Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson is a former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2005, with a record as the youngest boxer to win a heavyweight title at 20 years old. Tyson is often referred to as "Iron Mike" and "Kid Dynamite." Notably, he was the first heavyweight boxer to hold the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles simultaneously. His professional debut was made at the age of 18 against Hector Mercedes, which he won via first-round TKO. Tyson's boxing prowess, characterized by his strength, hand speed, accuracy, coordination, and timing, as well as his peek-a-boo style, trained by mentor Cus D'Amato, won him the first 19 professional fights by knockout, 12 of them in the first round. In 2011, Tyson was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame, and a year later, he was also inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time, Tyson's career in the ring extends beyond just professional fights. Among his many accolades, Tyson also reigned as the undisputed world heavyweight champion from 1987 to 1990, and he successfully defended his title against James Smith on March 7, 1987. In 2024, Tyson came out of retirement for a boxing match against influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a Netflix live event. Paul ultimately defeated Tyson in an eight-round unanimous decision, but the event drew in 108 million viewers and was a major success.

Beyond boxing, Tyson's ability to captivate an audience extends to the entertainment industry. His career spans blockbuster movies, including The Hangover and its sequel, and television shows such as Animal Planet's "Taking on Tyson." He has also voice acted in the animated series "Mike Tyson Mysteries" and made a cameo in the movie "Liger." Tyson has shown his entrepreneurial side by launching his own clothing company and serving as the CEO of his own production company, Tyrannic Productions. In 2012, he collaborated with film director Spike Lee to bring his one-man Las Vegas show, "Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth," to Broadway, which he later took on a three-month national tour in 2013. The show also aired on HBO.

Tyson dedicates his time to giving back to the community, launching his own charity, The Mike Tyson Cares Foundation, on December 7th, 2012. The Foundation's mission is to "give kids a fighting chance" by providing innovative centers that offer services to meet the comprehensive needs of kids from broken homes. Tyson is based in Las Vegas, the city that he helped electrify on numerous fight nights over the past two decades.