24 years ago today, "Iron Mike" celebrated one of his greatest victories. We take the day as an opportunity to look back on an unprecedented career with many highs, but even more setbacks.
"I was a destroyer in the ring, that's all I was born for. Now that time is over. It's empty. I'm nothing." These are actual words from Mike Tyson, the equally brilliant and scandalous boxer who celebrated one of his greatest victories exactly 24 years ago to the day, on March 16, 1996. But first things first.
On June 30, 1966, Mike Tyson was born in Brooklyn, New York City. 20 years and 143 days later, he would become the youngest boxer to win a world heavyweight title. On November 22, 1986, he knocked out Canadian WBC titleholder Trevor Berbick in the second round in Las Vegas. A triumph with an announcement. Legend has it that Tyson's first trainer, Cus d'Amato, predicted: "This will be the future heavyweight champion of the world." Tyson was just 13 years old at the time.
He went on to knock out one heavyweight after another at short intervals. At the age of 21, Mike Tyson is the world heavyweight champion of the three major federations. His fighting style is characterized by brute force. Many of his fights last only a few rounds, sometimes even a few seconds. Who is going to stop this fearless guy in the years to come?
In January 1988, Larry Holmes tries, returning to the ring after a one-and-a-half-year break. Until the mid-1980s, Holmes was regarded as one of the best boxers in the world, having defeated Muhammad Ali, among others. In the run-up to the fight, the former champion provokes Tyson with disrespectful statements - the answer comes in the form of painful blows. Tyson knocks Holmes down three times in the fourth round, whereupon the fight is stopped. Holmes continued to box until 2002, and the defeat to Tyson was to remain the only premature one in his 29-year (!) career. Holmes lost five more times on points during his career.
First scandals away from the ring
After this fight, Tyson increasingly made headlines away from the ring - a marriage that broke down after a short time, a break with his managers and a stroke of fate that hit him hard. However, his sporting career did not stutter at first. In June 1988, he celebrated one of his greatest victories. Tyson knocked out Michael Spinks (the only boxer who was thought to be a threat to Tyson), who had also been unbeaten up to that point, in the first round after 91 seconds, making it clear that Tyson was the undisputed number one in heavyweight boxing. 35 fights, all won, 31 of them prematurely, title holder in all classes. Tyson attracts the masses to their TV sets like the great Muhammad Ali once did, but he was never to achieve this hero status.
After the fight, Tyson changed his manager and signed with the notorious Don King. King's primary aim was to promote the image of the "baddest man on the planet", but in boxing terms Tyson no longer seemed to be the same after the change. There were also private problems that had a negative impact on his development. In 1987 he was accused of sexual harassment and in 1998 he had to postpone a title defense because he broke his right hand in a street fight against a previous opponent. Being overweight, marital problems in public, a car accident that is portrayed as a suicide attempt and so on ...
The end of invincibility
On February 11, 1990, Tyson sensationally loses his first ever fight to James "Buster" Douglas, the bookies' 42-1 underdog. In the 10th round, Douglas sends Tyson into the land of dreams with a powerful three-punch combination. The fight goes down in the history books of heavyweight boxing.
However, it does not herald the end of Tyson's career. After all, the American was only 23 years old at the time. The title fight against Evander Holyfield was scheduled for November 1991. However, the fight had to be postponed because Tyson broke a rib while training his abdominal muscles. In spring 1992, the fight was postponed a second time. Tyson is accused of rape and finally sentenced to six years in prison, three of which are suspended.
March 16, 1996: Tyson's biggest victory after his prison sentence
During Tyson's prison sentence, the heavyweight scene suffers a massive loss of popularity, not only, but certainly also, due to the lack of charisma of the best boxer of the time. On March 25, 1995, Tyson is released from prison after three years and thanks to good behavior. The media interest is gigantic, cameramen from all over the world are on location in the state of Indiana. In August 1995, Tyson returns to the ring after an absence of over four years - he mercilessly eliminates his first two opponents.
Around a year after his release from prison, Tyson gets another big fight. On March 16, 1996, he knocks out the British title holder Frank Bruno in the third round, making him WBC world champion again. For this victory, he collects a record fee of 30 million dollars, a seemingly insanely high sum at the time. Tyson is back! At least for the moment.
The journey to "hell"
In the years that followed, Tyson was still able to win fights, but he was no longer the feared opponent of earlier days. The rematch on June 28, 1997 against Evander Holyfield, against whom he had lost the world title months earlier, remains unforgotten. After three rounds, Tyson bites off a piece of his superior opponent's right ear. The fight was stopped and Tyson's boxing license was revoked indefinitely due to his extremely unsportsmanlike conduct, and he also had to pay a fine of three million dollars.
Tyson subsequently caused further scandals and spent a second time behind bars - but he also made another comeback. The highlight was supposed to be the fight against Britain's Lennox Lewis, but the affair was not under a good star. A mass brawl broke out between supporters, boxers and bodyguards at a press conference before the duel. Amid the commotion, Tyson bit his opponent again: this time in the thigh. Once again, the superstar's boxing license is revoked.
A few weeks later, the fight goes ahead after all. Tyson is clearly outclassed and loses by knockout in the eighth round. However, he can at least "enjoy" a consolation prize of 17 million US dollars. However, Tyson has lost his charisma for good that day.
Tyson fought his last fight on June 11, 2005, and did not look good against the Irishman Kevin McBride either, losing by technical knockout - immediately afterwards he declared his retirement. According to Tyson, he did not want to make the sport of boxing, to which he owed so much, laughable with such performances. Everyone agrees: he is right.
Drunk driving, drugs, prison sentences - Tyson continued to cause new scandals. A tragic stroke of fate also caused him to fall even further: in 2009, his daughter was strangled by a treadmill cable while playing.
But as often as Tyson is knocked down, he often picks himself up again. His life was and is always public - just a few days ago he gave a deep insight into his broken soul. The soul of a man who moves back and forth between the highs and lows of life like a yo-yo.
