“200 pounds and 12 years old” – Mike Tyson recalls beating up kids and their fathers in street fights

Mike Tyson tells Patrick Bet David how he fought guys older than him.

“200 pounds and 12 years old” – Mike Tyson recalls beating up kids and their fathers in street fights

Mike Tyson (image credit-IMAGO)

Mike Tyson is referred to as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers to emerge from the sport of boxing. Rightly so, Tyson became the youngest person to win the heavyweight title at the age of 20 in 1986. Subsequently, Tyson had an extremely ferocious, in-fighting style and destructive punching power, which knocked out opponents bigger than him.

Adding to his infamy, Tyson had a pet tiger who weighed 550 pounds and also served time in prison. Furthermore, Tyson even bit off Evander Holyfield‘s ear inside the boxing ring. Hence, people knew Tyson as the “Baddest man alive” because of the controversies in his life and his persona. In an interview with Patrick Bet David, Tyson stated, “I was a very impressive young man. I was this size as a 12-year-old. Everybody thought I was going to be tall because I was 200 pounds as a 12-year-old.”

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David stated how Tyson would beat up 20-year-olds when he was just 9 years old. Tyson stated that his size helped him do that, and sometimes he would fight the fathers of the kids he would beat up. Tyson grew up in the rough streets of the Bronx and became acquainted with violence at a very young age.

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Furthermore, when Tyson was 10 years old, he once witnessed a local bully killing his pigeons. Prior to that incident, Tyson had never been in a fight, but the bully made Tyson throw his first punch. Ironically, the incident led to the birth of one of the greatest heavyweights of all time.

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Mike Tyson’s amazing physique at 12 years old

At the age of 18, Mike Tyson began his professional boxing career. In less than two years, he achieved the title of the youngest heavyweight champion in the world in 1986. Tyson’s former trainer, Teddy Atlas, has spoken about the athlete Tyson was when he was just 12 years old.

Mike Tyson
Cus D’Amato and Mike Tyson (image credit- Boss Hunting)

When ‘Iron’ Mike first entered a boxing gym, he sparred against a professional boxer who was 27 years old. Subsequently, Tyson was able to do this because his physique was unlike anyone in his age group. Furthermore, Tyson grew up in a bad neighborhood where people often bullied him, so he had to learn to defend himself. At 13, Tyson had already been arrested 38 times and was often detained in a juvenile prison.

Ironically, Atlas came across Tyson during one of his arrests and noticed his potential as a fighter. Subsequently, this led Atlas to train him, and boxing became a positive outlet for the troubled young Tyson.

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