I’d blame don king, kind of. Tyson appeared to gravitate towards father figures and was very impressionable. King was about the worst influence Tyson could have had, but I guess you can’t expect boxing promoters to be decent people. I think how Tyson is now tells the story really, he kind of made it so his life isn’t a total disaster, he’s seen as a pretty decent person these days. I echo some other thoughts here as well, the idea that Tyson would have ruled for e decade if he life went smoothly is a bit of a fantasy I think. That’s coming from a fan.
Tyson was street trash before being 'saved'. It's no surprise he reverted to his true nature. He was actually saved again by do-gooders with those speaking tours and other media garbage made using his 'brand', all of which Tyson had no capacity to create by himself.
I think he could have reigned as champion maybe another 4-5 years. That’s if Douglas didn’t simply have Mike’s number so to speak. But when Mercer/ Bowe/ Lewis never mind Holyfield come along and Mike’s fighting style not been known for longevity I think he gets taken by at least either Holyfield/Bowe or Lewis. Not too sure about Mercer.
Yes and after spending about three years in prison he went right back to the people who were around him at the time his life was going out of control. This after he said he found Islam. What happened to that? Biting Lewis on the leg? Telling reporters live to **** Off. Where were his advisers then? At least he had them. SOME advisers.
Floyd Patterson had enough of Cus in the end. Different reasons. He had Floyd avoid all major contenders until Floyd was embarrassed into fighting Liston therefore leaving. With Mike apparently he even told Mike what to wear. As Mike got older he’d hade tired of Cus’s advice and moved on. Anyway Cus would of been about 90 years old. What influence over Mike would he have had at this time. Double edged sword. Mike old enough to leave Cus but not to take responsibility for his actions.
So thats down to Mike. Father figure my ass. Dollar signs is what it was. Even by this time Don had a bad reputation. Street talk gangster. Mike fell for it? Don’t think so. It was always in him. Don was the sort of guy Mike would look up to. Cus was only a diversion. He found Mike, a rough diamond, polished it and tried to control it. Eventually Mike gets controlled by Don Cus or no Cus. And that goes for for Clayton and Jacobs as well.
No replies? In other sports we get athletes who are spoiled so bad they think they are above all rules and regulations. Then they get so cocky they think they are above the law. Mike was well looked after but was a loose cannon. Holyfield butted him bad so bad he chews off his ear. Lou Saverese Mike just being Mike. Hitting him after fight won. Mike potentially could have been one of the greatest champions of all time. I still think he beats some all time greats but Mike was his own downfall.
Do-gooders? Don't be naive. They know Mike's star power and are making money off it. Not that there's anything wrong with that. They are setting stuff up for him. It's business, not charity.
Business? When did Mike think of business. You’re absolutely right about star power and making money. BUT Mike was still a spoiled brat.
