When it comes to Mike Tyson – the man, most people think they have some idea about his life. Many know that he came from an impoverished family, and quite early on, started living a life of petty crime.
And that then he became one of the best and most revered and feared heavyweight boxing champions in history. Iron Mike was the heavyweight champion of the world and a huge star in the ‘90s. Unfortunately, his dark side was never that far away, and in 1992 he was found guilty of rape and sentenced to six years in prison (eventually reduced to three years and parole).
But, just as everyone else. He is a complex individual with many sides to him. Here are our choice of some fun facts about Mike Tyson’s life, career, hobbies, and aspirations:
As a kid, Mike was chubby, wore glasses, and developed a speech impediment. When his mother lost her job, they moved to a rough neighborhood of Brooklyn, which was notorious for violence.
When he was in the first grade, an older boy tried to steal his lunch, and Tyson attempted to defend himself. In retaliation, the boy beat him up, stole his glasses, and then shoved them in the gas tank of a nearby car.
Tyson has never forgotten how helpless this made him feel: “I still feel like a coward to this day because of that bullying. That’s a wild feeling, being that helpless. You never forget that feeling.”
Listen to me talk about my amazing pigeons on part 2 of my interview with @BigBoy ⟶https://t.co/DUxIpQMcDR Follow @BiteTheMicShow for more! #BiteTheMic #MikeTyson #MikeTysonPodcast pic.twitter.com/CbWnSrD5NC
— Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) January 25, 2018
LOVE FOR PIGEONS
When Mike was 10 years old, he got $100 as his share of a take from a robbery and used it to buy his own flock of pigeons! He set up boxes for them on the rooftop of his apartment block.
Some kids from the neighborhood found out about this and decided to steal Mike’s pigeons. Tyson confronted them, and a boy named Gary Flowers ripped off ahead from one of his beloved pigeons and threw it directly at Mike.
Gary Flowers was Tyson’s first knockout. After this incident, he stopped being a victim of bullying and became a street fighter. We can even say that his event sparked Tyson’s entire boxing career.
A PASSION FOR GAMBLING
We will never know the exact figure of how much he has lost in gambling, but the fact is that Mike Tyson has lost a good chunk of his money in crazy bets and, of course, on women. Most of his gambling escapades were being sponsored by his huge career pay of a whopping 300 million US dollars. In this area, he has a special passion for Roulette. He has also recently been seen streaming online live Roulette with his fans.
As in most things, he is also motivated by the thrill and passion of winning the game. And fans worldwide understand his passion very well – a good example are his fans in New Zealand, where a vast number of players register to a trustworthy online casino in New Zealand daily to throw a spin or two.
OWNER OF A CANNABIS RANCH
Today, Mike Tyson operates a huge cannabis business. It is believed that he earns more than half a million dollars per-month through his Tyson Ranch business. He offers premium marijuana strains, edibles, extracts, CBD products, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
In addition to that, he is building a 418-acre weed-themed holiday resort he hopes will be home to a big music festival, as well as the world’s longest lazy river.
He also aspired to start a Tyson University on-site to teach cannabis cultivation tips to wannabe farmers. Tyson Ranch won the 2018 “Best New Brand” at the Cannabis Cup Social.
HONORARY DOCTORATE
Speaking of Universities… Believe it or not, Mike Tyson, a high-school dropout, holds an honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters.
In 1989 Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, developed a special academic program for Tyson. The President of the University, Dr. Arthur E. Thomas, explained that this was an attempt to inspire young people who looked up to Mike Tyson to prioritize their lives.
“I feel when they see Mike reading and taking a real interest in furthering his education. Then they will do the same thing because they admire and respect him. He’s a knowledgeable young man.” Dr. Thomas stated at the time.
IRON MIKE PRODUCTIONS
In addition to the Tyson Ranch, Tyson owns another business called Iron Mike Productions. This is a boxing promotion company that the former heavyweight champion set up in 2013 with Garry Jonas, CEO of Acquinity Interactive.
Tyson is more than happy to help scout the next generation of talent in the world of boxing. His company has already put on several fights across the USA, and Iron Mike Productions represents an extensive array of boxing stars – including the undefeated Sammy Vasquez, Jr.
