Mike Tyson was the last boxer to transcend the sport. While the greatest modern boxers today go about in relative obscurity outside the bubble of their profession even people who have never watched a boxing match in their lives know of Mike Tyson. Tyson was notorious. He did time for a rape conviction, bit off part of Evander Holyfield's ear in a world title fight, became estranged from trainers and managers, allowed himself to be enveloped by the tentacles of Don King, was involved in street fights and assaults, made increasingly bizarre and foul mouthed outbursts on television and at press conferences. He eventually became a circus freak show. An outcast and embarrassment to the sport.
But the young teenage Tyson was regarded to be the most exciting thing to happen to boxing for many years. He looked like a cast iron certainty to become one of the greatest heavyweight champions of all time and the saviour not just of the heavyweight division but boxing itself. He was the natural heir to Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard as the sport's flagship star and money machine but his reign was not destined to be as smooth or as durable as most had expected.
After he lost to Buster Douglas in 1990 (arguably the biggest single upset in the history of boxing or even sport as a whole) Tyson, apart from a few flashes of the old savagery and power, never really seemed to get it back together again for any sustained period and gradually lost the speed and elusiveness that made him so formidable and difficult to beat. What was once so natural became more and more difficult. Then there was prison and ever more complex legal and personal problems. Drugs, depression, money. Losing and regaining and then losing again the heavyweight championship. This is the story of Mike Tyson, the bad boy superstar born of boxing's last golden age...
But the young teenage Tyson was regarded to be the most exciting thing to happen to boxing for many years. He looked like a cast iron certainty to become one of the greatest heavyweight champions of all time and the saviour not just of the heavyweight division but boxing itself. He was the natural heir to Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard as the sport's flagship star and money machine but his reign was not destined to be as smooth or as durable as most had expected.
After he lost to Buster Douglas in 1990 (arguably the biggest single upset in the history of boxing or even sport as a whole) Tyson, apart from a few flashes of the old savagery and power, never really seemed to get it back together again for any sustained period and gradually lost the speed and elusiveness that made him so formidable and difficult to beat. What was once so natural became more and more difficult. Then there was prison and ever more complex legal and personal problems. Drugs, depression, money. Losing and regaining and then losing again the heavyweight championship. This is the story of Mike Tyson, the bad boy superstar born of boxing's last golden age...
