Punching Through Life: Mike Tyson’s Words Of Wisdom
"Sometimes I get in my head and think I’m somebody, and then I’m easily offended. But when I know I’m nobody, I could never be offended.”
Mike Tyson has led a hugely eventful and interesting life. He has done it all: sports, prison, movies, bankruptcy, and business. He has managed to reinvent himself into a bit of a sage in the past few years.
While Mike Tyson is easily recognized around the world for his exceptional talent in the ring and the controversies that plagued his personal life, only a minority are aware of the depth of his wisdom.
He is well-spoken and articulate, even though he struggled academically as a kid and suffered from a speech impediment. So far, it has been hugely satisfying to watch his well-earned redemption arc. His wisdom is palpable, and I write to share some of his most profound words.
“Life is beautiful but you have to accept the good and the bad as being beautiful…Just enjoy what we have while we journey through it.” -Mike Tyson
Life started out very rough for Mike Tyson.
The legendary heavyweight boxer faced numerous challenges during his early childhood that would shape the rest of his life.
Born in 1966 in New York, Tyson’s upbringing was filled with incredible adversity. He was raised in Brownsville, a neighborhood notorious for its high crime rates. His circumstances weren’t helped by his father, who abandoned the family. His mother, Lorna Smith Tyson, had to raise him and his siblings on her own. He grew up in a poverty-stricken environment and often got into trouble with the police.
The lack of financial stability meant Tyson’s family often faced difficulties obtaining basic necessities. He was arrested several times for petty crimes by the time he was 13 years old, according to Tyson’s 2013 memoir, “Undisputed Truth.”
“Why can’t it be peaceful all the time?..then it wouldn’t be life”
It didn’t take too long for things to get worse for Tyson. When he was 16, he lost his mother, Lorna Smith Tyson, in 1982, three years before he became a professional boxer. In 1990, he lost his sister and, years later, his baby daughter. You could say that Tyson had it worse than most, and if any man has seen the “bad of life,” it is Mike Tyson.
Accepting that life comes with its ups and downs will do a huge favor for your mental health.
“It’s not about the size of the guy (opponent), it’s about the spirit and competitiveness in our heart ” — Mike Tyson
“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth” — Mike Tyson
In addition to economic challenges, Tyson also had to contend with a violent environment. Violence and crime were common occurrences. Tyson himself got involved in street fights at a young age as a means of survival, but he had one thing going for him: his ability to fight.
Tyson said in an interview:
“I was 200 pounds at 12 years old. “I must’ve had like three or four fights a day. I was fighting the kid, then I was fighting their fathers.”
These early encounters with violence would later shape his aggressiveness in the ring. His first fight was with a bigger youth who had pulled the head off one of his pigeons.
If you have read anything about Mike Tyson, you’ll know he loves his pigeons and tigers. However, during one of his early stints in jail, his potential was discovered by a juvenile detention center counselor. Eventually, he was introduced to legendary boxing manager and trainer Cus D’Amato. Under D’Amato’s mentorship, Tyson’s life began to change as he channeled his aggression into boxing. He was lucky to come across people who genuinely cared for him, and he learned to channel his energy into a skill that improved his life.
“Discipline is doing what you hate to do but doing it like you love” — Mike Tyson
Training is hard, and most people hate it, but success requires that you pay the price of discipline. The price of discipline might be a daily exercise routine, long hours spent learning a skill, improved eating habits, or reevaluating relationships.
Mike Tyson would do 2,000 air squats, 2,500 sit-ups, 500 push-ups, 500 bench dips, 500 neck curls, and 500 barbell shrugs. And weeks before a fight, he would train 50–60 hours a week, working six days a week. He would spar hundreds of rounds.
All the hard work paid off, and Tyson turned pro at the age of 18. He won his first 19 fights by knockout. He learned to love his brutal training sessions and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the youngest heavyweight champion in history.
“God punishes you by giving you everything you want just to see if you can handle it” — Mike Tyson
Tyson’s career peaked in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
In 1986, Tyson achieved a historic feat by defeating Trevor Berbick, earning him the title of the youngest heavyweight champion in history. Tyson was riding high and was seemingly invincible. He would continue his dominance in boxing through the rest of the decade, and his fights garnered unprecedented viewership, making them iconic events in the annals of sports history.
However, Tyson’s personal life was far from stable during this period. He found himself embroiled in a series of high-profile relationships, including his marriage to Robin Givens. Unfortunately, a feature of those relationships were allegations of infidelity and abuse. In 1992, he was arrested, convicted of rape, and sentenced to six years in prison. Tyson has unwaveringly maintained his innocence. Nevertheless, the conviction had a lasting impact on his reputation and cast a dark cloud over his career. He was stripped of his boxing titles and banned from the sport for several years.
“If you don’t trust people, maybe you are not trustworthy” — Mike Tyson
Tyson and Don King (his promoter) had a troubled relationship. In 1998, Tyson took legal action against King, filing a lawsuit for $100 million. His lawsuit alleged that King had defrauded him out of millions of dollars throughout their partnership.
Despite earning hundreds of millions of dollars during his career, Tyson faced a series of financial troubles. His lavish lifestyle choices, debt to the IRS, legal troubles, and mismanagement of his finances all contributed to his filing for bankruptcy. He has since made efforts to rebuild his financial life through various entrepreneurial and entertainment pursuits.
“When life is taken seriously it’s not life anymore” — Mike Tyson
The challenges of Mike Tyson’s early childhood were daunting. However, with the guidance of the right mentors and unwavering discipline, he rose above these obstacles and became one of the most iconic figures in the world of boxing. His humility, thoughtfulness, and charisma have come together to make him a wise older man with plenty of advice for all of us.
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