By Oguine Daniel
Arguably one of the greatest boxers in history, Mike Tyson, or “Iron Mike” as he is popularly known, is a living legend. Tyson has an outstanding record, winning his first 28 professional fights consecutively—26 of them by knockout, and 16 by knocking out his opponents in the first round. Say what you will about Tyson, but you can’t deny that he, in the words of Muhammad Ali, “shook up the world.”
Many documentaries and writings have covered Tyson’s remarkable career, leaving little unsaid. In this part of the article, we will briefly explore some significant events and influential people who shaped Iron Mike’s journey to greatness.
The first and most important figure to examine is Tyson’s trainer and foster parent: Constantine “Cus” D’Amato. Cus D’Amato, an American boxing manager and trainer, was much more than his title suggests. He was a master of the art of boxing, and like all true masters, his skill and knowledge transcended the ordinary.
Cus once stated that, to find the perfect boxer, he had to separate himself from the noise around him, stay alone in the dark, and bring the fighter out. Odd as it may sound, these were the words of the man who molded Iron Mike Tyson.
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D’Amato made this declaration after having already managed and trained boxing legends like Floyd Patterson and José Torres. Both fighters achieved great success, going far enough in their careers to be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, but not quite as far as Cus had envisioned.
Cus desired the ultimate fighter, and as fate would have it, he soon met the young Mike Tyson through Bobby Stewart, a juvenile detention counselor and former boxer. Stewart met Tyson at the Tryon School for Boys Juvenile Detention Center. At the time, Tyson was a troubled, “good-for-nothing” kid seemingly heading nowhere fast.
Before turning 13, Tyson had already been arrested about 37 times. When Stewart met him, Tyson was serving time in juvenile detention for petty theft. Stewart recognized Tyson’s potential and, after teaching him all he could, introduced him to the master himself—Cus D’Amato.
D’Amato’s unique training methods had a profound influence on Tyson. Cus trained not only the bodies of his fighters but their minds as well. Tyson recalled that Cus encouraged him to read as much as possible, understanding that mental sharpness is half the battle in the ring. For Cus, a fighter’s mind was honed through reading, and the ability to think clearly under pressure was crucial to victory.
Cus D’Amato wasn’t alone in shaping Tyson’s skills. Teddy Atlas and Kevin Rooney, both young trainers under Cus’ tutelage, were instrumental in developing Tyson’s fighting abilities.
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One of the remarkable tools Cus used to prepare his fighters was his mastery of words, which conveyed his deep understanding of combat. He once told Tyson, “A hero feels the same fear as a coward. The difference between a hero and a coward is that when danger arises, the coward flees because of fear, while the hero feels the same fear but his training and discipline cause him to act in a way that makes people see him as a hero.”
Tyson achieved incredible feats, thanks in part to Cus’ guidance and the “peekaboo” style of boxing that Cus championed. This style, in which the boxer holds his gloves close to his cheeks and keeps his arms tight to his torso, was criticized by some for supposedly limiting a fighter’s ability to attack. But under Cus’ tutelage, Tyson proved the style’s effectiveness, going on to accomplish the unbelievable achievements for which he is renowned.