JAKARTA – The history of world sports on this date was marked by the birth of boxing star Mike Tyson in Brooklyn, New York on June 30, 1966. Tyson was born to Lorna Smith with biological father Purcell Tyson, but in his biography it is always mentioned that he was fathered by James Kirkpatrick.
Kirkpatrick is known to be a pimp who married Mike Tyson's mother, who was a prostitute. Tyson's biological father, whom he never met, is said to be from Jamaica, and a taxi driver by profession. From his biological father, Tyson has two brothers, namely Rodney, who is now a brain surgeon, and Denise, who died on February 24, 1990. While from Kirkpatrick, Tyson has one half-sister with Jimmie Lee Kirkpatrick.
“I've been through all the bitterest and sweetest times in my life. Once very poor, but also once very rich. And right now my life is very balanced, not poor but not very rich either," Tyson said in an interview with the BBC in 2013.
Bitterness has been felt by Mike Tyson since childhood. Not knowing his biological father, being abandoned by his stepfather, and being in prison for children are his past stories. He has been in juvenile prison 38 times when he was 13 years old. He was enlightened after being visited by legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, during a social action visit to the Spofford Detention Center juvenile prison in the Bronx, New York in 1978.
Ali said at the time that Tyson should practice boxing if he wanted his fate to change. And finally Tyson did practice boxing under the tutelage of an Italian-blooded coach, Cus D'Amato.
History of Nickname RingThe early history of Mike Tyson's career under the tutelage of D'Amato has been widely peeled. But not many have revealed since when the phenomenal boxer got the nickname Iron Mike. Tyson does have many nicknames. Besides Iron Mike, there is also Baddest Man on the Planet or Kid Dynamite, even in Indonesia he has a local nickname: The Concrete Neck.
The nickname Iron Mike or Mike the Iron appeared since Mike Tyson's debut in the professional boxing scene. At that time at the age of 18 years 249 days, Tyson had to face Puerto Rican chicken vegetable boxer Hector Mercedes in a duel scheduled for 4 rounds at the Plaza Convention Center, Albany, New York on March 6, 1985.
Mike Tyson needed less than a round to knock Mercedes down with a hook combination. It only took 1 minute 47 seconds for Tyson to win his debut fight.
“The nickname just came out of nowhere. The first time that came out was my old friend, Carlos Santos. At that time he said: Mike, I will buy you a t-shirt with the words Iron Mike on it. Now everyone calls me Iron Mike," Tyson said on The Tonight Show talk show with host Jimmy Fallon on July 28, 2020.
Stay Successful Until OldAt the age of 56 years on June 30, Mike Tyson still maintains his status as a famous athlete. He is still successful at work and easy to make money, even though he has retired from the boxing ring. In 2003 he had admitted bankruptcy, but many doubted and thought that it was just a trick to avoid taxes.
Mike Tyson's story has never been as sad as the top heavyweight boxers of the past, whose old life was entangled with poverty. After losing by TKO in the 6th round to chicken vegetable boxer Kevin McBride in Washington on June 11, 2005, Tyson announced his retirement at the age of 38 years 346 days.
After retiring, the father of eight children from three marriages and extramarital affairs jumped into the world of entertainment. He appeared in the 2009 comedy Hangover, starring Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, and Ed Helms.
Mike Tyson's appearance as a comedian in the stand up comedy show Undisputed Truth was also a huge success. Under the direction of director Spike Lee, the comedy based on his autobiography was carried to 36 cities in the United States in 10 shows over 10 weeks from May to December 2012, and attracted more than 9000 viewers. His total income was recorded at 1.2 million US dollars or around Rp. 18 billion.
Mike Tyson's broadcast called Hotboxi' with Mike Tyson also sold well. Not to mention that he currently owns a marijuana plantation in Death Valley, California, which is named Tyson Ranch. The gross income from the cannabis plantation which opened at the end of December 2017 is estimated to be around IDR 9 billion per year. Tyson himself currently according to Celebrity Net Worth records has a net worth of 10 million US dollars, or around Rp. 149.5 billion.
Happy Birthday Mike Tyson!
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