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In 1992, Tyson was convicted of rape and sentenced to six years in prison. He was released on parole after three years. After his release in 1995, he engaged in a series of comeback fights, regaining the WBA and box WBC titles in 1996 to join Floyd Patterson, Muhammad Ali, Tim Witherspoon, Evander Holyfield and George Foreman as the only men in boxing history to have regained a heavyweight championship after losing it. After being stripped of the WBC title in the same year, Tyson lost the WBA title to Evander Holyfield by an eleventh round stoppage. Their 1997 rematch ended when Tyson was disqualified for biting Holyfield’s ears, one bite notoriously being strong enough to remove a portion of his right ear. In 2002, Tyson fought for the world heavyweight title, losing by knockout to Lennox Lewis.
Tyson wouldn’t be fighting Paul, he says, if there wasn’t a chance he could fail or be humiliated. As he talks, Tyson leans in and reflects on what he’s learned through failure. He speaks softly but never breaks eye contact.
In a few weeks, Tyson will turn fifty-eight. He’s back in training for his first officially sanctioned boxing match in nearly twenty years—a much-hyped matchup with the influencer-turned-pugilist Jake Paul that is set to be held in a football stadium filled with fans and streamed live to a potentially massive audience online.
First of all, if you are going to make it to Mike Tyson, you will need to defeat everyone who stands in your way as quickly as possible. But sometimes, the timing isn’t there or you simply get taken by surprise, and the matches will start stretching longer than you expected. If that is the case, you need to remember that there is a way to get some energy back between rounds. However, be forewarned that this trick will only work once per match.
Don’t ask Tyson if he’s an icon, or what he thinks his legacy looks like. Those two words make him wildly uncomfortable. “What is an icon?” he asks after a doctor’s appointment in late May. “I’m still going to die; I’m still going to starve if I don’t eat. Suppose I go on hard times and become a bum on the street. Am I still an icon? What is my legacy? Nothing but an ego. Who cares about my legacy? My legacy can’t buy me a hot dog. Legacy is going to get me nothing.”
Planning is a crucial aspect of life. It provides a roadmap to our goals, giving us a sense of direction and purpose. It allows us to anticipate potential challenges and prepare for them. However, Tyson’s quote is a stark reminder that our plans are not infallible. They are based on our predictions and assumptions about the future, which can often be incorrect.
That Tyson’s return to the ring comes against Paul makes the event an instant spectacle. The polarizing twenty-seven-year-old YouTuber has posted a 9–1 record since he broke into professional boxing. And along the way, Paul has become the face of the sport’s push to reach new fans by winning over celebrities, influencers, and disrupters. Older boxing fans will be watching to see if the old champ still has what it takes to smack down a mouthy newcomer. Paul’s followers want to see him knock off a legend. The fight will be held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys, and streamed on Netflix for the platform’s 270 million subscribers in more than 190 countries.
In January 1999, Tyson returned to the ring for a match against the South African Francois Botha. This match also ended in controversy. While Botha initially controlled the fight, Tyson allegedly attempted to break Botha’s arms during a tie-up and both boxers were cautioned by the referee in the ill-tempered bout. Botha was ahead on points on all scorecards and was confident enough to mock Tyson as the fight continued. Nonetheless, Tyson landed a straight right hand in the fifth round that knocked out Botha. Critics noticed Tyson stopped using the bob and weave defense altogether following this return. Promoting the fight on Secaucus, New Jersey television station WWOR-TV, Tyson launched into an expletive-laden tirade that forced sports anchor Russ Salzberg to cut the interview short.
George saw something different. Back in Jersey, George worked to fine-tune Zhang’s skills. Chin tucked lower. Hands held higher. “At the same time, not change him so much where he doesn’t know how to use his feet,” says George. “Because he’s actually really quick on his feet. But you guys don’t know yet. He has pretty good hand speed, but you guys are actually just noticing now.”
Throughout history, tattoos have been used to signify belonging and identity, and the tradition continues to this day. For many people, tattoos like Tyson’s can hold deeply personal and meaningful significance. Whether it’s a representation of cultural heritage or a reflection of one’s individual experiences and beliefs, tattoos serve as powerful reminders of our unique identities and the stories that make us who we are.
