two rounds. The third round was more even, with Williams getting in some clean blows and also a few illegal ones, for which he was penalized. In the fourth round Tyson was surprisingly knocked out. It transpired that Tyson was trying to fight on one leg, having torn a ligament in his other knee in the first round. This was Tyson's fifth career defeat.[47] He underwent surgery for the ligament four days after the fight. His manager Shelly Finkel claimed that Tyson was unable to throw meaningful right-hand punches after the knee injury.[48]

On June 11, 2005, Tyson stunned the boxing world by quitting before the start of the seventh round in a close bout against journeyman Kevin McBride. After losing the third of his last four fights, Tyson said he would quit boxing because he hasn't "got the fighting guts or the heart anymore."[49]

[edit] After professional boxing

Tyson has stayed in the limelight by promoting various websites and companies. In June 2004, sportswriter Max Kellerman suggested that Tyson should move out of boxing and into product endorsement, as this had worked well for former boxer George Foreman. In the past Tyson had shunned endorsements, accusing other athletes of putting on a false front to obtain them.

On the front page of USA Today on June 3, 2005,[50] Tyson was quoted as saying: "My whole life has been a waste - I've been a failure." He continued: "I just want to escape. I'm really embarrassed with myself and my life. I want to be a missionary. I think I could do that while keeping my dignity without letting people know they chased me out of the country. I want to get this part of my life over as soon as possible. In this country nothing good is going to come of me. People put me so high; I wanted to tear that image down." Tyson now spends much of his time tending to his coop of around 350 pigeons in Phoenix, Arizona.[51]

On September 28, 2006 Tyson announced "The Mike Tyson World Tour" in which he would fight in a series of four round exhibition matches in the US, Europe and Asia. The first of these matches was held in Ohio on October 20, 2006, against Corey Sanders in Youngstown, Ohio. The stated purpose of the tour was to help ease Tyson's spiraling debts.[52]

On December 29, 2006, Tyson was arrested in Scottsdale, Arizona on suspicion of DUI and felony drug possession after he nearly crashed into a police SUV shortly after leaving a night club. In a police probable cause statement filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, "He (Tyson) admitted to using (drugs) today and stated he is an addict and has a problem".[53] Tyson pleaded not guilty on January 22, 2007 in Maricopa County Superior Court to felony drug possession and paraphernalia possession counts and two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence of drugs. On February 8, He subsequently checked himself into an inpatient treatment program for "various addictions" while awaiting trial on the drug charges.[54]

[edit] Marriage and children

His first marriage was to actress Robin Givens from February 7, 1988 - February 14, 1989. They did not have any children.

His second marriage was to Monica Turner from April 19, 1997 - January 14, 2003. Turner is a pediatric resident at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington DC.[55] She is also the sister of Michael Steele, the former lieutenant governor of Maryland.

Tyson has 7 children: Gena, Mikey, D'Amato, Rayna, Amir, Miguel, and Exodus.[50]

Rayna (born February 14, 1996) and Amir (August 5, 1997) are from his second marriage to Monica Turner.[55]

[edit] Trivia

  • Tyson was good friends with rapper Tupac Shakur, and often came out for a fight with a song Shakur specifically recorded for his ringwalk music. Shakur was on his way to a charity event after watching the Tyson-Seldon fight when he was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting.[57]
  • Ottawa Senators goaltender Ray Emery had a picture of Tyson on his goalie mask. He wore it for one game before he was told by Senators management that this was inappropriate due to Tyson's reputation.[58]
  • Tyson has a hobby of collecting pigeons, he has cared for pigeons throughout his life.[50]
  • ESPN.com Page 2 columnist Bill Simmons makes frequent references to "The Tyson Zone" (named after Tyson), which is a status an athlete or celebrity reaches when their behavior becomes so outrageous that one would believe most any story or anecdote about the person, no matter how seemingly bizarre.[60]
  • ESPN ranked Tyson as the #1 Most Outrageous Character in modern sports history by both experts panel selection and internet poll.[61]
  • Of his 44 KO's, half of them were in the first round.
  • Tyson's former mansion was bought by rapper 50 Cent.

[edit] Cameos and parodies

Special enforcer Tyson, standing beside Stone Cold Steve Austin, after helping him to win the WWE Championship
Special enforcer Tyson, standing beside Stone Cold Steve Austin, after helping him to win the WWE Championship
  • In Scary Movie 4, during a flashback scene (a boxing match not so subtly disguised as a Million Dollar Baby spoof) involving lead character Cindy (Anna Faris), her opponent is a buff female boxer who resembles Tyson; who at the conclusion of the fight, proceeds to bite off the ears of every spectator and official within the boxing stadium - a reference to the infamous bite fight.
  • Tyson made a cameo appearance on 1980s TV sitcom Who's The Boss, during a scene when Tony Danza is impersonating Tyson's infamous voice. Tyson rings the doorbell as a neighbour and asks who the person who's been making fun of him.
  • In 1987, Nintendo released Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, an NES game based on the arcade game Punch-Out!!, although there was later a version released in 1990 that replaced Mike Tyson with a fictional character, "Mr. Dream", after Nintendo's license with Tyson ran out. Defeating Tyson (through mini-boxer Lil' Mac) is extremely difficult, as he can knock Mac down with a single "lightning punch", modeled after the real-life Tyson's devastating right upper-cut.
  • In 1992 a second Nintendo game featuring Mike Tyson entitled "Mike Tyson's Intergalactic Power Punch" was to be released as a sequel to Mike Tysons's Punch-Out!!. However, due to the Desiree Washington case the project was scrapped and the game was eventually released as Power Punch II with Mike Tyson in the game being replaced with a character named Mark Tyler.
  • In 1989, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince scored a #23 R&B/#58 Pop hit with "I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson", in which the Fresh Prince envisages himself taking on the heavyweight champion (and taking a beating in the process). Tyson appears as himself in the song's music video.
  • In the Japanese version of Capcom's Street Fighter II series, Balrog is called Mike Bison, as a parody of Mike Tyson, possibly with the full name of "Michael Gerard Bison". Capcom USA switched the names of the Shadoloo Grandmasters around for the American versions in order to avoid a potential lawsuit from Mike Tyson. In Street Fighter Alpha 3 one of Balrog's victory phrases is "If you fight me like that again I'll have to bite your ear off!"
  • Tyson made a special cameo appearance in Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles, where he played an extremely peaceful man meditating in a park. Dundee remarked to his son, "He seems like a nice bloke!"
  • In 1998 Tyson featured on an underground rap hit, "Second Round K.O" by Canibus. Tyson gives the rapper advice over how to defeat his lyrical opponent (rapper LL Cool J).
  • Tyson has appeared in a commercial aired in 1990 for Toyota trucks in Japan.[63]
  • Tyson appears in Sylvester Stallone's 2006 movie Rocky Balboa and plays himself. He can be seen taunting Mason "The Line" Dixon (current champion in the movie) at ringside right before the Balboa / Dixon bout begins.[64]

[edit] Professional boxing championship accomplishments

Preceded by
Evander Holyfield		 Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year
1988		 Succeeded by
Pernell Whitaker
Preceded by
Trevor Berbick		 WBC Heavyweight Champion
1986-11-22–1990-02-11		 Succeeded by
Buster Douglas
Preceded by
James Smith		 WBA Heavyweight Champion
1987-03-07–1990-02-11
Preceded by
Tony Tucker		 IBF Heavyweight Champion
1987-08-01–1990-02-11
Preceded by
Frank Bruno		 WBC Heavyweight Champion
1996-03-16–1997(Vacated)		 Succeeded by
Vacancy filled by
Lennox Lewis
Preceded by
Bruce Seldon		 WBA Heavyweight Champion
1996-09-07–1996-11-09		 Succeeded by
Evander Holyfield

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Tyson returns to freedom at last, AFP via Geocities, 1995-03-26, Retrieved on 2007-03-11.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Puma, Mike., Sportscenter Biography: 'Iron Mike' explosive in and out of ring, ESPN.com, 2005-10-10, Retrieved on 2007-03-27.
  3. ^ Roberts & Skutt (1999), The Boxing Register:Cus D'Amato, via International Boxing Hall of Fame, McBooks Press., Retrieved on 2007-03-27.
  4. ^ Hornfinger, Cus D'Amato, SaddoBoxing.com, Retrieved on 2007-03-27.
  5. ^ Oates, Joyce C., Mike Tyson, Life Magazine via author's website, 1986-11-22, Retrieved on 2007-03-11.
  6. ^ Pinnington, Samuel., Trevor Berbick - The Soldier of the Cross, Britishboxing.net, 2007-01-31, Retrieved on 2007-03-11.
  7. ^ Berger, Phil (1988), "Tyson Keeps Title With 3 Knockdowns in Fourth", The New York Times, Sports Desk, Late City Final Edition, Section 1, Page 47, Column 5, 1988-01-23.
  8. ^ Anderson, Dave. (1988), "Spinks Didn't Fight According to Plan", The New York Times, Sports Desk, Late City Final Edition, Section B, Page 8, Column 1, 1988-06-28.
  9. ^ Bruno vs Tyson, BBC TV, Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
  10. ^ Haigh, David., A free doctorate? Only for Kermit the Frog, UIC Chicagoflame.com, 2005-02-15, Retrieved on 2007-03-11.
  11. ^ a b Kincade, Kevin., "The Moments": Mike Tyson vs Buster Douglas, Eastsideboxing.com, 2005-07-12, Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
  12. ^ Staff, Page 2's List for top upset in sports history, ESPN.com, 2001-05-23, Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
  13. ^ Bellfield, Lee., March 1991-Mike Tyson vs. Razor Ruddock, Saddoboxing.com, 2005-03-13, Retrieved on 2007-03-15.
  14. ^ Berger, Phil (1991), "Tyson Floors Ruddock Twice and Wins Rematch", The New York Times, Sports Desk, Late Edition-Final, Section 1, Page 29, Column 5, 1991-06-29.
  15. ^ Muscatine, Alison., Tyson Found Guilty of Rape, Two Other Charges, The Washington Post via MIT-The Tech, 1992-02-11, Retrieved on 2007-03-11.
  16. ^ Berkow, Ira (1995), "BOXING; After Three Years in Prison, Tyson Gains His Freedom", The New York Times, Sports Desk, Late Edition - Final, Section 8, Page 1, Column 2, 1995-03-26.
  17. ^ SPORTS PEOPLE: BOXING; Record Numbers for Fight, AP via New York Times, 2005-09-01, Retrieved on 2007-03-31.
  18. ^ Sandomir, Richard (1995), "TV SPORTS; Who Must Tyson Face Next? A Finer Brand of Tomato Can", The New York Times, Sports Desk, Late Edition - Final, Section B, Page 8, Column 1, 1995-08-22.
  19. ^ Bellfield, Lee., March 1996 – Frank Bruno vs. Mike Tyson II, Saddoboxing.com, 2005-03-18, Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
  20. ^ Gordon, Randy., Tyson-Seldon 1-1-1-1-1, Cyberboxingzone.com, 1996-09-04, Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
  21. ^ WBC News (10/7),Statement issued by WBC president Jose Sulaiman, 1996-10-07, Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
  22. ^ Cohen, Andrew., Evander Holyfield: God Helps Those Who Help Themselves, What is Enlightenment Magazine, Issue #15 - 1999, Retrieved on 2007-03-25.
  23. ^ Lane late replacement, center of action, AP via Slam! Boxing, 1997-06-29, Retrieved on 2007-03-09.
  24. ^ Holyfield vs. Tyson - 'fight of the times', AP via Slam! Boxing, 1997-06-25, Retrieved on 2007-03-09.
  25. ^ ESPN25: Sports Biggest Controversies, ESPN.com, Retrieved on 2007-03-09.
  26. ^ Tyson DQd for biting Holyfield, AP via Slam! Boxing, 1997-06-29, Retrieved on 2007-03-09.
  27. ^ Buffery, Steve., Champ chomped by crazed Tyson, The Toronto Sun via Slam! Boxing, 1997-06-29, Retrieved on 2007-03-09.
  28. ^ Dozens injured in mayhem following bout, AP via Slam! Boxing, 1997-06-29, Retrieved on 2007-03-09.
  29. ^ Buffery, Steve., Officials may withhold Tyson's money, The Toronto Sun via Slam! Boxing, 1997-06-29, Retrieved on 2007-03-09.
  30. ^ The text of Mike Tyson's statement, AP via Slam! Boxing, 1997-07-30, Retrieved on 2007-03-09.
  31. ^ Tyson: "I am sorry", AP via Slam! Boxing, 1997-07-30, Retrieved on 2007-03-09.
  32. ^ Tyson banned for life, AP via Slam! Boxing, 1997-07-09, Retrieved on 2007-03-10.
  33. ^ Mike Tyson timeline, ESPN.com, 2002-01-29, Retrieved on 2007-03-09.
  34. ^ Rusty Tyson finds the perfect punch, BBC News, 1999-01-17, Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
  35. ^ Tyson jailed over road rage, BBC News, 1999-02-06, Retrieved on 2007-03-27.
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  42. ^ AP, Tyson media circus takes center stage, ESPN.com, 2002-01-22, Retrieved on 2007-03-14.
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  45. ^ Etienne's night ends 49 seconds into first round, AP via ESPN.com, 2003-02-22, Retrieved on 2007-03-15.
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