Mike Tyson (born June 30th 1966) Mike Tyson is a former boxing champion.
Boxing career: Mike Tyson started out his boxing career as an amateur at the 1981 and 1982 Junior Olympic Games, winning all fights by KO and delivering one knock out in 8 seconds. His first professional fight was in 1985 against Hector Mercedes, who he knocked out in the first round and he went on to gain media attention for his frequent first round knockouts.
Guardian D'Amato passed away later that year. His first televised fight was against Jesse Ferguson in 1986, which ended after broken nose for Ferguson in the sixth round. His first title fight was against Trevor Berbick that year, where he won the World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight championship after a knockout in the second. He became the youngest heavyweight champion of all time.
Tyson was well known for his speed and accuracy, as well as his perfect Peek-a-Boo defense style. By 1984, he had seized the World Boxing Association (WBA) title and the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title, and even defeated Olympic gold medallist Tyrell Biggs. In 1987, he became the subject of Nintendo arcade game 'Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!'. In 1988, he ended the career of rival heavyweight champion Michael Spinks after Tyson ended his undefeated streak. Tyson lost his first fight in 1990 to Buster Douglas after a knockout in the tenth round, to much shock in the media.
In 1996, Tyson lost to Evander Holyfield in the eleventh round, but the controversy surrounding the referee's decision forced a rematch to be scheduled. The rematch took place the following year and became one of the most shocking fights in history when Tyson bit both Holyfield's ears, managing to tear a piece of flesh from his right lobe. Despite a later apology, his boxing license was temporarily revoked and he was fined $3 million. In 2002, Tyson brawled with Lennox Lewis over some threatening remarks the former made. They later fought in the ring, with Lewis delivering a knock out in the eigth round.
Tyson retired from boxing in 2003, his physical condition waning and his passion becoming somewhat decreased. Mike Tyson: Personal life Tyson was raised in Brooklyn, New York. His parents were baseball player Jimmy Kirkpatrick and Lorna Mae, though Jimmy soon left the family and his mother died when he was 16-years-old. He was subsequently cared for by boxing manager Cus D'Amato.
During his youth he got into regular fights, often due to bullying over his lisp, and committed petty crime. He was arrested more than 30 times before he even reached his teens. He went to the Tryon School for Boys where his boxing talents were picked up by Bobby Stewart who trained him for a time. Kevin Rooney later became his trainer.
In 1992, he was sentenced to six years in prison for the rape of Miss Black Rhode Island, Desiree Washington, after denying the claims in court. He served three years of the sentence and he converted to Islam while inside. He married Robin Givens in 1988 but they divorced a year later due to apparent domestic violence. He was married to Monica Turner between 1997 and 2003, with whom he had two children named Rayna and Amir. The pair divorced over allegations of his adultery. In 2003, he filed for bankruptcy. He had another child named Exodus, who died aged four in 2009 after an accident at home where she lived with her mother and brother. He married Kiki Spicer soon after the incident. Tyson has bipolar disorder and revealed that he was broke in 2010, but grateful for the family that he has. In 2013, he admitted he was struggling with alcoholism.
Biography by Contactmusic.com