Like two sides of a coin, when you look at Mike Tyson, it depends which side you’re viewing.
Mike Tyson. When you hear the name, what do you think of? Do you think of a disgraced boxer? Probably. Mike had many wins in the ring, but personal problems got the better of him.
Mike Tyson was born on June 30th, 1966, in Brooklyn, New York. He had an elder brother and sister. His father, Jimmy Kirkpatrick, was one of North Carolina’s top baseball stars.
Mike’s family moved when he was ten. His mother died six years later. It was a rough upbringing for Mike, who was arrested 38 times before the age of 13.
Courtesy: YouTube
In the ring, though, it was different. Mike was a success, winning Gold in the 1984 Summer Olympics. Then he went pro, becoming a world champion. Mike was on top of the world. He had fame and fortune. But then it came crashing down.
His marriage ended. He lost a big fight. He was convicted of rape and spent multiple years behind bars. By Federal Law (because of that conviction), Tyson is registered as a Tier II sex offender.
He eventually got back into the ring, but that didn’t last. Mike was disqualified in Round 3 of the so-called “Fight of The Fury” because he inexplicably bit his opponent’s ears.
Legal problems followed again and, later, he was back in jail for committing an assault. He tried boxing again (in 2005), but that wasn’t a long-term solution. He retired for good, went into bankruptcy, got into more trouble with the law, tried acting for a while, wrote two books, and … well … tried to live something of a normal life.
But from the beginning through today, Mike Tyson’s life has been anything but normal. He’ll be forever remembered as one of the greatest fighters of all time AND a person who couldn’t live a straight life.
Like two sides of a coin, when you look at Mike Tyson, it depends on which side you’re viewing.
