41 Things you didn’t know about Mike Tyson.

Born June 1966, age 53 years, currently 1.78 m of height and Weighing 109 kg, Michael Gerard “Mike” Tyson is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2005. He reigned as the undisputed world heavyweight champion and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win a heavyweight title, at 20 years. He has amazed the world with his ferocious fighting style and spending habits. He grew up in a broken home in Brooklyn, New York, where by the age of 16, he was already an orphan. He was left in the care of boxing manager and trainer who became his legal guardian afterwards. This was the turning point in his future boxing career. He began training at 16 and debut at the age of 18. During the 1980s and 90s, Mike Tyson became the biggest name in the industry. He won multiple fights important titles, millions of dollars and reputation that still precedes him. His life has been filled with scandal, controversy and problems, but he’s managed to recover after each one. Here are 41 things you didn’t know about Iron Mike.

1. He’s now famous for biting his opponents ear off two times during a fight. 

When he was asked why he did so, Tyson responded saying that he was pissed off that Evander Holyfield was such a great fighter, saying he just wanted to beat him up and that he was in a very competitive mood and wanted so desperately to beat him for his own self-aggrandizement.

2. He caught his wife now ex Robbin Givens cheating with the famous Brad pitt

Once Tyson turned up to his wife’s house unannounced in the late 80s and found his wife sitting in a car with heart throb Brad Pitt. The boxer recalls that Pitt was terrified of Tyson and begged him not to get physically violent. Tyson has since stated that he was “mad as hell” at the sight of Givens his wife and Pitt together but eventually managed to get over it.

3. He bought random expensive things to gift people just for the fun of it. 

Before he went to jail, he was having much fun that in one of those fun nights he asked girls what cars they liked, most of them answered BMW, so he took them and bought each a brand new BMW just for fun. 

4. He had sex with Naomi Campbell in the bathroom of a club and no one had the courage to go and interfere him.

Back in the late 80s, Tyson had a relationship with British supermodel Naomi Campbell. They had a volatile but ‘passionate’ relationship, the true details of which were once revealed by Tyson’s former manager Rory Holloway. In fact, Holloway published a book entitled Taming the Beast: The Untold Story of Mike Tyson which claimed that Tyson and Campbell once had a tryst inside a bathroom and Holloway was forced to guard the door. Holloway wrote: “I was there to keep Mike out of trouble, doing my usual babysitting job, and when I looked over, he was talking to this girl. I had to rub my eyes. It was Naomi Campbell. Mike said he had to use the restroom and Naomi followed him and I was outside holding their drinks. Guests were walking up and had to tell the bathroom was occupied. 

5. He once forgot $1 million in a Louis Vuitton bag in a hotel. 

Most people misplaced $5 or a few coins in a pocket or a bag. But Mike Tyson doesn’t mess around with $5 bills. There are multiple stories with him losing money or misplacing it because he was holding cash around in bags he once forgot $1 million in a Louis Vuitton bag in a Las Vegas hotel room. Apparently a friend of his found the bag and returned it. 

6. He used to spend over $100,000 per month on jewelry and clothing. 

Since Mike grew up in a family that couldn’t provide for him, he felt the need to compensate later in life when he had the money. Mike Tyson had millions of dollars in his bank accounts and used to spend at least $100,000 per month only on jewelry and clothing. That accounts for a lot of shopping and very expensive items, including diamond watches, and of course designers

7. He had three Tigers as pets. 

Another crazy expense that no other celebrity other than Michael Jackson had was that Mike had Tigers as pets. Mike Tyson decided to buy three Tigers as pets, including a white bangle Tiger, he spent thousands of dollars on their care. One tiger cub costs around $70,000 plus $4,000. for food and care per month, Mike Tyson was spending money like a rock star. The boxer could regularly be seen playing and wrestling with the beasts, and some of the tigers even ended up sleeping in his bed. However, keeping tigers as a domestic pet obviously comes with its risks, and Tyson once revealed that one of his tigers went to give him “a kiss” but ended up head-butting him and shattering his teeth. It wasn’t long after this that Tyson’s finances began to take a hit. In 2002, he was forced to sell off his tigers. Tyson sold one of the big cats to Roy Cooper aka the tattoo artist who gave Tyson his unique facial markings. The others were allegedly seized by the USDA for being kept in poor conditions.

8. In 1990, He was the highest paid athlete in the world.

professional athletes don’t only compete for medals and titles. There are millions of dollars that come when you’re the best. The top athletes make millions of dollars each year from tournament’s sponsorship deals and advertisements. Back in 1990 Mike Tyson was the richest athlete in the world, even richer than Michael Jordan and any other sports person you could think of. That year he grasped over $28.6 million. However, nowadays, another boxer is in the top spot. His name is Floyd Mayweather. 

9. At its peak, his net worth was around $400 million. 

Mike Tyson was well known for his peekaboo technique and quick knockouts from the early 80s. Until the 90s, he managed to gather a fortune of over $400 million. he reigned as the undisputed heavyweight champion at the age of 20. boxing matches generate huge amounts of money and that’s how Tyson managed to make much of it. Unfortunately for him, poor money management and his over the top extreme lifestyle made him spend all of his money in just a couple of years. 

10. He declared bankruptcy in 2003. 

By now, you can probably imagine that Mike Tyson was heading toward bankruptcy with his spending habits. For a lot of people though, it’s unimaginable how someone can spend $300 million in such a short amount of time, but when you’re a celebrity, nothing is impossible. Mike Tyson filed for bankruptcy in 2003, admitting he had spent over $300 million and was in debt for about another 50 million more. This news shocked the entire world and forced him to do all sorts of shows and flights just to get out of debt. He’s currently retired and is worth around three million dollars. 

11. He has written a book titled ‘undisputed truth’. 

In this no-holds-barred autobiography, Tyson lays bare his demons and tells his story: from poverty to stardom to hell and back again. He pulls no punches and lays bare the story of his remarkable life and career together with his co-writer Larry Sloman.

12. He divorced his wife on Valentine’s Day and paid her $10 million. 

When celebrities divorce, it’s always with a scandal. Mike Tyson has had a very tumultuous love life. He’s married three times and had very nasty divorces. His divorce from Robin Givens was the ugliest. Their marriage lasted around a year before it all went downhill. She accused him of spousal abuse and he claimed she was only interested in his money. Luckily for her after the divorce that settled on Valentine’s Day, she got $10 million. His second divorce was settled for 9 million dollars. In total, he has six children and one adopted. His seventh child, a daughter named Exodus, sadly passed away at the age of four. 

13.  He hired Donald Trump as his advisor. 

Back in the 1990s Tyson and Donald Trump were money making machines. These two always had a business oriented friendship. Trump had Tyson fight in 1988 in order to promote his casino and paid him $11 million. He made over $26 million on that night, and that’s why Tyson hired him as a financial advisor. Tyson returned the favor in 2015 when he supported Trump in his presidential run. It apparently seems like your advisor can one day become your president. 

14. He refrained from sex for five years. 

When you’re striving to become a professional athlete, there are some strict rules You need to follow. It all begins with training, diet priorities and even relationships. trainers will not let you wander around dating and clubbing, especially when you’re competing. Mike Tyson had to refrain from sex for five years in order to become a ruthless boxer and stay focused. It’s a pretty common practice for most athletes because it’s believed that sex will sap men up their testosterone and energy, therefore hurting their performance. He believed that abstinence would lead to a stronger and more focused fight.

15. He had a 52-Room Mega Mansion in Connecticut. 

Because he never had a home as a child. Tyson spent a few millions on houses as well. He had a house in Ohio, one in Las Vegas worth $2.5 million. One in New Jersey he bought for $4 million and a 52 room mega mansion he bought for $2.8 million. And this mega mansion is also the reason he went bankrupt in the 2000s Since the house had nine kitchens, 21 bedrooms and a casino among other luxurious amenities to keep the house running, he was spending at least $70,000 per month. The house was later sold to rapper 50 cent who also went bankrupt. Maybe the house is haunted. 

16.  He was paid $30 million for the famous fight with Holyfield. 

There’s one specific boxing incident that shocked the entire world. It was the fight between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield from 1997 that ended due to Tyson’s extreme behavior. He bit Holyfield’s ear two times. The second time, it was so severe that a piece of his ear was found on the floor. Needless to say that Tyson lost the fight, but managed to get $30 million while his opponent got 3 million more. Aside from their prices, the fight made $100 million that night, and it goes down as one of the richest in history. 

17. He now has a YouTube channel. 

Although he’s now in his 50s Mike Tyson is not retired from the spotlight. He’s still doing entertainment fights, small movie roles and nowadays he’s a YouTuber. On his YouTube channel ‘Hotboxin’ he invites all sorts of people to talk about different subjects and also a few comedy like videos with his family. The channel has 1.19 Million subscribers (maybe more by the time you read this) meaning that Tyson’s name is still holding up the reputation. 

18. He’s invested in the cannabis industry. 

Since marijuana is now legal throughout Canada and many states in the US. People are beginning to invest in this newfound industry, since money is a little scarce these days for Mike Tyson, he’s now investing his money and some of it went to the cannabis industry. He bought a 40-acre farm in California and plans to get into the multimillion dollar business of marijuana. Tyson is no stranger to the drug. He’s reportedly been using it to chill out and manage his anger. 

19. He’s believed to have bought 111 cars. 

Still wondering how Tyson’s spent his fortune? luxury cars and lots of them. He owned Ferraris Bentleys, Rolls Royces, Lamborghinis, and many other expensive cars. But because he also sold a few, damaged others and gifted even more, it’s believed that he’s bought around $111 In total, he was definitely not afraid to talk about his wealth or show it. Tyson spent millions of dollars on the cars and viewed them as rewards for winning fights or titles. Even from prison. He was spending money and buying cars through dealers and advisors. 

20. He bought his ex-wife a $2 million golden bathtub. 

Mike Tyson is definitely the king of luxurious and extreme purchases. He wanted to enjoy his money and that’s exactly what he did. After his bankruptcy. A lot more crazy expenses came in the light, including a $2.2 million 24 karat bathtub. It was apparently a birthday present for his ex-wife.  He’s done it all and somehow managed to get through life prison scandals and millions of dollars completely alive. 

21. His pigeons only drink Fiji bottled water.

After the Tiger keeping period ended, Tyson tried other animals as pets. He’s now into birds, more specifically pigeons. He owns some really expensive pedigree pigeons that he treats like royalty Some of them cost $5,000 some less. The birds only drink Fiji bottled water because they deserve the best of course.

22. He Has an Honorary Doctorate. 

In 1989, Tyson was given an honorary doctorate from Central State University. Ironically, Tyson never graduated high school. According to Central State University’s president at the time, Arthur Thomas, “Mike demonstrates that hard work, determination, and perseverance can enable one to overcome any obstacles.”

23. He Once Had Gonorrhea. 

In fact, Tyson had gonorrhea during his championship fight against Trevor Berbick in 1986. According to Tyson, during the match, he was “burning like a Good Humor in July.”

24. He Once Beat Up Seven Prostitutes. 

When Tyson was high on morphine, cocaine and alcohol in 2009, he beat up seven prostitutes in one night. He now says that the incident helped to inspire him to get sober.

25. He Has a Simpsons Character. 

In 1991, a character debuted on The Simpsons named Drederick Tatum who was very clearly a parody of Mike Tyson. The character had a criminal record, a higher-than-normal voice with a lisp, and a mansion of exotic animals.

26. He was jailed for rape.

Tyson was also found guilty of rape in 1992 and sentenced to six years in prison, which was eventually reduced to three years and parole.

27. He once stated that he was ‘disappointed’ he had never killed anyone in the boxing ring.

Thankfully boxing regulations have helped to improve the safety of the sport in recent years, but at the end of the day, each competition involves two extremely strong men flying punches at one another for a set amount of time. Sometimes deaths have occurred in the ring – in 1947, Sugar Ray Robinson killed his opponent Jimmy Doyle, an act which would end up haunting Robinson for the rest of his life. Tyson doesn’t seem to have the same qualms and once stated in an interview that he was “disappointed” he had never managed to kill anyone in the ring. Tyson also admitted that he had been jealous of boxers who had managed to fatally knock out their opponents. 

28.  Tyson was severely bullied as a young child.

Believe it or not, Iron Mike suffered at the hands of bullies for a very long time. As a youngster he was quite chubby, wore glasses and developed a speech impediment. Things took a turn for the worse when his mother lost her job and the family was forced to move to a rough Brooklyn neighbourhood notorious for drugs and violence. Tyson has never forgotten how helpless he felt during his bullying phase. Once when he was in the first grade, an older boy tried to steal his lunch and Tyson attempted to defend himself and his food. In retaliation, the boy beat him up, stole his glasses and then shoved them in the gas tank of a nearby car. The boxer explained: “I still feel like a coward to this day because of that bullying. That’s a wild feeling, being that helpless. You never ever forget that feeling.” Tyson revealed that he got his revenge though: “That guy who took my glasses and threw them away, I beat him in the streets like a dog for humiliating me. He may have forgotten about it, but I never did.”

29.  He once tried to fight a silverback gorilla. 

Tyson managed to get a private tour of a New York zoo with his wife Givens, and quickly set his sights on a giant male gorilla. Tyson explained: “I paid a worker at New York’s zoo to reopen it just for me and Robin When we got to the gorilla cage there was one big silverback gorilla there just bullying all the other gorillas. They were so powerful, but their eyes were like an innocent infant. I offered the attendant $10,000 to open the cage and let me smash that silverback’s snot box! He declined.”  

30.   At the age of 13 years old, he had already been arrested 38 times

We’ve already seen that Tyson didn’t exactly get the best start in life. The boxer frequently engaged in fist fights with bullies and eventually built up a reputation as a notorious street fighter. In fact, by the time Tyson was 13 years old, he had already racked up 38 arrests. Tyson was eventually sent to a juvenile detention center in Albany, New York. Of course, the future boxer immediately got into a fight and was sent to another institution as further punishment. At this second facility, Tyson noticed some of the other kids earning credits for weekend boxing classes. Bobby Stewart was a former boxer and juvenile prison counsellor who promised Tyson that he would take him all the way if he “straightened up his act”. Eventually Stewart introduced Tyson to Cus D’Amato, who became Tyson’s long-time trainer, mentor and father figure.

31.  He used to use a fake penis with another person’s urine in it to fake drug tests before big fights.

Tyson has admitted to making some mistakes in the past, and he once confessed to taking drugs before big matches. The boxer was fined $200,000 for testing positive for marijuana while fighting against Lou Savarese in Glasgow in the year 2000. Tyson revealed that he had only been caught because he didn’t get time to put his “whizzer” on. The “whizzer” was a fake penis filled with the urine of one of his team members. Elaborate. The boxer has since confessed that he took a diverse array of drugs during the golden years of his career, yet somehow still managed to knockout his opponents despite regularly getting high.

32.   He slept with so many women in the 80s and 90s that he used a Wizard pocket computer to keep track of them all.

Holloway isn’t the only one of Tyson’s former staff members to reveal just how horny the boxer was in the 80s and 90s. One of Tyson’s ex bodyguards, Rudy Gonzalez, claimed that Tyson had slept with more than 1,300 women. What’s more, his former boss used to use a Wizard pocket computer to keep track of all of the women’s names and sexual preferences!

33.   His own trainer pulled a gun on him.

Cus D’Amato quickly became Tyson’s father figure when he was still starting out, and one of Cus’ regular employees was a man named Teddy Atlas. Atlas was a trainer and commentator who like Tyson had also been a street fighter in his youth. Atlas bears a distinctive scar running from his forehead down to his jaw, a result of street fighting which resulted in the trainer receiving over 400 stitches. Although Atlas and Tyson initially had a good relationship, things quickly turned sour. Atlas learned that Tyson had been getting a bit too touchy-feely with a young girl related to Atlas’ wife and grew extremely angry. Atlas promptly marched over to Tyson and pulled a 38 pistol on the teenager – he even fired at Tyson but missed on purpose to try and scare the boxer. The pair held a grudge for over 20 years before eventually shaking hands with one another in August 2013.

34.  His father abandoned not one, but two families with children.

Tyson had a troubled upbringing, and didn’t get the best start in his life due to a lack of any real father figure in his formative years. Tyson was born to Lorna Tyson and biological father Purcell Tyson. Purcell left the family when Tyson was a baby and the boxer came to consider a man named Jimmy Kirkpatrick as his real father. Kirkpatrick married Lorna in 1969 and things began to look up for the family. After all, Kirkpatrick was a hot shot baseball player. However, the fairytale wasn’t meant to be and eventually Kirkpatrick abandoned Lorna and her children. Apparently he had already done the same thing to a previous family before meeting Lorna.

35.  His probation officer caught him having a drug-fueled orgy.

We’ve already seen that Tyson got up to more than a few antics in his lifetime. And once the boxer was released from jail after serving three years for rape, he went straight back to his hard partying ways. In fact, Tyson appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2013 and confessed to the talk show host that his probation officer at the time had walked in on the boxer having a drug-fueled orgy. Not ideal when you’re trying to prove that you’re on the straight and narrow. Tyson explained that while the orgy wasn’t illegal, the drugs found on the premises were.

36.  He has a lot of regrets about his life.

Tyson seems to have seen the error of his ways in recent years, and since he left the world of boxing the former world heavyweight champion has expressed remorse about some of his past actions. In fact, in one magazine interview, Tyson stated: “My whole life has been a waste, I’ve been a failure. I just want to escape. I’m really embarrassed with myself and my life. I want to be a missionary.

37.  He quit boxing by simply walking out of his last ever fight during the seventh round

Tyson decided to make a statement when he finally left the world of boxing behind for good. His last ever professional fight was against Kevin McBride on 11th June 2005. Tyson was punching well and over six rounds he was ahead of McBride on points but then when the bell sounded for the start of the seventh round, Tyson failed to answer and was ruled as defeated.Tyson stated afterwards that he had simply grown tired of the profession. The boxer admitted that he had fought McBride for the money and didn’t even expect to win. also confessed that his heavy drug use had made him extremely unfit and this frustration led him to lose a lot of passion for the sport.

38.  He took singing lessons to prepare for his appearance in ‘The Hangover Part II’, a movie.

Tyson has had a long association with the Hangover movie franchise. In 2009, he was approached to appear in a cameo for the first Hangover film but was initially hesitant to do so. However, after getting to know director Todd Phillips he quickly changed his tune, Phillips was responsible for creating ‘Old School’ in 2003, which turned out to be one of Tyson’s favourite films.

39.  He now owns a company entitled ‘Iron Mike Productions’

Tyson is now trying to keep his finances afloat with his very own production company. “Iron Mike Productions” is a boxing promotion company which the former heavyweight champion set up in collaboration with Garry Jonas, CEO of Acquinity Interactive. The company has been going strong since August 2013. It looks as though Tyson is more than happy to help scout the next generation of talent in the world of boxing. His company has already put on several fights across the USA and Iron Mike Productions represents an extensive array of boxing.

40.   He adopted the Muslim name Malik Abdul Aziz after converting to Islam.

Tyson converted to Islam when he was still in prison during the 90s. After his conversion, the boxer adopted the Muslim name Malik Abdul Aziz. 

41.  Iron Mike also admitted that his relationship history may have influenced his children’s dating life.

As mentioned earlier, Tyson was convicted of rape back in 1992 and sentenced to six years in prison. Tyson also admitted to physically abusing his first wife, actress Robin Givens. “You know what bothers me, too, man? And I got to say this,” Tyson said “Why my kids don’t like black kids, they don’t date black kids. Why is that? Sometimes I look at my daughter, and I see she’s attracted to white guys, and I think, ‘I didn’t set a good example as a black man. They must have seen sometimes when I was vulnerable and said, ‘Hey, I don’t want to be with a man like that. He’s scary.”