American Decades
Tyson, Mike 1966-
HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION BOXER
Iron Mike.
In 1986 twenty-year-old Mike Tyson became the youngest heavyweight world champion in history. In doing so he fulfilled the prophecy of legendary boxing trainer Gus D'Amato and captivated the public imagination in a way no prize-fighter had since Muhammad Ali in the 1960s and 1970s. Although a skilled defensive boxer, Tyson was primarily known for his powerful punching ability, his gladiator like demeanor, and his well-deserved aura of invincibility. Unbeaten as a professional in the 1980s, Tyson completely dominated his weight division: all but four of his thirty-six fights ended in knockouts. "For many," wrote novelist Joyce Carol Oates in the mid 1980s, "Mike Tyson has become the latest in a lineage of athletic heroes—a bearer of inchoate, indescribable, emotion—a savior, of sorts, covered in sweat and ready for war." In the beginning of the 1990s, however, Tyson's heroic status...
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1980's Sports
