25 Interesting Facts About Mike Tyson

Boxer Mike Tyson is one of the most famous athletes in history, rivaling even Muhammad Ali in notoriety. After many brilliant fights, Tyson remains a simple and cheerful person, and his creative nature keeps him from getting bored even during his free time.

Facts About Mike Tyson:

1. In his youth, doctors diagnosed him with a grim condition—manic-depressive psychosis.
2. Mike Tyson primarily eats spinach leaves and celery stalks. This strict diet has dramatically affected his physique—he lost more than 50 kilograms in two years. Moreover, North American media claim that Tyson is a vegan—a strict follower of vegetarianism.
3. In 1986, Tyson participated in the shortest fight of his career. It took him only 30 seconds to knock out his opponent, Marvis Frazier.
4. In 1997, during a match, Tyson became so enraged that he bit off the ear of his opponent, boxer Evander Holyfield.
5. Tyson’s father was never married to his mother and abandoned them when Mike was just 2 years old.
6. Tyson has a lifelong hobby—raising pigeons. He currently has over 2,000 birds in his “aviary.”
7. In his youth, Tyson dropped out of school and joined a local street gang. He was repeatedly arrested and spent a lot of time in a juvenile detention center.
8. At age 13, while in a juvenile facility, he met Muhammad Ali, who had come to talk to troubled teens. It was after this encounter that Tyson decided to pursue boxing professionally.
9. As a child, Tyson was nicknamed “The Magic Boy” due to his peculiar way of speaking. Additionally, he was a self-conscious overweight child who was constantly bullied by his peers and didn’t fight back due to a lack of courage.
10. At 13, while in a juvenile detention center, he met Bobby Stewart, his first trainer. The insightful boxing coach made a deal with Tyson that he would train him as long as he continued his education. The deal was successful—Tyson not only started training hard but also developed a love for reading.
11. In 2003, Tyson announced that he wanted to get a tattoo on his face. However, the design he proposed horrified the tattoo artist, who refused to do it. Tyson wanted to have his face covered with numerous small hearts.
12. By rough estimates, Tyson earned about $400 million over his boxing career. However, he spent money even faster than he made it: despite his enormous earnings, in 2003, he was on the verge of bankruptcy due to massive debts.
13. After a scandalous divorce from his wife, actress and model Robin Givens, Tyson continued to stay in touch with her for some time. Once, he visited Robin unannounced and found Brad Pitt there. It seems that the Hollywood actor was very close to danger at that moment, but fortunately, nothing serious happened.
14. Mike Tyson has a total of eight children from his three wives and several girlfriends.
15. In 1991, Tyson was convicted of rape and sentenced to six years in prison, of which he served three. Many believe that he did not commit the crime, as some aspects of the trial were highly suspicious.
16. On Tyson’s right shoulder, there is a tattoo of his idol, American tennis player Arthur Ashe.
17. After converting to Islam, Tyson received a new spiritual name—Malik Abdul Aziz.
18. Tyson has repeatedly stated that after retiring from professional sports, he would like to pursue singing and dancing.
19. He has been convicted three times. The first case is mentioned above; the second was for a fight, and the third for driving under the influence of drugs.
20. Tyson once donated a quarter of a million dollars to the construction of a mosque.
21. He got into his first fight over a pigeon when a local bully killed the bird right in front of him. After that, his peers began to respect him.
22. During a TV show, Tyson once threatened his rival, Lennox Lewis, that he would eat his children.
23. He frequently appears in movies and TV shows. His filmography includes more than forty films and TV series. However, he always plays only cameo roles, and only as himself.
24. Drug tests revealed that Tyson had entered the ring under the influence of drugs multiple times. He was disqualified on several occasions.
25. After retiring, the famous boxer adopted a more exemplary lifestyle. He has repeatedly stated that he now dedicates most of his time to raising his children.