“Made the most iconic tattoo in sports history” – Boxing legend Mike Tyson recounts how his iconic face mark nearly had other DIRE shapes

Mike Tyson details how his infamous curving face tattoo was setting up to be something solely different than what we know of today.

“Made the most iconic tattoo in sports history” – Boxing legend Mike Tyson recounts how his iconic face mark nearly had other DIRE shapes

Mike Tyson's iconic tribal face tattoo was supposed to be a lot less intimading (Source: IMAGO/Instagram)

Know of boxing’s consensus favorite heavyweight and youngest champ Mike Tyson? Sure you do. Do you know that he is facing a 9-1 (6KOs) YouTuber boxer next? You just might. Did you know he has 44 career knockouts till now? Or that he once bit a peer’s ear off during a bout? That is a famed affair. What about his iconic face tattoo? Of all the above, that stands out as his selling point.

Tyson faces Jake Paul on July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys. In a historic first, Netflix will be airing it in place of DAZN Exclusive streamings. ‘Iron Mike’ and his return to boxing holds so much gravitas, that even an impetuous ‘Problem Child’ imitates his iconic face mark in the theatrical promo. Mike Tyson and his tattoo are recognizable by all.

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Here’s what Tyson said to sportscaster Jim Grey on the preceding ‘HotBoxin’ podcast:

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My first idea was a Maui signature. It was a bunch of hearts and stuff ane he said "I am not going to do that." So he, [the tattoo artist] said you're a warrior, you need a warrior signature on your face. And I said, okay we will do that. So he caked me a couple of days later. He brought up this tribal mark. So I said let’s do it and we did it.
Mike Tyson on the inaugural ‘HotBoxin’ podcast to Jim Grey

Visual artist Victor Whitmill inked the tribal art in 2003 to embody his “warrior spirit”. The 2008 “Tyson” documentary and Undisputed Truth biography put forward as much; it wasn’t later until 2013 that fight fans chanced upon that the original tattoo was supposed to be heart-shaped. From infamous scuffles with gang leaders; to his dormant rivalry with Evander Holyfield– there are many famous pointers.

But an iconic tattoo having a whole different shape takes the cake. Just imagine a prime boxer with raw power, arrested multiple times, but sporting cute hearts on his face! A prime sentiment on X (@JiujitsuOtter) reacted “I’d buy him a beer for having the heart not to do it and [it] made the most iconic tattoo in sports history instead.”

What tattoos does boxing legend Mike Tyson sport? A comprehensive history of his inks

‘Iron Mike‘ won his first 19 pro-boxing outings in way of knockdowns (12 in the 1st) thus becoming the heavyweight G.O.A.T in pro boxing spheres. Tyson was consequently also the youngest champ to hold the tenure as one. He thus remained the undisputed champ for 3 more years, summing up a neat record of 50-6-1.

What tattoos has Mike Tyson accumulated over the years?
What tattoos has Mike Tyson accumulated over the years? (Source: Pinterest/miketyson.com/Twitter)

From immense raw power to a contentious history with his coach. He has a lot of history. However, his tattoo is his USP, which a fan would recognize even from afar. The question arises, what other tattoos does he have?

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Tyson has an original tattoo of Mao Zedong on his right arm, the founder of the Chinese People’s Republic. The great leader was credited with ending civil unrest, which Tyson read about in prison. In 2006 Tyson visited the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, with the Chicago Tribune in tow, to pay respects.

Surprised by divine intervention, he sports a portrait of tennis player Arthur Asher on his left deltoid. “Days of Grace” is written above the image, based on Asher’s biography. His third wife Lakiha “Kiki” Spicer was once gifted a tennis racket by Asher.

He has yet another portrait of Che Guevara on his left abdomen. It is a copy of the famous Guerrillero Heroico photograph. Tyson got it in prison as well, as he was deeply mistrusting of his state and current government back then. Additionally, Kid Dynamite has a portrait of Monica Turner on the left forearm and a Dragon tattoo on his right forearm.

Lastly, there’s his infamous face tattoo; which remains the most iconic and memorable tattoo in the history of sports.

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