Written by: Ray Lamar Inspired by: Artist Bill Rembert
Mike Tyson had a troubled childhood growing up in a hard-core part of New York City. Mike Tyson was getting involved with street gangs as a teenager, and this was not a great start for him. As a result of this Tyson was sent off the reform school in upstate New York to help the youngster get on the right path. It was a heaven-sent decision because this is where Mike Tyson’s future in boxing would have its birthplace. A fellow by the name of Bobby Stewart would take Mike under his wings and direct him to a trainer named Cus D’Amato. Cus would become Tyson’s legal Guardian, and as an amateur boxer he would build his respect stacking up a 24-3 record before he turned pro.
At age 20 in 1986 Mike Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion of the world in boxing history. Mike Tyson has been in 58 bouts, he has fought in 215 rounds, and out of those rounds he knocked out 75.86 percent of his opponents. Michael wasn’t tall and didn’t have a long reach, so Cus taught him a style of boxing that would help him use his aggression and quickness to dominate his opponents. After his fight on August 1, 1987 Tyson was Champion of all three sanctioning organizations WBA, WBC, and the IBF.
Editor’s Note: This article first published on February 24, 2020