The name Mike Tyson reverberates as the zenith of professional boxing. Tyson is a legend in the sport. However, his own personal life was consistently marred by rage, violence, pain, and loss. In an article called ‘Unpublished Truth’ by The Guardian, the boxer opens up about the pain of losing his daughter, the turmoil of drug addiction, and his violent past.

Tyson grew up a frightened little boy, often beaten by his mother in a condemned building in Brownsville, Brooklyn. This led him to overcompensate by reaching new heights and becoming the self-proclaimed Baddest man on the planet. This is what Tyson spoke about an incident featuring his mother:

I was a pudgy kid, very shy, and I spoke with a lisp. The kids called me 'Little Fairy Boy.' Once, my mother was fighting with this guy, Eddie, and it's barbaric. Eddie knocked out her gold tooth and me and Denise [his sister] are screaming. But my mother's real slick. She puts on a pot of boiling water. The next thing I know she's pouring boiling water over Eddie. He was screaming, his back and face covered in blisters. We put him on the floor. My sister takes a lighter and sterilizes a needle and then, one by one, she bursts the blisters...

Mike Tyson via The Guardian.

This extract from Tyson’s memoir accounts for the abuse by his mother, Lorna, and the vivid imagery of his mentor, Cus D’Amato. More than forty years later, the boxer reminisced that he and his sister Denise gave his mother’s burned lover a quarter to comfort him. Eddie got up and went to buy liquor for Tyson’s mother. The man thus rewarded Lorna for her brutality. Tyson notes this kind of behaviorism was the root of his sexual dysfunctionality and substance abuse.

Tyson, however, did not let these hinder his passion for boxing. He held the title as undisputed world heavyweight champion from 1987-1990. He also transitioned into a successful Hollywood career stint, starring in the 2009 comedy The Hangover. The boxer also has successful entrepreneurial ventures in the cannabis industry.

Mike Tyson’s protégé, Francis Ngannou hopes for rematch of Riyadh Season boxing bout

Francis Ngannou faced WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in Riyadh. The matchup was a 10-round boxing bout, with no title stakes on Oct. 28. At his corner, Ngannou had Mike Tyson attending his training camp as an advisory coach. Tyson is a close acquaintance of the French-Cameroonian fighter. Despite the namesake with Fury, he chose to align with Ngannou, banking on his impressive skills.

Before facing Fury, Ngannou was expected to make his PFL debut in the first quarter of 2024. However, his performance has impressed PFL President Ray Sefo. The heavyweight champion’s near victory was praised by many. However, the fight swung to Fury with a split decision. Ngannou has hoped for a rematch. Joe Rogan candidly said Ngannou deserved the win. The match also did entail an illegal elbow by Fury, thus making it even more perplexing that he won.

Ngannou recently received interest from Derek Chisora for the next boxing bout. However, he wants to rematch Fury for the WBC title. The rematch will likely increase the payout for Ngannou. Furthermore, there is not much interesting option for Ngannou in the PFL.