Mike Tyson is perhaps the most exiting and explosive boxer of all time, and ranks among the legendary heavyweight fighters in the history of the sport. He is also noted for his very bizarre and unique behavior.
Mike was born in 1966, and raised in the notoriously tough neighborhood of Brownsville in Brooklyn, New York. At the age of thirteen, he became a disciple of legendary boxing trainer Cus D’Amato. Cus helped develop Mike’s boxing skills, and also became his legal guardian.
In 1985, Mike turned pro at the age of 18, and was soon nicknamed “Iron Mike.” Less than two years after his pro debut, he became the world heavyweight champion, and soon garnered a reputation as the “baddest man on the planet” for the vicious attitude he took to the ring.
The seemingly invincible Mike totally dominated and brutalized the heavyweight division in a four-year title reign before suffering his first pro loss in 1990. Many more various trials and tribulations persisted for Mike following the loss, as he had many ups and downs both in and out of the ring throughout his tumultuous life. This included two prison sentences, another title reign, and a long suspension from boxing for biting off a chunk of Evander Holyfield’s ear in a 1997 fight. Mike is currently a contender for the title. In his spare time, he enjoys playing with pigeons, listening to rap music, and having romantic relationships with women.
One very notable contributor to Mike’s boxing success is the way he uses strategies that are specifically effective for him. Mike is considered short for a heavyweight fighter, but he has developed a fight style that makes his height become an asset instead of a liability.
Mike is also well noted for being an outstanding finisher, who capitalizes on opportunity when his opponent is weakened.
Trial-and-error is another theme persistent in Mike’s fight arsenal and his training habits. Mike finds what works against each opponent, and he uses those methods to gain an advantage over them.
And like other great boxers, much of Mike’s success is dependent on how he is responsive to what his opponent does.