Russell Barrington

Previously classified as learning disabled, Tyson managed to raise his reading abilities to the seventh-grade level in a matter of months. He also became determined to learn everything he could about boxing, often slipping out of bed after curfew to practice punches in the dark. After debuting a one-man show in Las Vegas, Tyson collaborated with film director Spike Lee and brought the show to Broadway in August 2012. In February 2013, Tyson took his one-man show Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth on a 36-city, three-month national tour. Tyson talks about his personal and professional life on stage. The one-man show was aired on HBO on November 16, 2013. As an amateur, Tyson won gold medals at the 1981 and 1982 Junior Olympic Games, defeating Joe Cortez in 1981 and beating Kelton Brown in 1982. Brown's corner threw in the towel in the first round. In 1984 Tyson won the gold medal at the Nation Golden Gloves held in New York, beating Jonathan Littles. He fought Henry Tillman twice as an amateur, losing both bouts by decision. Tillman went on to win heavyweight gold at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. A lot of famous people are known by just ONE THING: a winning shot in a championship game, saying the wrong word or phrase in a public speech or even a cameo in a Hollywood movie. You’re about to hear Tony interview someone who has had multiple defining moments that people remember him by. The film Tyson was released in 1995 and was directed by Uli Edel. It explores the life of mike tyson life rights sold Tyson, from the death of his guardian and trainer Cus D'Amato to his rape conviction. Tyson is played by Michael Jai White. Although his drug arrest was a one-off, Tyson has since discussed his alcohol and drug abuse and ongoing recovery. "I’m on the verge of dying because I’m a vicious alcoholic," he said at a 2013 press conference, also admitting that he had been lying about his sobriety to family and friends. Tyson also admitted to abusing cocaine in his 2013 autobiography Undisputed Truth. Struggling financially, the Tyson family moved to Brownsville, a Brooklyn neighborhood known for its high crime. Small and shy, Tyson was often the target of bullying. To combat this, he began developing his own style of street fighting, which ultimately transitioned into criminal activity. His gang, known as the Jolly Stompers, assigned him to clean out cash registers while older members held victims at gunpoint. He was only 11 years old at the time. "Cus would repeat over and over to Mike from the beginning, ‘Do you know you're going to be heavyweight champion of the world someday?’" said Nadia Hujtyn, a boxing coach and assistant to D’Amato. "If you say it enough times, you believe it. And if you believe it, then you'll have no doubt." Under lead defense lawyer Vincent J. Fuller's direct examination, Tyson claimed that everything had taken place with Washington's full consent and he claimed not to have forced himself upon her. When he was cross-examined by lead prosecutor Gregory Garrison, Tyson denied claims that he had misled Washington and insisted that she wanted to have sex with him. "In a misguided attempt to show that Washington must have known that Tyson wanted sex, the defense called witness after witness to testify about their client’s lewd remarks and crude behavior during his encounters with the Miss Black America contestants, and even with Washington herself." Former attorney Mark Shaw argued that Tyson's "case was mishandled, citing a jury-selection process that allowed a conservative ex-Marine to become foreman, a defense "strategy" of making Tyson look as bad as possible, and a disastrous decision to allow the defendant to testify at the grand jury hearing, the trial, and his sentencing." Beyond boxing, Tyson’s story has resonated with people from all walks of life. His journey from a troubled youth to a sports icon serves as a testament to the power of perseverance and the possibility of redemption. Tyson’s willingness to share his struggles and personal growth has inspired many to overcome their own challenges and strive for greatness. In fact, Tyson credits his bullying for his own ferocity in and out of the boxing ring. "I am just afraid of being treated that way again, of being physically victimized on the streets again," he said in Tyson: The Movie. "I was just afraid, so afraid." Within a few years, it was gone, and he declared bankruptcy, mainly due to his many addictions and reckless spending. He had hit rock-bottom, sifting his way through a mountain of debt, when, seemingly out of nowhere, he started an acting career and the comeback began. "My first time in an action film so I'm taking his lead, starting to learn his moves and always listen to him," Tyson explained. "He instructs me what to do, I listen and take orders if he tells me to do it. This is what I do." In 1988 Jimmy Jacobs died, leaving Tyson without the co-manager who had been with him from the beginning of his career. Into the vacuum in Tyson’s life created by the deaths of D’Amato and Jacobs came Don King, boxing’s most notorious promoter, and Tyson’s new wife, actress Robin Givens, whom he had married after a two-week courtship.