“It haunts me,” Mike Tyson once unmasked deepest insecurity revealing how he battles post-performance freak-outs on TV
On his pathway to heavyweight glory, Young Mike Tyson once divulges his performances to be his biggest insecurity.
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Mike Tyson in a career that spanned 58 fights, Tyson won 50 of them, 44 of them being highlight knockouts. His induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame took place in 2011. The “Iron” has been a revered name in the trade since his early days. But the earliest performances were not without their hiccups.
The boxer is famed for his feats of anger and temper tantrums, over the years. Mike Tyson’s life has also seen the mark of substance abuse and personal struggles. But the one constant thing is his love for the sport. But things were not always the same for a younger Tyson. Speaking at an interview about post-performance freak-outs, he once said:
Well...they don't know me. They don't know what goes in my head. They don't know my insecurities are totally different than any other man's insecurity. I believe, I really believe...but I could be wrong, cause I am usually wrong. Like what are you insecurities?...My insecurities is my performance. More than now, my lifestyle or how I am living, or what I bring in as far as my income. My insecurity is performing well in the ring. I totally will lose my mind after a bad performance. I totally freak out; it haunts me...People say a win is a win; but I fight for perfection.
Tyson holds tenure for youngest heavyweight title winner. and the first heavyweight to hold the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles. And the only heavyweight to unify them consecutively. The following year, Tyson became lineal champion with a 91-second knockout of Michael Spinks. However, In 1990, underdog Buster Douglas provided him with a prominent skid. The interview marks a time when “Iron Mike” was still on a pathway to be the heavyweight champion.
Tyson’s later life was not without controversy. The boxer served three years in prison after being convicted of sexual assault in the 1990s, and served a shorter sentence for assault in 1999. He also caused quite a stir in the ring – in perhaps his most famous fight, Tyson bit opponent Evander Holyfield‘s ear hard enough to separate a piece of it.
Mike Tyson opens new boxing gym in Riyadh
The new Mike Tyson Gym in Riyadh was unveiled as part of the announcement of the Riyadh Season 2023 and opened at the start of the Riyadh Season in late October. This unique gymnasium aims to support and train youth and adults interested in boxing. Award-winning trainer Joe Gallagher will oversee the Mike Tyson Gym.
Tyson also trained Cameroonian-French Ex-UFC heavyweight and debutant boxer Francis Ngannou. The fighter faced off with undefeated heavyweight champion Tyson Fury for “The Baddest Man on the Planet” matchup, as part of the Riyadh Season 2023 opening ceremony. Tyson, and his coach Teddy Atlas, were in Ngannou’s corner.
Turki Al Alshikh has partnered with award-winning boxing trainer Gallagher for day-to-day training. While on the other hand, Tyson himself serves as management and coach. The top-notch state-of-the-art center has memorabilia and relics from many boxing legends, including that of Tyson.
In case you missed it:
- “He tried to kill me,” Mike Tyson regrets on landing a punch that unleashed Evander Holyfield’s ferocious fury
- “Can’t run that long with him,” Iron Mike Tyson backs Tyson Fury to beat Oleksandr Usyk despite Francis Ngannou’s knockdown
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Ajinkya Aswale
(1115 Articles Published)