Was Mike Tyson well known before he became World Champion

Yes, but I lived in baltimore, MD. He was extremely popular out on the east coast when I was a kid.

 

To answer the threadstarter: Yes, Tyson was huge. He had the type of story - kid from the 'wrong side of the tracks' saved by an old legend (Cus) trying to find glory one last time - that Americans (Black and White) eat up.

The ONLY question back then was whether Tyson would break Floyd Patterson's youngest ever HW champion mark.

Tiger Woods (maybe LeBron) is the only other athlete other than Tyson in the last 30 years I can think of who most folk thought his greatness was just a matter of 'when', not 'if'.

 

Good answer!

The Good Ol' Days.....Boxing does not have a "phenom" now or on the horizon to excite the masses.

(It makes me feel old to have someone too young to remember ask a question like this one)