There was a time when Mike Tyson was the baddest man on the planet.
At his peak, the heavyweight slugger left his foes in fear, delivering brutal knockouts and legendary one-liners under the bright lights.
It’s easy to forget how heartbreaking the sight of young Iron Mike was, especially considering the lavish, boisterous persona he’s sported in his years outside of the ring.
Make no mistake, though: Tyson wasn’t always a pigeon-loving, movie-star corporate entity. In his prime, he was Kid Dynamite, an explosive puncher who sent heads into orbit on first contact.
Tyson returns to his old stomping grounds to take on social media phenom Jake Paul in July. It’s another rebirth for Tyson, who fell on hard times when his career petered out, but has returned with a vengeance since his retirement.
The former lineal heavyweight champion is much older than you remember, but what is his exact age? The Jugo Mobile details the numerous rises and falls of one of the Iron Mike Tyson, one of boxing’s greatest showmen.
How old is Mike Tyson?
Tyson is 57 yearswith his date of birth listed as June 30, 1966. That makes him 30 years older than Paul.
Tyson first rose to prominence as Cus D’Amato’s protégé, drawing inspiration from former D’Amato students such as Floyd Patterson and José Torres. He enjoyed an impressive amateur career, capturing gold at the 1981 and 1982 Youth Olympic Games and the 1984 Golden Gloves. In 1985, he made his professional debut, setting the stage for a 20-year professional career.
Mike Tyson’s career timeline
March 6, 1985: Tyson begins his professional career with a bang, defeating Héctor Mercedes by technical knockout in the first round. Finishing in the first round would become a distinctive part of his style for years to come.
November 1985: D’Amato, who became Tyson’s legal guardian after his mother’s death, died at the age of 77. His death proved to be a pivotal moment in Tyson’s life, as his guidance helped him become one of the most talked-about prospects in boxing history. Some believe that it was D’Amato’s death that spurred some of Tyson’s erratic behavior in the years that followed.
July 1986: After racking up 27 consecutive victories to begin his career, 25 of which came by knockout or technical knockout, Tyson received his first major test: a showdown against former world title challenger Marvis Frazier. Tyson knocked him unconscious 30 seconds after the opening bell.
#In this day – In 1986, Mike Tyson defeated Marvis Frazier by KO in round 1 of 10. Mike destroys Marvin in just 30 to achieve the fastest knockout of his career. pic.twitter.com/2WQ7EEbkSa
-b0xingfan (@b0xingfan) July 26, 2022
November 22, 1986: At just 20 years old, Tyson received his first title shot, fighting current WBC heavyweight champion Trevor Berbick for gold. Tyson destroyed his most experienced foe and ultimately scored a second-round knockout. With his victory, he became the youngest world heavyweight champion in history.
Mike Tyson stopped Trevor Berbick in the second round to become the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history. pic.twitter.com/jJ9nXVW2RL
– ParryTheJab (@ParryTheJab) September 26, 2022
March 6, 1987: Tyson defeated James Smith by unanimous decision to unify the WBA and WBC belts.
June 1987: Tyson begins dating actress Robin Givens.
August 1, 1987: Another unanimous decision victory, this time against former IBF champion Tony Tucker, makes Tyson the undisputed world heavyweight champion.
October 1987: “Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out,” a game shaped by Tyson’s awesome power, was released in North America. Produced by Nintendo, “Punch-Out” was a huge success and sold over a million copies. As a result, Tyson became even more the center of attention.
Mike Tyson’s Punch Out is the best boxing video game of all time. pic.twitter.com/88GdjYl5FQ
— Hologram H (@HmJileswrites) June 11, 2021
February 7, 1988: Tyson and Givens get married.
June 27, 1988: Tyson had already claimed three different heavyweight belts. However, he had not yet been declared the lineal heavyweight champion.
He solved that problem by stopping former lineal champion Michael Spinks 91 seconds into the first round.
Mike Tyson vs. Michael Spinks pic.twitter.com/diPf3nz44l
— Combat Connoisseur (@ConOfCombat) April 12, 2020
October 1988: Tyson and Givens porce, with Givens citing spousal abuse, violence, and “fears for her safety” as reasons for being granted a temporary restraining order against Tyson. Their porce was finalized on Valentine’s Day 1989.
February 11, 1990: Tyson suffers perhaps the most shocking defeat in boxing history, falling to journeyman James “Buster” Douglas by knockout in the tenth round. It was the first time he had been knocked down in his career.
32 years ago today, Buster Douglas surprised the world when he defeated Mike Tyson as the loser 42 to 1 ? pic.twitter.com/LhzcojDgwg
-ESPN (@espn) February 11, 2022
1991: Tyson set himself up for a contest for Evander Holyfield after beating top contender Donovan “Razor” Ruddock in back-to-back fights. He feuded with Holyfield, who took the championship title from Douglas in his first title defense, scheduled for November 1991. However, Tyson was forced to retire after suffering an injury.
1992: Tyson is sent to prison after being convicted of raping 18-year-old Desiree Washington in an Indianapolis hotel room. He was sentenced to six years in prison. He would serve three.
nineteen ninety five: Tyson leaves prison and resumes his boxing career.
nineteen ninety six: Tyson regained two of his championship belts after defeating British star Frank Bruno and American Bruce Seldon by third- and first-round knockouts, respectively.
November 9, 1996: Tyson fights Holyfield for the WBA title. Despite entering the fight as a heavy underdog, Holyfield, who had recently dropped out of his career after losing to Michael Moorer, stopped Tyson by TKO in the 11th round to take Tyson’s belt.
#In this day – In 1996, Evander Holyfield defeated Mike Tyson by technical knockout in round 11 of 12 to win the WBA heavyweight title. pic.twitter.com/P1rNEbVOUV
-b0xingfan (@b0xingfan) November 9, 2022
June 28, 1997: In what was the most infamous moment of his boxing career, Tyson and Holyfield dueled for the second time under the lush Las Vegas sky.
In the fight, Tyson bit both of Holyfield’s ears, biting hard enough to tear a piece of skin off his right ear. Holyfield retained his championship belt by disqualification, becoming the first heavyweight title fight to end by disqualification in half a century.
Mike Tyson biting Evander Holyfield’s ear during their boxing match on June 27, 1997.
It was a highly publicized and controversial event in sports history.pic.twitter.com/MEwpULykZr
– Historic Center (@HistoricHub) March 7, 2024
As a result of his actions, Tyson was banned from boxing in the United States for a year.
June 8, 2002: After years of incite, Tyson finally fought British superstar Lennox Lewis in what would be his last chance at a championship belt. One of the best boxers of his era, Lewis technically dominated Tyson throughout the fight before landing a devastating right hand in the eighth round to leave Tyson on the canvas.
#In this day – In 2002, Lennox Lewis defeated Mike Tyson by KO in the eighth round of 12 to retain the WBC, IBF, Ring and Lineal heavyweight titles. pic.twitter.com/seO0pgFcug
-b0xingfan (@b0xingfan) June 8, 2022
2007: Tyson retired after losing three of his last four fights, finishing his career with a record of 50-6-2 (44 KOs).
2009: Tyson returned to the public scene playing a fictional version of himself in “The Hangover.” He garnered praise for his appearance in the comedy franchise.
May 26, 2009: Tyson’s daughter, Exodus, dies after becoming entangled in a cable hanging from a treadmill. She was 4 years old.
2013: Tyson starred in a one-man show about his life and career, titled “Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth.” He would go on to perform on Broadway in New York City, among 36 other cities across the country.
November 28, 2020: Tyson fought boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition bout between two old men. The fight ended in a split draw. Tyson was widely believed to have won the fight, although neither he nor Jones suffered any injuries as a result of their participation, a welcome sight for those interested in seeing the 50-somethings face off in the ring.
Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. Scorecard#TysonJones pic.twitter.com/k2ft4Mb6z9
– Sports news (@sportingnews) November 29, 2020
2023: An anonymous woman has filed a $5 million lawsuit against Tyson, alleging that he raped her in his limousine during the 1990s.
March 7, 2024: Tyson and Jake Paul announce they will meet in an exhibition boxing match in July. The card will be streamed on Netflix.
Jake Paul will fight Mike Tyson on July 20 pic.twitter.com/ec0ypvineN
– Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) March 7, 2024
mike tyson net worth
Tyson okay $10 million, by Celebrity Net Worth, much of which comes from the marijuana empire he has cultivated in recent years. Iron Mike earned at least $430 million throughout his boxing career. However, he lost much of it due to bad investments and bad spending habits.
