“I’m the best ever. I’m the most brutal and vicious, and most ruthless champion there’s ever been. There’s no one who can stop me. Lennox is a conqueror? No, I’m Alexander, he’s no Alexander. I’m the best ever. There’s never been anybody as ruthless. I’m Sonny Liston, I’m Jack Dempsey. There’s no one like me. I’m from their cloth. There’s no one that can match me. My style is impetuous, my defense is impregnable, and I’m just ferocious. I want your heart. I want to eat his children,”
Very few athletes can walk the concrete jungles of Brownsville, Baltimore, New Orleans, South Central, Cleveland, Buffalo and be admired and respected by the streets, Mike is one of them. A personality unlike any other! As kids acting like boxers on the school playground we all would call our sleeves the heavyweight champ and nickname our sleeves “Baby Tyson” My college boxing nickname was “Iron boy” it was a combination of Iron Mike Tyson and Oscar Dela Hoya’s Golden Boy name. Mike is one of the reasons I ever laced them up, I wanted to be Mike Tyson. His legend will forever be cemented his career highlights consist of being the former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA, and IBF heavyweight titles at 20 years, 4 months, and 22 days old. Tyson won his first 19 professional bouts by knockout, 12 of them in the first round. He was also the most FEARED MAN ON THE PLANET at one point in time. While he wasn’t a saint, he’s still the hero of many of us. Mike Tyson’s reputation precedes him. He is known as the ‘baddest man on the planet for a reason. When his name is mentioned, one would immediately think back to the ear-biting incident. It will forever be part of boxing lore. However, he is a boxing God. A man that is complex and will shock you with his knowledge and deep wisdom regarding life and what it means. There is a certain power in language, words, and expression that is both brief and direct, and many of my favorite quotes concerning boxing and life come from Mike Tyson. I can spend hours looking at videos of Mike just talking. In March of 2020, Mike released a video of him interviewing Sugar Ray Leonard, and he said a few things that until this day I haven’t forgotten. Tyson said:
“I know all the warriors. From Charlemagne to Achilles – the number one warrior of all warriors – and then Alexander and Napoleon, I know them all. I read about them all. I know the art of fighting, I know the art of war. That’s all I’ve ever studied. That’s why I’m so feared, that’s why they feared me when I was in the ring. I was an annihilator, that’s all I was born for. Now those days are gone, it’s empty, I’m nothing”. “I’m working on being the art of humbleness. That’s the reason I’m crying, cause I’m not that person no more, and I miss him. That guy’s kind of dead now… but that wasn’t easy. That guy didn’t want to leave. He wasn’t leaving easily. He fought, screamed and cried and scratched all the way until he died, you know?”
While explaining why the discussion had left in tears, the 53-year-old said, “Because sometimes I feel like a b***h, because I don’t want that person to come out because if he comes out, hell is coming with him. And it’s not funny at all. I sound cool like I’m a tough guy but I hate that guy. I’m scared of him”
Seeing and hearing the pain Tyson showed in that interview is something I can relate to. I feel that’s ones of the many reasons many of us gravitate towards Mike because he doesn’t hide his flaws from the world. Tysons’s story has and will continue to Transcend generations. While I know four posts aren’t enough to chronicle or show Mike Tyson the correct respect he deserves. This random chronicle of posts on Iron Mike is unconventional to express my admiration it’s the only way I felt right since his life is far from conventual. While I know Mike’s story isn’t done, I know his story is slowly coming to an end just as all of ours. I’m honored and grateful to have seen Mike box. Honored and grateful to witness a boxing god. I know this will not be the last time I write about Iron Mike! I can’t wait to see what else Iron Mike adds to his amazing life story.
