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Silent Method
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Most excellent points, each one.Guvna said:
I feel sorry for him because I think he was really great at what he did as a boxer. When I see a bull that is bred to fight, I want to see a mean bull. I don't want to see a prizefighter at the top of their game any less mean. Tyson's life, his background, his youth and overwhelming success - the nature of the job, how good he was at it.
Is everyboody who's chiming in on Tyson in this thread old enough to remember watching Tyson in his day??
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Rise to stardom
Mike Tyson on the cover of Time Magazine in 1988.Mike Tyson made his professional debut on March 6, 1985, in Albany, New York, a match which he won by a first round knockout. He fought frequently in his first two years as a professional, staying undefeated and winning all of his fights by knockout, usually in the first round. His quality of opposition gradually increased to journeyman fighters and borderline contenders, and his win streak attracted much media attention, leading to his being billed as the next great heavyweight champion[citation needed].
Tyson's first nationally televised bout took place on February 16, 1986 at the RPI Fieldhouse in Troy, NY against journeyman heavyweight Jesse Ferguson. Tyson knocked down Ferguson with an uppercut in the fifth round that reportedly broke Ferguson's nose[citation needed]. During the sixth round, Ferguson began to hold and clinch Tyson in an apparent attempt to prolong the fight. After admonishing Ferguson several times to obey his commands to break the clinches and box, the referee eventually stopped the fight near the middle of the sixth round and Tyson was declared the winner by TKO.
On November 22, 1986, Tyson was given his first title shot, fighting Trevor Berbick for the WBC heavyweight title. Tyson won the title by second round knockout, and at the age of 20 years and 4 months became the youngest heavyweight champion ever.
Tyson aged 20 was around 222lbs (101kg), having approximently 5.5 percent body fat, and stocky for his height 5'11" (1.75 m). He had an outstanding physique, even though he allegedly never used weights. Feared for his brute strength, many fighters were too scared to hit him and this was backed up by his incredible hand-speed, accuracy, co-ordination, very powerful hits and timing and was a force to be reckoned with. Perhaps what was most underlooked was Tyson's defensive abilities. Holding his hands high in the peek-a-boo style taught by his mentor Cus D'Amato, he would slip and weave out of the way of the opponent's punches while closing the distance to deliver his own devastating attacks.
Expectations for the young champion were extremely high, and he embarked on an ambitious campaign to fight all the top heavyweights in the world. In 1987, Tyson defended his title against James 'Bonecrusher' Smith on March 7 in Las Vegas, Nevada. He won by unanimous decision and added Smith's WBA title to his existing belt. 'Tyson mania' in the media was becoming rampant. He beat Pinklon Thomas in May with a knockout in the sixth round. On August 13 he took the IBF title from Tony Tucker, winning by unanimous decision to become "undisputed heavyweight champion of the world". His only other fight in 1987 was in October against the 1984 Olympic champion Tyrell Biggs, a great performance from Tyson which ended with a victory by knockout in the seventh round.
Tyson had three fights in 1988. He faced an aged but still game Larry Holmes on January 22, and defeated the legendary former champion by fourth round knockout. He fought contender Tony Tubbs in Tokyo in March, fitting in an easy two round victory amid promotional and marketing work.
On June 27, 1988, Tyson met lineal heavyweight champion Michael Spinks. Spinks, who had taken the heavyweight championship away from Larry Holmes via fifteen round decision in 1985, had never lost his title in the ring. The IBF title which he had won from Holmes had been stripped from him, but many (including Ring magazine) considered him to have a legitimate claim to being the true heavyweight champion. Tyson cleared up all confusion by brutally knocking him out at 1:31 of the first round. This fight is often regarded as the climax of Tyson's career.
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