“Idk why you talk to me like that when you know id k!ll you for it” – When Mike Tyson Loses Control And Gets Crazy! The Most Savage Moments | HO

A member of various street gangs at an early age, Tyson was sent to reform school in upstate New York in 1978. At the reform school, social worker and boxing aficionado Bobby Stewart recognized his boxing potential and directed him to renowned trainer Cus D’Amato, who became his legal guardian. Tyson compiled a 24–3 record as an amateur and turned professional in 1985.

Mike Tyson: Boxing's Legendary Champion - Spartans Boxing Club

D’Amato taught Tyson a peekaboo boxing style, with hands held close to his cheeks and a continuous bobbing motion in the boxing ring that made his defense almost impenetrable. At 5 feet 11 inches (1.8 metres) tall and weighing about 218 pounds (99 kg), Tyson was short and squat and lacked the classic heavyweight boxer’s appearance, but his surprising quickness and aggressiveness in the ring overwhelmed most of his opponents. On November 22, 1986, he became the youngest heavyweight champion in history, with a second-round knockout of Trevor Berbick, to claim the crown of the World Boxing Council (WBC). On March 7, 1987, he acquired the World Boxing Association (WBA) belt when he defeated James Smith. After he defeated Tony Tucker on August 1, 1987, Tyson was unanimously recognized as champion by all three sanctioning organizations (WBC, WBA, and International Boxing Federation [IBF]).

After the deaths of D’Amato and manager Jimmy Jacobs, Tyson aligned with controversial promoter Don King. He made 10 successful defenses of his world heavyweight title, including victories over former champions Larry Holmes and Michael Spinks. In 1988 Tyson married actress Robin Givens, but the couple divorced in 1989 amid allegations that Tyson had physically abused her. A myriad of assault and harassment charges were subsequently filed against Tyson.

On February 11, 1990, in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history, Tyson lost the championship to lightly regarded James (“Buster”) Douglas, who scored a technical knockout in the 10th round. Tyson rebounded from the loss with four straight victories. In 1991, however, he was accused of having raped a beauty pageant contestant, and he was convicted of the charge in 1992.

Following his release from prison in 1995, Tyson resumed boxing and in 1996 regained two of his championship belts with easy victories over Frank Bruno and Bruce Seldon. On November 9, 1996, in a long-anticipated bout with two-time heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, Tyson lost for the second time in his professional career, by a technical knockout in the 11th round. In a rematch against Holyfield on June 28, 1997, he was disqualified after he twice bit his opponent’s ears, and, as a result of the infraction, he lost his boxing license.

Tyson eventually was relicensed, and he returned to the ring on January 16, 1999, when he knocked out Franz Botha in the fifth round. On February 6, however, Tyson was sentenced to one year in jail, two years of probation, and 200 hours of community service and was fined $2,500 after he pleaded no contest to charges that he had assaulted two elderly men following a 1998 automobile accident. Tyson was released after serving just a few months of the one-year sentence.

Nevertheless, Tyson’s self-control problems continued. After the referee stopped a fight in June 2000 with American Lou Savarese, Tyson continued punching and inadvertently injured the referee. In comments made to the press after this fight, Tyson outraged boxing fans with bizarre and vicious remarks about British heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis. In his October 2000 bout with Andrew Golota, Tyson won in the third round, but the fight was later declared a no contest because Tyson tested positive for marijuana. Tyson had only one more fight between October 2000 and his June 2002 fight with Lewis.

Mike Tyson feared he had killed Mitch Green when heavyweight champion was goaded into New York street fight as he bought $850 jacket in late night shopping trip

Mike Tyson got into the most infamous street fight of his life in 1988, a brutal brawl that left boxing’s undisputed heavyweight champion with a broken hand but also fearing he had killed his bitter rival: Mitch ‘Blood’ Green in the process.

A prizefighter and gang leader, Green had actually been an in-ring opponent for Tyson during his rise to the top of the sport. He lasted the full 10 rounds with Tyson in 1986 in Madison Square Garden, six months before ‘Iron Mike’ became the youngest man to win a world heavyweight title by terrorising Trevor Berbick. The much taller Green heard the final bell by clutching and holding the 5ft 11in Tyson in close. But their rematch on the streets of Harlem at 4am was a short, savage affair.

Tyson took on and beat Green in New York City in May, 1986 - six months before becoming the youngest heavyweight champion in history

Tyson took on and beat Green in New York City in May, 1986 – six months before becoming the youngest heavyweight champion in historyCredit: Getty

The win left Green reeling and he was determined to get his revenge

The win left Green reeling and he was determined to get his revengeCredit: Getty
Green was already furious at Tyson, having claimed that promoter Don King had underpaid him and desiring a lucrative second fight that he was unlikely to get – inside the ropes, anyway. But Green had a secondary motivation for confronting Tyson in August ’88: he was part of a notorious New York gang and believed Tyson stepping into his turf, in the early hours of the morning, was a liberty he could not accept without losing face.

Tyson was in Harlem to visit a clothing shop called Dapper Dan’s to pick up an $850 white leather jacket with “Don’t Believe the Hype” – the title of a Public Enemy track – emblazoned across the back. At this point Green, who’d been told of Tyson’s presence, stormed into the shop bare-chested and spitting insults at his sworn enemy.

Tyson had been out nightclubbing and drinking beforehand. Nonetheless he claims in his autobiography, Undisputed Truth, that he was trying to play the role of a corporate, endorsement-friendly champion at the time. So Tyson replied: “Now, Mitch, you must consider what you are doing. I do not think that this course of action in the long run is advantageous for your health. You’ll remember that I already vanquished you when we met in the ring. You need to proceed to the nearest exit immediately.”

However likely you think it is that a drunk, 22-year-old Tyson delivered this speech on the mean streets at 4am, what followed was undeniably a violent beating. Tyson claims it started when Green ripped his shirt pocket, forcing him to retaliate. Green’s version is that Tyson turned his rings around (so as not to damage them) then suckerpunched him. But Tyson undoubtedly landed the first punch – and several more followed.

Dapper Dan's Boutique was the setting for the unlikely heavyweight showdown, while a scene in Rocky V looked remarkably similar

Dapper Dan’s Boutique was the setting for the unlikely heavyweight showdown, while a scene in Rocky V looked remarkably similarCredit: Getty

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“I was drunk and didn’t realise that he was high on angel dust [PCP] so he wasn’t going to hit me back,” recalled Tyson. “I was throwing punches and crunching this guy and he was weaving and wobbling from side to side like he was going to fall but he didn’t go down. So I did a Bruce Lee ‘Enter the Dragon’ roundhouse kick on his ass and he went down.”

However as Tyson and his driver headed to their car, a zombie-like Green pops “back up like Jason from ‘Friday the 13th’ and kicks me in the balls”. Tyson put Green down again, but when he tried to make good his escape in his Rolls-Royce, his driver told the champ they could not move as Green was under the wheels. ‘Blood’ got up once again and tore off one of the car’s wing mirrors, further enraging Tyson. This time, Tyson got out of his limousine and landed “my signature punch, the right uppercut. Boom! Mitch went flying into the air and came down like a ragdoll, right on his head.”

Tyson was terrified in the aftermath that he had actually killed Green. However by the time the police arrived at 5am, they found Green alive but sporting facial bruising, a left eye that was swollen shut and a nasty cut on the bridge of his nose. Tyson did not escape the chaos without injury: a hairline fracture of his right hand meant his upcoming title defence against Britain’s Frank Bruno was postponed and eventually took place the following year.

Tyson became the heavyweight world champion by unifying all of the belts against Michael Spinks in June 1988

Tyson became the heavyweight world champion by unifying all of the belts against Michael Spinks in June 1988Credit: Getty Images – Getty

The street brawl also added fuel to reports that Tyson, who two months earlier had produced the performance of his career by stopping two-weight world champion Michael Spinks in only 91 seconds, was spinning out of control away from the boxing ring.

The confrontation would not be the last time the pair crossed paths. Mere days after the incident Tyson couldn’t believe his eyes when, while out on a date in New York, he spotted Green cycle past him on a 10-speed bike. “That can’t be Mitch Green because I know the motherf***** is a zombie and he don’t come out in daytime,” Tyson assessed. But he was wrong and a verbal confrontation ensued until Tyson’s date cooled things down.

Green would later attempt to get his revenge in court, suing Tyson for $25million in 1997, nine years after the duel outside Dapper Dan’s. However ‘Blood’ was eventually awarded just $45,000 in court, which was not even enough to cover his legal bills. Nonetheless, Green reportedly left the courthouse shouting, “I’m the winner, I whupped him.”

Green certainly never whupped Tyson in the ring, or in the streets. But by frustrating him for 10 rounds in ‘Kid Dynamite’s first appearance at MSG, then by delaying his title defence against Bruno, Green definitely left his mark on Tyson’s career – and ensured their names are forever linked in a crazy footnote in heavyweight boxing history.