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.
The future world boxing star - Mike Tyson was born on June 30, 1966 in Brooklyn, New York. Grew up without a father. He has an older brother named Rodney and an older sister named Denise. Nothing foreshadowed the results that the future boxer subsequently achieved.
Mike Tyson's childhood
As a child, one of the greatest boxers of our time had a gentle character. Even his older brother, along with the neighboring boys, often mocked him. But this did not last long. Little Mike loved pigeons very much, and one day, when he was 11 years old, a teenager from a street gang snatched his favorite bird from his hands and broke the pigeon’s neck. Mad with anger, Mike brutally beat the guy, and there was a turning point in his character.
Young Mike Tyson was accepted into a street gang, where he quickly gained the respect of teenagers and began stealing and robbing with them. He often ended up in the police station. One day he managed to see the legendary Mohammed Ali, who visited correctional institutions for difficult teenagers. This meeting changed the whole life of the future boxing star; he had a desire to take up this sport.
First coach
At the age of 13, Mike ends up in a special school for juvenile delinquents - at that time he was considered incorrigible. A former boxer, Bobby Steward, worked there as a physical education teacher. After Tyson once again ended up in a punishment cell, the guy decided that he would become a boxer. The steward agreed to train him, but only on the condition that Mike began to study well and correct his behavior. Under the guidance of a teacher, Mike, who was considered completely incorrigible, begins to demonstrate success in boxing and school.
After some time, Bobby Steward began to realize that he could no longer give more to his talented student, and introduced him to the legend, an excellent coach, manager and person, Cass D'Amato. This specialist noticed the talent of the young boxer and created an excellent team of specialists around him. After that, Mike Tyson (height, weight, see below) at the age of 15 (in 1981) made his debut as a boxer at the Holyoke club in New York, where he received the nickname “Tank”. Cass D'Amato replaced his father, and thanks to him, Mike became what he is now.
Mike Tyson's height and weight
For boxers this is an important ratio. According to some reports, Mike Tyson was 180 cm tall and weighed 96-108 kg. But official data varies. There are claims that this figure is 181 cm. So how tall is Mike Tyson really? His height is 178 cm, and his working weight in his best years is 98 kg.
Amateur career
Young Mike Tyson, whose growth in skill was rapid and rapid, won the right to participate in the 1982 Youth Olympic Games, the final of which he won by a brutal knockout over Joe Cortez. It only took him a few seconds to do this. In 1983, Mike lost only one fight to Al Evans. Despite the defeat, the boxer won the right to compete in the prestigious Golden Gloves tournament, but at these competitions he only won a silver medal, suffering a controversial defeat in the final from Craig Payne. This fight was very controversial, and the audience booed Craig after the winner was announced.
1984 Mike Tyson (whose height and weight are 178 cm and 98 kg, respectively) started off great and won all his fights. He dreamed of going to the Olympic Games, which were to be held this year in Los Angeles. Tyson had a qualifying match against Henry Tillman and started successfully, knocking him down in the first round, but did not finish and lost to him with a score of 3:2. According to many experts, Tyson won the fight. He then faced this boxer in another qualifying match, and the judges' decision was the same. Tillman won 3-2 and went on to win the Olympic gold medal. Rumors spread that they simply did not want to let Tyson into the Olympic Games because of his harsh boxing style.
Mike Tyson (height and weight in his best years was small for this category) in 1990 will take revenge on this guy, but in the professional ring, knocking him out in the first round. Mike would win another significant Tammer tournament, held in Tampere in 1984.
The meteoric rise of Mike Tyson's professional career
On March 5, 1985, the professional career of a boxer begins, which will be talked about for many years all over the world. This is the man who will change boxing beyond recognition, his name will become the most popular. All this is Iron Mike Tyson. The growth of his popularity was incredible. In 1985, Mike had 15 fights and won everything, attacking his opponents brightly and swiftly, knocking them out in the first rounds.
The first opponent who was able to hold out in the ring with Iron Mike until the 5th round was Jameson, but most likely this was influenced by the fact that Tyson fought only 13 days ago and did not have time to fully recover. In 1986, Tyson boxed against Jesse Fergusson and broke his nose with a beautiful uppercut at the end of the 5th round, but Jesse miraculously was able to withstand the fierce pressure of the young fighter and was ultimately disqualified for unclean work, since he constantly kept Tyson’s hands in the clinch. This decision was subsequently revised and reclassified as a victory by technical knockout.
July 1986 will be remembered by boxing fans for the fight that many were waiting for. The son of the legendary boxer Joe Frazier, Marvis and Mike were considered the most promising boxers at that time. Mike Tyson's height and weight were considered small for heavyweight boxers, but Iron Mike was able to knock out his opponent in 30 seconds, and this fight became the fastest in his professional career.
1986 was the best year of Mike Tyson's career, he was able to win the championship title and become the world's youngest professional heavyweight champion at the age of 20. But his legendary trainer Cass D’Amato did not live to see this fight - he died shortly before the championship fight. Everyone thought that Mike would not be able to box, but he was able to pull himself together and dedicate the victory to his coach. Before this fight, Kevin Rooney became his new mentor, who received the title of the youngest coach to train a world champion. His opponent was the current world champion in the most prestigious version of the WBC - Trevor Berbick. Mike was simply wonderful and was able to knock out his opponent in the 3rd round. The rapid growth of Mike Tyson at the age of 20 as a heavyweight boxer aroused great interest among all world experts.
Personal life
The great boxer was married several times. His first wife was actress Robin Givens. The marriage of the famous boxer and actress did not last long, about 1 year. It was marked by a large number of scandals and caused great psychological trauma to Mike. The divorce also cost a hefty sum - $10 million. Then Tyson married two more times. The chosen ones were Monica Thorner and Lucky Spicer. With his second wife, Mike had a daughter, Raina, and a son, Amir. Mike cheated on his wife and led a wild lifestyle, which logically led to divorce. After this, Tyson began to live with his mistress, who gave birth to his daughter Exodus, but her fate was tragic. She accidentally hung herself on a loop from a rope that was attached to the exercise machine.
In 2009, at the age of 42, the legendary boxer got married again. From this marriage he has a son, who was born in 2011. Mike also has illegitimate children: Miki, Lorna, Deamata and Kilrain.
Imprisonment
1991 completely broke the boxer's career. Mike met a girl named Desiree Washington, who competed in the Miss Black America beauty pageant, and Tyson visited him. The very next day, the girl accused the boxer of rape. The ex-champion, despite the unconfirmed charges, was sentenced to 6 years in prison. While in prison, the great boxer converted to Islam and received the name Malik Abdul Aziz. In 1995, Tyson, who had been in a correctional facility for 3 years, was released early (for good behavior).
Health problems
Mike had lung problems since childhood and was hospitalized quite often.
The famous boxer also experienced problems with drinking alcohol, which began after his divorce in 1989. There was a period when he even stopped training. After Mike fought against Douglas, he decided to sign up for treatment.
Mike also had a severe drug addiction in the mid-90s until 2010. In this regard, the boxer had problems with the law, and the result was a severely traumatized psyche. His weight increased dramatically and he experienced great discomfort.
In 2007-2010, Mike Tyson, who is not very tall, weighed 160 kilograms. Therefore, starting in 2009, the boxer decided to become a vegetarian and began to train intensively, thanks to which he lost almost 50 kg.
The end of the career of a great boxer
In the 90s of the last century, the career of the great champion began to decline. After he lost to Buster Douglas, and the protest related to the result of the fight from Mike's promoter, Don King, was not accepted, in addition, the opponent refused to hold a rematch, Tyson had to act as a contender for the world title. Thomas Hearns set strict conditions for the boxer to hold the fight. Mike needed to lose weight to 90 kg. Tyson's opponent was Olympic champion Tillman, and Mike successfully took revenge from him for his defeat in the amateur ring.
Then Mike Tyson tried to box for a long time, but constant scandals, as well as alcohol and drug abuse, did not give the great champion a chance to successfully return to the ring after imprisonment. There were famous 2 fights with Evander Hollifield, in one of which Mike bit off a piece of his ear. There was a fight with Briton Lenox Lewis, but Tyson was consistently losing and could not do anything about it.
In 2006, Tyson planned a farewell world tour, but was only able to fight a single fight against little-known boxer Corey Sanders (not to be confused with South African Corey Sanders) and won. Thus ended the career of the legendary boxer. Mike Tyson (the celebrity's height and weight did not seem to foretell the achievement of such high results in the heavyweight division) forever inscribed his name in boxing history as one of the greatest boxers who ever lived on the planet.
Friends, hello everyone. Today we will talk about one of the most famous boxers in the history of world boxing, nicknamed “Iron Mike” - we are, of course, talking about Mike Tyson, an American professional boxer who competed in the heavy weight category.
Mike Tyson
Mike was born in New York, Brooklyn. Has an older brother and sister (Rodney and Denise). Until the age of 10, Mike had a gentle character, did not know how to stand up for himself, he and other children (younger) were bullied by other children (older), taking away their change, sweets, and even beating them (p.s. by the way, older brother Rodney also took part in this participation).
As a child, Mike (and, in principle, still has his main favorite hobby – “breeding pigeons”).
Even strong men have their weaknesses
I started talking about pigeons for a reason, the fact is that at the age of 10, Mike (according to him) one of the members of a local street gang (who was 3 years older than him) snatched his favorite pigeon from Mike and tore off his head, he freaked out , rushed at him and beat him severely. From that moment on, he began to be respected among local juvenile bandits, they accepted him into their company, taught him how to steal (rob stores, pick pockets, etc.). Well, as we know, in this life nothing just happens, over time, the consequences of everything that they did began, Mike repeatedly found himself in a correctional facility for minors (p.s. by the way, during one of which Mike managed to meet Muhammad Ali, who came there in order to talk (communicate) with difficult teenagers like Mike, so to speak, to guide them on the true path... According to Mike himself (as he later recalled), it was after meeting Muhammad Ali that he first thought about a boxing career.
At the age of 13, he was sent to a special school for juvenile delinquents, which was located in northern New York. At that time (at the age of 13), Mike had enormous physical strength (well, for his age), was incorrigible, often violated the regime, lost his temper, etc. In the end, once in the punishment cell, Mike asked for the opportunity to talk with the current physical education teacher, who, by the way, was former boxer Bobby Stewart.
Mike Tyson and his first trainer Bobby Stewart, at the Cus D'Amato Boxing Gym, Catskill, New York.
So when Stuart came to Mike, he said that he wanted to become a boxer. Stewart agreed to train him only on the condition that he stop violating discipline. After the dialogue took place, Mike’s behavior rapidly began to improve... and after some time, Stuart put forward another condition, which sounded like this: “The better you do at school, the more I will practice boxing with you.” Again, it worked. Mike rapidly began to improve his performance in school, at a time when everyone else considered him almost mentally retarded.
P.s. His passion for boxing is simply amazing. He did everything in order to learn how to box... (study, discipline... everything) sometimes the school staff found Mike at about 3-4 o'clock in the morning training (he boxed with a shadow, developed physically). Speaking of physical fitness, according to Stuart (who gave the interview), when Mike was 13 years old, he could bench press a 100 kg barbell. And as for me, this is something beyond science fiction)).. but okay, let’s move on.
In general, thanks to the fact that Mike constantly trained, he outgrew his coach Stuart, and he, without hesitation, decided to introduce Mike to the legendary coach Cus D'Amato. Mike was 13 years old at the time, weighed 80 kilograms and was in good physical shape. At that time, Mike's mother died, and he did not have a father, because he left the family before he was born. That is why Cus D’Amato formalized guardianship over him (i.e., adopting him). Mike moved into his new trainer's new house. While living at his house, Mike watched many videos of old fights of professional boxers, he was impressed by what he saw, by the way, it was thanks to these recordings that Mike chose for himself an IMAGE that was quite unusual for that time, i.e. he came out without any music... without a robe, just in black shorts and boxers on his bare feet.
It was Cus D'Amato (Mike's adoptive father) who laid the foundation that amazed us with every fight... at that time Cus created a professional team around him, consisting of massage therapists, coaches, seconds, etc. in general, a disciplined athlete was reborn from a street hooligan (bandit).
Amateur career
His amateur career began in 1981, when Mike was 15 years old. According to various sources, he fought from 25 to 30 fights, in which he suffered 6 defeats.
In 1982, Mike competed in the Youth Olympic Games, where he won the Olympics and became the champion of the 1982 Youth Olympic tournaments.
In 1983, he lost the fight only to Al Evans, this loss allowed him to take part in the Golden Gloves tournament in the same year, where he received a silver medal after a losing fight with Craig Payne, although when the score was announced in Payne's favor, the fans in the hall buzzed with displeasure .
Already in 1984, Mike won all the fights. The logical conclusion of his amateur career should have been the Olympic Games in 1984 in Los Angeles, but Muckle lost the qualifying battle to Henry Tillman, who, by the way, became the Olympic champion that year. However, Mike took revenge for this loss a little later (June 16, 1990), but already in the professional ring, knocking out his offender (Tillman) in the first round! Yes, by the way, Mike’s professional career, so to speak, debut took place on March 5, 1985 (he entered the professional ring for the first time), during that year Mike had 15 fights, defeating all his opponents - by KNOCKOUTS. Experts began to discuss that Cus D’Amato managed to raise the ideal heavyweight who would certainly become a world champion. However, Cus D'Amato himself did not live to see this literally a little bit: in November 1985, the 77-year-old coach died of pneumonia, at that time Mike was already 19 years old and on the eve of shortly before he managed to become the World Champion in heavyweight at the youngest age in the history of professional boxing (20 years and 4 months).
Mike Tyson's training and nutrition regimen
Now we will look at how Mike trained and generally lived in the distant 80s during the most, in my opinion, fruitful period of his life (this is the period from 13 to 19 years old) under the guidance of his coach and adoptive father Cus D'Amato, because how I think it was Cus D'Amato who shaped Tyson.
And this is Mike Tyson's daily routine:
4 a.m:
get up and run 8 kilometers, then shower and go back to sleep.10.00: wake up and breakfast in the form of oatmeal, orange juice, fruit, vitamins + protein shake.
12.00: Training in the form of 10 rounds of sparring and 3 rounds of a standard set of exercises, which consisted of:
- 200 sit-ups
- 50 push-ups from a bench behind your back
- 50 classic push-ups
- 50 shrugs with a 30kg barbell
14.00: Lunch in the form of pasta (pasta) + steak + vegetables.
15.00: Training (ring work (4 rounds of sparring), work with various bags, shadow boxing, jump rope, paws, etc. 1 hour of work on an exercise bike and at the end work with a heavy bag weighing 300 pounds and at the very end again 3 rounds of a standard set of exercises).
17.00: Training in the form of 4 rounds of a standard set of exercises, then practicing strikes, various combinations at a slow pace, honing the mechanics of movements.
19.00: Dinner, which consisted of a lot of PROTEIN + CARBOHYDRATES + VITAMINS.
20.00: An easy workout of 30 minutes on an exercise bike.
21.00: Free time (TV, watching fights, boxing films, watching various combinations, analyzing equipment, etc.).
And so 6 days a week (Mon-Sat), rest only 1 day - Sun. As we can see, Mike lived according to a very strict daily routine, where the basis of all the fundamentals was boxing (for training from morning to evening).
Doing the math, we can highlight the following: Mike performed:
- 2000 press-ups
- 500 push-ups from a bench behind your back
- 500 classic push-ups
- 500 shrugs
The video shows how Mike Tyson trained:
Personal life
He was married three times, first to actress Robin Givens, second time to Monica Thorner, and third (July 6, 2009) to Lakia Spicer.
In 1988, Mike married actress Robin Givens, their marriage lasted no more than 1 year, the same marriage caused Mike great psychological damage, because during this year Mike went through public humiliation, various fights, scandals, etc. Mike was on the verge of a nervous breakdown in 1988. received a concussion after crashing his car into a tree. In general, already in 1989 (namely on February 14), the couple divorced, the divorce itself cost Mike 10 million bucks.
In 1997 Mike married a second time to a doctor (pediatrician) from the medical center - Monica Turner. Their marriage lasted until 2003. From Monica, Mike had two children: a daughter, Raina, and a son, Amir.
Their marriage fell apart due to Mike's infidelity. Actually, Turner (Mike’s second wife) filed for divorce, saying that Mike was cheating on her, then these rumors were confirmed due to the fact that in 2002 his mistress gave birth to Mike’s child, Miguel Leon. Actually, after the divorce, Mike began to live with his mistress, who then (in 2005) gave birth to his daughter, Exodus. Unfortunately, when the girl was 4 years old, she tragically died, falling into a loop from a rope that was in the house on a home exercise machine.
Two weeks after the death of his daughter, Mike, on June 6, 2009, married for the third time, at that time, he was 42 years old, to Lakia Spicer. In 2011 the couple had a son.
Mike Tyson also has illegitimate children: Deamata Kilrain and Micky Lorna.
Jail
In the summer of 1991 Mike attended the Miss Black America beauty pageant, where he met Desiree Washington. The next day, the girl accused the ex-champion of raping her. There was a lot of circumstantial evidence, a lot of testimony that confirmed that everything happened by mutual consent, so to speak, but the court sided with the girl and Mike was sentenced to six years in prison, of which he served about three years (he was released for good behavior in March 1995)
By the way, in prison Mike became a Muslim under the leadership of Muhammad Siddiq. Although I used to be a Christian (before that). In general, he converted from Christianity to Islam, and in the process of changing religion received the name Malik Abdul Aziz.
Health problems
Even as a child, Mike had problems with his lungs, because of this he often ended up in the hospital.
1989 Mike had problems with alcohol, due to divorce and all sorts of extraneous problems, he even gave up training. But after the fight with Douglas, Mike signed up for treatment.
Mid-1990 to 2010 Mike had problems with drugs, this greatly affected his psyche, career and problems with the law. By the way, because of drugs, Mike began to have problems with excess weight. As he himself claims, in his best shape he weighed no more than 98 kg.
2007-2010 Mike weighed about 150-160 kilograms, but already in 2009. became a vegan and started exercising, as a result of which he lost more than 40 kg.
Well, this concludes the biography of Mike Tyson, I hope you were just as interested in studying (at least seeing) the biography of the Living Legend. I tried to touch on all the points that were interesting to me, that were generally interesting... but alas, I missed a lot of Tyson’s fights, namely the stories about them, i.e. who, when and where... but if I did that, they would take up many pages... it’s much more spectacular to watch them, which is what I recommend to you.
P.s. well, I couldn’t help but post it)) good luck to everyone 😀
Best regards, administrator.
Throughout the history of boxing, many successful tandems of a coach and a fighter can be identified, the bulk of which are family clans, when an experienced parent, passing on his skills to his son, raised a champion from a young age. Love, understanding, experience and most importantly motivation are the main driving forces of my father’s coach.
Perhaps one of the most unique cases of such interaction with his wards was demonstrated by Cas D'Amato. He is a Man with a capital M, the owner of a huge heart, an experienced trainer who opened his gym at the age of 22. His innovations in boxing gave rise to progressive techniques, and the effectiveness turned out to be stunning.He was the first to suggest conducting training using the fighter’s digital settings, and the numerical combinations indicated exactly the strike zone, and the boxer decided what the blow should be.
D'Amato was born in the once developing, but now half-abandoned Bronx, New York in 1908.
A great desire to raise a champion with his own hands forced Cas to literally live in the training room.
Moreover, for the very process of training fighters, contributions were only light assistance with household chores. The family of immigrants from Italy raised 9 more sons, the mother died early, the future coach was only 4 years old when the tragedy occurred. The dream of mastering a high level in the art of boxing never came true; the twelfth year of his life brought a great tragedy; in a street fight, D'Amato was injured, resulting in loss of vision in his left eye.
In 1939, just when fascism began marching across Europe, Cas D'Amato began training Rocky Graziano (83-10, KO-52) at the Gramercy Gym. This biting left-hander served as a bitter experience for the great coach.
In the case of Graziano, for the first time in his life he came into contact with the “luring” of boxers with more favorable conditions, which affected his desire to raise “the best of the best,” because every boxer was his son.
Then another twist of fate happens. The intensity of passions in the conflict between the young coach and the International Boxing Club, at that time headed by US mafia structures doing business in the gambling business, reached the limit. Fear of death from the mafia clans of Palermo and Carbo forced the family to change their place of residence.
Catskill Boxing Gym
In the city of Catskill, D'Amato opens a boxing club of the same name, which trained a large number of professional boxers, often difficult teenagers. A great desire to influence the younger generation became the driving force that helped Cas endure all the difficulties, subsequently establishing the unbreakable rule of the Catskill Boxing Club - any anyone who wants to train in the gym is absolutely free, which is still alive today.
We can't forget to mention Kevin Rooney, a street tough who spent many years with the coach. Thanks to his passion for boxing, he reconsidered his views on life, because D'Amato had a talent for re-education. Having started a fairly successful career as a boxer, Rooney later switched to coaching and trained Mike Tyson for several years.
Cas D'Amato and Mike Tyson. Finding "Iron Mike"
Before meeting D'Amato, young Mike was a difficult teenager who turned to the criminal path. However, his first coach, who taught physical education at an institution for juvenile delinquents, Bob Steward, recognized Mike's talent and introduced him to Cus D'Amato.
This meeting changed the lives of both.
D'Amato became a real father for Mike Tyson, and after the death of Tyson's mother, he adopted him. Mike received what he had been missing before - a real home, real care and psychological confidence in his superiority over his rivals. This, as well as special training programs , developed by D'Amato together with assistants Kevin Rooney and Teddy Atlas (who are currently successfully continuing their coaching career in boxing, which began in D'Amato's boxing gym) helped Tyson become a legend.
Pneumonia deprived Cas of the opportunity to see Tyson's triumphant fight against Trevor Berbick (61-11, KO-33) in 1986, in which Iron Mike received the WBC world title.
In the world of boxing, the name Casa D'Amato is symbolized with the spirit of a true champion, an unselfish, purposeful winner in life. His work, his desire to make this world a better place, no matter what, continues to live in everyone who is imbued with a love for boxing.