It is somewhat understandable for some to revel in Tyson's latest defeat, but I see it as another signpost in a tragic life. There is no question that he once promised to be the greatest fighter of all time. What follows is not just boxing commentary; Tyson's story portends as a universal lesson about how potential, talent and ability are not as important as proper guidance and discipline.
Mike Tyson is often portrayed as a monster and thug, carrying “more menace than King Kong and Godzilla combined.” Common sense argues that these and other dehumanizing terms skirt a truth that is not so simple. Tyson’s great physical strength came to him early, tipping the scales at close to 200 muscular lbs. in his early teens. Combined with this was an apparent insecurity and alienation that alternately manifested itself as paralyzing fear, sinking melancholy and aggression.
Fatherless and growing up in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant district, young Tyson had no direction. He was well on his way toward graduating from juvenile delinquency to adult criminality when he took up boxing under Cus D'Amato’s tutelage. The former trainer of champions Jose Torres and Floyd Patterson took Tyson to his training camp in Catskill NY, working diligently to instill complete dedication and virtue in and out of the ring. [Afterward, while at his peak] in interviews with knowledgeable sports reporters, Tyson was humble about his position in boxing history. He often expressed deep respect for – and considerable knowledge about – Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Archie Moore, Rocky Graziano, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier and others.
Given his natural ability, strength and excellent training, the totality of his formidable ring assets was such that his defensive prowess rarely needed to be tested, but it was considerable – he was VERY hard to hit. His movement in the ring was so terrifyingly graceful. He gave lie to the common misperception of the Sweet Science perpetrated by the likes of the Rocky movies – that boxing was essentially two brutes bashing each other until one fell down.
The great fighters show that boxing is in truth about conditioning, strategy, skill and courage. For the uninformed, I recommend watching some lower weight-class fights today and see for yourself. The professional and amateur fighters themselves – and not those around them – are among the finest people one could ever want to meet.
Tyson was one of those people who need concerted mentoring to flourish. When D'Amato died in 1985, the young fighter was still not ready to strike out on his own without guidance. At the time, I hoped he would join the Kronk gym in Detroit under the no-nonsense Emmanuel Stewart [trainer to over two dozen champions including Tommy Hearns and Lennox Lewis].
Unfortunately, Tyson gravitated toward people who were not up to the task – and whom he himself did not respect. He was not listening to his corner when he was KO'd in Feb. 1990 by a lower-rung fighter named Buster Douglas [who in less than a year gained 30 lbs. and lost his first title defense].
The seeds for his self-destruction were sown when he married harridan Robin Givens, who is rumored to have had him put on major tranquilizers, including Thorazine, which some experts say causes permanent damage to reflexes. Tyson split with winning trainer Kevin Rooney over Givens’ increasing negative influence in and out of the ring. As early as the Frank Bruno fight in Feb. 1989 [which he won], we fight fans began to notice that Tyson was taking more punches than usual. We hoped that he was just having a bad day, but were to eventually realize that he would never recover his former invincibility. He still kept winning, but it was not the same.
Even after regaining his title, Tyson’s days of greatness were, in retrospect, over. His ring performance thereafter increasingly resembled that of a club fighter -- he would hang onto his opponents when he tired. Tyson found himself spending more rounds with opponents he previously would have dispatched before everyone got their popcorn. He was taking more punishment in the ring. Deep down, Tyson must have known that he had lost a step and increasingly resorted to dirty tactics when he became frustrated.
Outside of the square circle, his personal life similarly deteriorated. Probably finding that her efforts to ‘fix’ him only succeeded in eroding his boxing abilities while serving to inflame his rage, the succubus Givens tossed Tyson aside [no, I DON’T like her]. He soon found more self-destructive means of occupying his time.
There began the notorious rape criminal and civil trials, all of which he lost. Most salient was the case in which a certain Desiree Washington [with a history of false rape accusations] appeared in his doorway in 1991 wearing a trench coat over skimpy lingerie – but not to have sex. Without a mark on her – and after Tyson likely ‘dissed’ her by not calling her afterward – Washington then cried ‘rape.’
The trial was also questionable. Tyson told the New York Daily News that “witnesses who would have testified that Washington was a ‘gold digger’ were not allowed to testify” thus, according to him, depriving the millionaire heavyweight fighter of a fair trial. Tyson even elected to risk serving more time in jail rather than confessing to the offense in a court hearing.
Just of the sake of argument, consider if Tyson WAS the one wronged in that case. Imagine how demoralizing that would be. Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren and her audience failed to appreciate the attempt at irony when Tyson told her that given that he was convicted anyway, dark moments would sometimes find him wishing he had indeed raped his dollar-enriched accuser, her encouraging mother, the mailman and former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros Gali.
I join a few others in the belief that the breaking point in Mike Tyson’s potential to rise above his early shortcomings came with Cus D’Amato’s passing. That was the last time he truly had an advocate. A certain context must be then considered. As a person, he likely is not much worse in character than most of his Bed-Stuy contemporaries. The difference of course is none of his neighbors went on to engage such challenges as he.
Recent history has shown similar examples of young professional athletes, actors and recording artists who came from humble backgrounds that poorly prepared them for sudden fame and fortune. Wanting of proper guidance, it takes exemplary character to rise to such an occasion. We have seen that many lack such character and consequently fail.
This is certainly not to defend Tyson’s wrongs or absolve him of responsibility. He would likely be the first to admit making poor choices – and paying dearly for them. Having come from a blue-collar background and still operating under uncertainty that efforts to advance into the ‘professional’ world will be successful, I will indeed own to some sympathy for Tyson’s situation.
It is struggle enough to maintain discipline and focus in the best of circumstances. Those who hail from a milieu wherein homelessness, violent crime, substance abuse, mental illness and financial instability are not only encountered on television know that attaining a clean simple lifestyle can be a major accomplishment in itself. Those who have not cannot possibly appreciate this.
“Mike Tyson lost? Good! That thug had it coming to him.”
Actually, I will risk the apparently unpopular view that he’s had enough negativity in his life and instead hope the best for a flawed-but-not-evil man. As a fight fan, I mourn the loss of what could have been.