Anthony Michael Hall, an actor and a friend of Tyson’s, said Tyson has “incredible intellect, and a great heart, and a wicked sense of humor — a lot of things people didn’t give him credit for — and it’s been great to see this new Mike emerge over the last 20 years.”
Why it’s here: After the Douglas upset, Tyson began rebuilding toward regaining the heavyweight title by fighting Canadian star Razor Ruddock. How did the pre-fight hype go? “If he doesn’t die, it doesn’t count,” Tyson told one broadcast interviewer. So that was lovely. The two fighters swung big and hit hard from the opening bell. Tyson worked Ruddock’s body hard in the second round, and near the end of the third Ruddock was tired by threw a right that left him wide open for a left hook that floored him. In the sixth, there was a hint that Ruddock might have a comeback in him. He punished Tyson with multiple shots, but Tyson came out in the seventh and owned it, convincing referee Richard Steele to stop the fight following a barrage of undefended punches – launched with an overhand right –that drove Ruddock into the ropes. As Ruddock embraced Tyson, a brawl broke out in the ring behind him as Ruddock’s corner objected to the stoppage.
On August 1 he took the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title from Tony Tucker in a twelve-round unanimous decision 119–111, 118–113, and 116–112. He became the first heavyweight to own all three major belts – WBA, WBC, and IBF – at the same time.
Tyson also revealed that he is no longer vegan, stating, “I was a vegan for four years but not anymore. I eat chicken every now and then. I should be a vegan. at all, no way! I would be very sick if I ate red meat. That’s probably why I was so crazy before.”
The next several years were marred with more accusations of physical assaults, sexual harassment, and public incidents. In 2000, a random drug test revealed that Tyson had been smoking marijuana. The results caused boxing officials to penalize tyson history by declaring his October 20 victory against Andrew Golota a loss.
I don’t think that Cus, who’d worked with Floyd Patterson, Rocky Graziano, and Jose Torres, thought that in a thousand years he’d get another champion, although he hoped he would. Then I show up there knowing nothing, a blank chalkboard. Cus was happy. I couldn’t understand why this white man was so happy about me. He would look at me and just laugh hysterically. He’d get on the phone and tell people, “Lightning has struck me twice. I have another heavyweight champion.” I have no idea how, but somehow he saw it in me.
Tyson made his television debut as a pro in February 1986, against a decent prospect called Jesse Ferguson. The 19-year-old had already appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated and before he entered the ring – minus the traditional robe and wearing short black shorts and no socks – the crowd was in raptures.
If The Knockout makes one thing clear, it’s that the media rode the Tyson roller coaster for all that it was worth. While nobody really asked for this latest rematch, its insights regarding Tyson’s story – reflecting both the era during which he thrived, and how it looks with the benefit of hindsight – isn’t quite a knockout, but it wins on points.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 28: Mike Tyson exits the ring after receiving a split draw against Roy Jones Jr. during Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones Jr. presented by Triller at Staples Center on November 28, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Triller)
All this talk about dedication and discipline and hard work wasn’t enough to keep me from going back to Brooklyn and doing my jostling and robbing. I was playing two heads of the same coin. I’d be up in Catskill and be the choirboy and then I’d go down to Brooklyn and be the devil. Thank God that I never got arrested for anything. That would have broken Cus’s heart.
And yet there were the helicopters Saturday, hovering above amosque just two miles from the prison, in Plainfield. And theyhovered for nearly an hour while inside, Tyson, joined by MuhammadAli, offered a special prayer of thanksgiving from the Koran.Lined up in precise rows — brothers in front, sisters in the back– they bowed and prayed, led by Siddeeq. “Allahu akbar!” Theforce of the religion was obviously powerful; King, shoeless inthe mosque, was bowing for prayer as well, right behind Tyson.
The Tyson that entered the ring against James ‘Buster’ Douglas in February 1990 was pitifully diminished by personal turmoil, his marriage having burnt out spectacularly in public and King having finally sunk his claws into him.
Unseen in the show is a 1982 incident in which Atlas put a gun to Tyson’s head after the teenage boxer did something untoward to Atlas’ 12-year-old sister-in-law, as David Remnick later reported for the New Yorker. The details remain murky on what exactly happened with the young girl, but Tyson admitted to inappropriate behavior.