Mike Tyson is one among the many combat sports personas who didn’t have a ruly childhood. Apart from hardly gaining any support from his parents, little Tyson was often bullied at school as well. But, ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ recently appeared on the ‘Naomi Osaka x Hana Kuma’ YouTube podcast where he revealed that boxing saved him “big-time” from becoming a “criminal”.
Tyson had already started walking on the path of a criminal by twelve years of age. He was arrested multiple times for robbing people on the street and committing acts of burglaries. It’s quite apparent that he would’ve continued on the same path if he hadn’t met Bobby Stewart in the ‘Tryon’ juvenile detention center, who showcased the basics of boxing to him.
It was the podcast host-tennis player, Nick Kyrgios, who threw a question about what Tyson would’ve become if he wasn’t a boxer. Well, imagining the entire scenario will make most fans side with Tyson’s opinion. ‘Iron Mike’ replied,
“Stone-cold criminal. If you become a criminal and then you become me, you’re left with too much pride to steal [or commit any acts of crime]”
Well, the sport of boxing not only saved Tyson from becoming a criminal, it also gave the world one of the greatest combat athletes ever. And that is not a hyperbole.
It has been almost two decades since Tyson declared an end to his pro-boxing career. However, the 57-year-old is now coming back, and with the intention to put a stop to Jake Paul.
Why Mike Tyson’s agreed to fight a 30-year younger rival
Several combat sports personas including the noted, Kamaru Usman expressed their disgust towards Tyson’s upcoming encounter against the YouTuber-boxer, Jake Paul. There may be several reasons behind the fans being gutted by this fight.
But 27-year-old Paul choosing to fight 57-year-old Tyson could have dire health consequences for the former world champion and that is something everyone and their mother seem to be repulsed by.
However, Tyson’s frame of mind behind accepting this fight is also quite understandable. It’s hard for anyone to stay away from the thing they love most. Tyson might want to relive the glorious days of his boxing career by agreeing to get inside the ring once more on 20 July. But, it might be the experience he was once used to.
