1 week Ago By Aaron Morris
Mike Tyson has said that he used to beat up bullies who mocked him for his high-pitched voice. The heavyweight hard hitter famously took on giants like Frank Bruno, Lennox Lewis, and Evander Holyfield - yet long before he claimed the prestigious WBC, WBA, and IBF belts in the ring, 'Iron Mike' was already honing his fighting spirit. Bullies targeting him for his high-pitched voice met with Tyson's fierce retaliation even as a young boy.
His early knack for combat became apparent when his former trainer, Teddy Atlas, revealed that as a mere 12-year-old, weighing a solid 190lbs, Tyson would take on and overpower fully grown men. Despite these formidable pre-teen exploits, it wasn't until later that Tyson channelled his aggression into boxing. Nevertheless, those childhood conflicts left an indelible mark, as Tyson shared in a November 1998 interview with Playboy where he discussed his rough-and-tumble youth.
Speaking of his reaction to being mocked, Tyson said: "The objective of man is to be tough. "If anyone insults you, you got to fight. That's just the law of the street.
Some people would make fun of me. I'd fight 'em." Tyson also conceded to having been involved in numerous brawls in his formative years, illustrating his disdain for conventional authority by adding: "If somebody gets beat up real bad they don't want to use the system anymore.
"They get their knife, their gun, they want to fight. They want to hurt somebody. We have the animal instinct to survive.
I got hit with bats, sticks, bottles across my face." During the discussion, Tyson's childhood was examined, including past comments on whether he'd endured depression as a youngster and been categorised as having learning disabilities. The champ countered these old assessments with: "I don't remember.
It wasn't depression back then. You know, you're poor, you don't have good doctors. You have poor doctors who say, 'He's hyperactive' or 'He's a special ed student'.
We'll put him somewhere else so he won't disrupt the other students." As the conversation deepened, Tyson clarified perceptions of his intelligence, sharing: "I appeared to be r*****ed. I never thought I was, though," while adding that no one had ever labelled him as violent or anti-social.
Starting his journey into boxing at age 12, under the tutelage of Atlas and the legendary Cus D'Amato at Catskill Boxing Club in New York, Tyson kicked off his first training session against a 27 year old professional fighter while maintaining his ground. Atlas corroborated Tyson's prodigious talent, recounting instances where young Tyson would knock out grown men during sparring sessions, hinting at the stellar career that awaited him. Tyson's march towards boxing royalty began rapidly.
He made his pro-debut against Hector Mercedes in March 1985 at just 18 years old, clinching victory through a first-round TKO due to his powerful presence, exquisite footwork, and sheer might. By November 1986, having fought 28 times as a professional, he captured the WBC heavyweight title. Now 58, Tyson is set to make a comeback this weekend, facing YouTube sensation-turned-boxer Jake Paul at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Tyson's last professional fight was in 2005, when he lost to Kevin McBride in 2005, although he did return for an exhibition match against Roy Jones Jr in 2020, which ended in a draw. In contrast, Paul has built a notable 10-1 professional record since entering the boxing world four years ago, securing wins over former UFC champions like Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva, as well as defeating promising contenders such as Ben Askren, Nate Diaz, and Mike Perry . However, Paul faces his most formidable opponent yet in Tyson - a boxer once feared as the "baddest man on the planet" due to his ferocious aggression and devastating knockout power.
Recent footage has raised concerns for Paul, showcasing Tyson in impressive fighting shape, displaying his trademark speed, and unleashing powerful blows that leave heavy bags swinging violently..
