Mike Tyson: Biography, Education, Childhood, Career, and Net worth

Mike Gerard Tyson born June 30, 1966, is a former professional American boxer who is regarded as a living legend, one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time and also role model for young kids who would want to take up a career in boxing.

Mike Gerard Tyson was born in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, New York City, to Purcell Tyson, a cab driver who is from Jamaica, and his mother, Lorna Mae (Smith) Tyson who was said to be a promiscuous woman. Though while growing up, the man whom he knew as father, is Jimmy Kirkpatrick, a pimp from Grier Town, North Carolina. A black dominated neighbourhood.

Mike Tyson had two siblings, an older brother (Rodney), and an elder sister (Denise) who died of a heart attack aged 24, in February 1990. He also has a half-brother, the only son of Mr Jimmy Kirkpatrick named Jimmie Lee Kirkpatrick.
Jimmy Kirkpatrick met Tyson’s mother after he left his family and moved to Brooklyn. Mr Kirkpatrick, frequented pool halls, gambled and hung out on the streets. Giving a clear view as to how he met Lorna Mae, Mike Tyson’s biological mother.

Mr Kirkpatrick left the Tyson’s right about the time when Mike was born, leaving Tyson’s mother to care for the children on her own. Jimmy Kirkpatrick was reported dead in 1992. The Tyson’s family lived in Bedford-Stuyvesant right until the financial burdens was too much for Lorna Mae to handle, then they moved to Brownsville when Mike Gerard Tyson was 10 years old.

Throughout his childhood, Mike lived around neighbourhoods with high crime rates. In an interview, he noted that his first fight was with an older kid who had pulled the head off of one of Tyson’s his Pigeons.

Mike was always caught committing petty crimes and picking up fights with those who made mockery of his high-pitched voice and lisp, while growing up. At the young age of 13, he had gotten himself arrested a staggering 38 times. He then ended up at the Tryon School for Boys in Johnstown, New York. While there, a juvenile detention center councillor and former boxer Bobby Stewart, discovered the emerging boxing abilities of Mike Tyson, considering him an outstanding fighter and trained him for few months before getting him introduced to boxing manager and trainer Cus D’Amato. Tyson later dropped out of high school as a junior and was later awarded an honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Central State University in 1989. Kevin Rooney also trained Tyson, and he was occasionally assisted by Teddy Atlas, although Atlas was dismissed by D’Amato when Tyson was 15. Rooney eventually took over all training duties for the young fighter.

When Mike Tyson was 16 years old, his mother died, leaving him in the care of Cus D’Amato. During a speech about his mother, Tyson said

“I never saw my mother happy with me and proud of me for doing something: she only knew me as being a wild kid running the streets, coming home with new clothes that she knew I didn’t pay for. I never got a chance to talk to her or know about her. Professionally, it has no effect, but it’s crushing emotionally and personally.”

Over the course of his professional career, Mike Tyson due to how illustrious his career was, won several boxing titles and awards which has made him a living legend in the world of professional boxing, and a role model to aspiring boxers all around the world.

As an amateur, during the 1981 and 1982 junior Olympic games, Tyson won gold medals defeating Joe Cortez in 1981 and Kelton Brown in 1982 to be crowned champion. During the Nations Golden Gloves held in New York City in 1984, Tyson defeated Jonathan Littles to win the gold medal. Tyson fought with Henry Tillman twice and lost both bouts by decision. Tillman went on to win the 1984 Olympics heavyweight gold in Los Angeles.