Mike Tyson is A Strong Person Mystery

Ladies and gentlemen - really needing no introduction the world over - say hello to Iron Mike Tyson. Despite being the challenger, Tyson started the fight as firm favourite.

Tyson unified the heavyweight division with points victories over James ‘Bonecrusher’ Smith (WBA) and Tony Tucker (IBF). I remember watching him demolish Michael Spinks in 1988 in a fight which many thought Spinks had a chance to win. It took Tyson just 91 seconds to knockout Spinks, who had never been down in a pro fight prior to this bout. This is thought by many to be Tyson’s best fight.

I also watched him knockout a childhood favourite of mine, ex-heavyweight champ Larry Holmes. Other notable title defenses include victories over Pinklon Thomas (TKO 6), and Olympic gold medallist Tyrell Biggs (TKO 7). Tyson carried Biggs who he had hated for denying him a place as a super heavyweight in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

Bruno could hit hard, but he was slow and ponderous in comparison to Tyson. By now, whenever Tyson fought there was an aura of inevitability about it all. Tyson was regarded as the best pound for pound fighter in the world - something extremely rare for a heavyweight. Tyson finished Bruno in round five.

It wasn’t a great performance and cracks were showing in Tyson’s veneer. Mike Tyson lost to 42-1 underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas in possibly the greatest upset ever in boxing. Wins over former amateur conqueror Henry Tillman, Alex Stewart and Donovan ‘Razor’ Ruddock set up a big money fight with new undisputed heavyweight king Evander Holyfield. The fight never happened - Tyson was imprisoned for the rape of beauty pageant contestant Desiree Washington. The buzz when Tyson came back to fight was incredible. Prison had taken its toll, and at least some of Tyson’s prime years had been spent in jail.

Tyson would fight Frank Bruno again. This time Bruno was the WBC champion and Mike the challenger. Going into the fight with a psychological advantage due to his earlier victory, Tyson easily beat Bruno in three rounds this time, regaining the title for the second time. Tyson looked to be back, big time. But the fight we had all been waiting for but had been denied was on the horizon - Mike Tyson versus Evander Holyfield.

Tyson started hot favourite, but in a pulsating candidate for fight of the year, ex undisputed cruiserweight and heavyweight champion Holyfield emerged the victor with an 11th round knockout. This time there could be no excuses, Tyson lost to the better fighter. Already past his prime, he would never again be called world champion.

Tyson would continue to excite audiences however, but for all the wrong reasons. People would watch him fight due to his unpredictability. In the third round, Tyson spat out his gumshield and bit a chunk out of Holyfield’s ear. Referee Mills Lane who had been there all those years earlier at the Berbick fight, had no choice but to disqualify Tyson. An enraged Tyson, who would later claim he bit Holyfield as a consequence of Holyfield’s constant headbutting, threw punches at security guards and anyone who would get in his way in an attempt to get at a baffled Evander Holyfield.

A return to boxing saw his fights degenerate into farce after farce. It seemed that with every Tyson fight came another controversy - trying to break an opponents arm, knocking down a referee, getting a tattoo on his face just a few days before fighting Clifford Etienne. Somehow, while not the best in the world anymore, Tyson always seemed to generate excitement.

In the pre-fight press conference before his fight with Lennox Lewis, Tyson exploded into rage, screaming at and threatening reporters, and taking a swing at Lewis before biting his leg. Once more, Mike Tyson was in the news. An old looking Tyson lost to Lewis in 8 one-sided rounds.

Tyson announced his retirement. His professional record stands at 58 fights, 50 wins, 44 knockouts, 6 defeats and 2 no contests.

A. Mike Tyson in the Corner

Tyson was found under the influence of drugs when he was driving his car in Scottsdale, Arizona. The former heavyweight boxing champion was charged with two felonies for drug possession and two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence of drugs. Mike Tyson was convicted in Indiana and served three years in jail for the rape in 1992 of a Miss Black America contestant. Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in history in 1986 when he was 20 years old and knocked out Trevor Berbick. By 1997, Tyson’s career hit its lower point when he bit Evander Holyfield’s ear during a fight.

Andrew Thomas, the Maricopa County prosecutor said that Tyson’s record made him eligible for prison instead of Arizona’s drug treatment programs for non-violent offenders.

B.   MMA Versus Boxing - Who Will Win Win the Battle?

Over the  last 3-4 years Boxing’s mantle as the number one ‘fight’ sport has come under serious threat from Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), and in particular the Dana White lead Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Ultra slick presentations, clever marketing and the ability to produce the fights which fans yearn to see, has seen the UFC explode in the United States. The phenomenon is now actively spreading across Canada, Europe and the rest of the World. States and countries who once banned MMA events as ‘too brutal’ are now openly promoting them in their top stadia and venues.

Other MMA Organisations, such as Pride (Japan) and Affliction also gain huge crowds for their events. Boxing, celebrity and glamour have gone ‘hand in hand’ for decades. This has led to the increased number of weight divisions (very small variance between the weights) and most damagingly the introduction of  the numerous ‘alphabet’ World Titles. Whilst it is now commonly acknowledged that it is the fighter who ‘makes the belt’ (The Ring Belt is ultimately decided upon in this way), the reluctance of organisations to interlink means many ‘top’ fights never occur.  Combine this with the reluctance of promoters / fighters to risk their status as ‘World Champ’ for anything less that an ‘out of this world payday’ and you the present scenario.

There are also less weight divisions, and, unlike boxing, there never seems to be a mis-match simply to ‘pad’ a fighter’s record. The glamour / celebrity side of the sports is also turning in MMA’s favour (and that’s not referring to Tito Ortiz’s partner!). Celebrities such as Paris Hilton are common place at UFC events, Donald Trump actively promotes events in his venues whilst the Goldenboy of Boxing, Oscar Del Hoya, was recently ecstatically cheering ringside at the Affliction main event of Fedor v Arloski (he had a business interest in that event).

It appears that MMA is clearly challenging Boxing’s supremacy like it has never been challenged before. On a ‘flip-side’, maybe boxing and it’s bosses should ‘go-back to basics’, benchmark the MMA success formula and re-invent their brand accordingly.

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