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Mike
Tyson knocks out own controversial career
SPORTS
COLUMN
N’neka
Hite
Mike
Tyson the youngest heavyweight champion
in the history of boxing has retired
from what he claims to be a case of “not
having the stomach for this anymore.”
Tyson, 39, hyped audiences one last time with a six-round bout, in what is
now said to be his last fight. On Saturday at Washington D.C.’s MCI Center,
Tyson threw in the towel.
The contender Kevin McBride, a C-class boxer, put the guy we once knew as “Iron” Mike
to rest.
It was clear that Tyson was exhausted after he was knocked down in the sixth
round. He remained on his stool and gave up before the seventh round could
begin.
Tyson announced his retirement the day after his loss against McBride.
“I’m just not good anymore,” he told reporters. “I don’t
have it in me anymore.”
Tyson, who is most remembered for knocking out his opponents with one punch,
seemed to have lost his touch. With 50 wins, 44 KO’s, and now six losses,
it was clear that his career was slowly coming to an end.
After 19 years of contending in the sport, Tyson kept us all thrilled both
in and out of the ring. I remember my Nintendo game “Mike Tyson’s
Punch Out” and the challenge of even making it past the other fighters
only to get punched out by a computerized Mike.
Tyson’s career was not without its share of dispair. In public opinion
polls, most of the country grew tired of his antics. In a recent AOL online
poll only 12 percent of Americans claim to be a fan, or even have interest
in the fighter. But how could you not be interested? Tyson was a boxer who
could not only fight, but also entertain you by living a less than perfect
life.
In 1992 he was convicted of rape and served three years in prison. In a heavyweight
match against Holyfield in 1997, Tyson bit off a piece of his opponent’s
ear. As if his life hadn’t taken enough of a downward spiral, he was
jailed again in 1999 for assault, and at a 2002 pre-fight press conference
he bit his opponent Lennox Lewis in the leg.
Even after two bitter divorces and loosing his father figure and former trainer
Constantine “Cus” D’Amato, Tyson still remained one of the
most sought after contenders collecting the largest payoffs in the history
of boxing. He broke Pay Per View records at $125 million for his 1997 rematch
against Evander Holyfield.
Tyson never quite recovered from his stint in prison. Throughout his career
he has earned a reported $400 million, yet he is more than $20 million in debt.
According to interviews, Tyson even claimed to have once been sleeping in homeless
shelters and crashing with friends.
In 2003, Tyson filed for bankruptcy and sold his Connecticut mansion for $4.1
million to rapper 50 Cent. He now resides in Phoenix, Ariz. with his wife.
Tyson says he’s looking forward to something new, maybe even missionary
work. |
