On Earth, there is no scarcity of murderers. However, the title of "baddest man on the globe" belonged to only one person. That person is "Iron" Mike Tyson, who in the ring more than lived up to his nickname.
Tyson’s Personal Life
In Brooklyn, New York, on June 30, 1966, Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson was born. Although Percell Tyson was named as his father on his birth certificate, Mike believes Jimmy Kirkpatrick to be his birth father since, at the time of his birth, Kirkpatrick was residing with his mother, Lorna Smith Tyson. Soon after, Kirkpatrick left behind Mike, his mother, brother, and sister.
Living in high-crime neighborhoods early in his life exposed Mike Tyson to a criminal element. He engaged in little thefts and brawls. He frequently got into street fights, typically sparked by his high voice and lisp. He had been taken into custody more than 30 times by the time he was 13 years old. He was transferred to a juvenile correctional facility in Johnstown, New York, where he started honing his boxing techniques.
His Career
In Albany, New York, on March 6, 1985, Tyson faced Hector Mercedes in his first-ever professional match. The 18-year-old eliminated Mercedes in the first round. Tyson's opponents were frequently wary of striking him due to his strength, quick fists, and impressive defensive skills. As a result, Tyson developed the supernatural ability to knock out his opponents in just one round, earning him the moniker "Iron Mike."
Although Tyson had a wonderful year, it wasn't without tragedy: His trainer and adopted father, Cus D'Amato, died of pneumonia on November 4, 1985. Kevin Rooney replaced D'Amato, and less than two weeks later, Tyson kept moving up the heavyweight rankings.
In Houston, Texas, he scored his thirteenth knockout, dedicating the victory to the guy who had helped him become a pro. Those close to Tyson claim that he never recovered from D'Amato's death and blame this on the loss of the guy who had once grounded and supported him for the boxer's subsequent actions.
Tyson has a 22-0 record by 1986, with 21 of those victories coming via knockout. Tyson ultimately achieved his objective on November 22, 1986, when he was handed his first title match for the World Boxing Council heavyweight championship against Trevor Berbick.
In the second round, Tyson was knocked out to claim the title. He eclipsed Floyd Patterson's previous record to become the youngest heavyweight champion in history at 20 years and four months.
The success Tyson had in the ring didn't end there. On March 7, 1987, he faced James Smith to defend his title, giving him the World Boxing Association title to add to his triumphs. When he defeated Tony Tucker for the IBF title on August 1, he became the first heavyweight to hold all three major boxing titles.
On February 25, 1989, Tyson entered the ring again to face British boxer Frank Bruno to defend his heavyweight championship. Later, in the fifth round, Tyson defeated Bruno via knockout. On July 21, 1989, Tyson successfully defended his title by KO'ing Carl "The Truth" Williams.