Watching Mike Tyson in the slow 1980s and early 1990s was less like watching a boxer and more like watching a superhero come to life.

There were Superman and Spider-Man cartoons on one channel. On the other hand – if his parents allowed it – there was Tyson, a heavyweight destruction machine who resembled the Incredible Hulk and fought like something created in a laboratory before entering the ring.

Tyson tore through the heavyweight division, destroying experienced fighters with terrifying ease. Trevor Berbick, Michael Spinks, Larry Holmes and Tony Tucker eventually became part of the same growing myth.

He was “Iron Mike” and yes, he was “The Baddest Man on the Planet.”

After years of living in this aura, Tyson finally started to believe it himself.

Mike Tyson undefeated

During Tyson’s destruction of Michael Spinks, even Teddy Atlas later compared Tyson’s level that night to Michael Jordan at his absolute peak.

“He was as good that night as any heavyweight in the history of the sport,” Atlas explained.

For a time, Tyson barely looked human to most boxing fans. However, this eventually became part of the problem.

The aura that Tyson created inside the ring spread far beyond it. The fame exploded, the pressure intensified, and the expectation of remaining undefeated became part of his daily existence.

Behind his undefeated image, Tyson later admitted that the reality was completely different.

“Fighting Buster was one of the best things that happened to me,” Tyson admitted years later.

“I was so stressed about being the champion. My hair was falling out and everything. I played like I was still a tough guy, but I was scared to death.”

The illusion has been changed

One night in Tokyo, everything finally collapsed, never to be fully put back together.

James “Buster” Douglas did much more than cause one of the biggest upsets in boxing history when he stopped Tyson in 1990.

He shattered the illusion surrounding the most feared warrior in the world. Eventually, Tyson began to see defeat as something strangely necessary.

“It was a release. It happened. It’s over. Now we have to deal with this adversity,” Tyson said.

“I was an even better fighter because I wasn’t afraid to lose. I did things I had never done before. I was undefeated.”

The fighter who terrified the heavyweights even before the opening bell lost control of the one thing Cus D’Amato always tried to protect – his humility.

“It made me a human being,” Tyson concluded. “I was not an animal or a savage.”

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.

Author: Sean Crose

Tell Jake Paul: he’s a determined man. About six months after having his jaw destroyed by none other than Anthony Joshua, the media influencer turned boxer has reportedly decided he wants to get back into the ring. Why the man wants to fight anymore is debatable. Paul is a talented, emerging promoter. It has done wonders for women’s boxing and just found success… albeit financially… with Ronda Rousey taking on Gina Carano on Netflix. I’ll say it again: he’s a man with options. However, the mind wants what the mind wants, which is why Paul seems willing and able to return to professional fighting.

All of this wouldn’t be so concerning if Paul’s business partner hadn’t recently mentioned that Paul might be interested in fighting MMA great Francis Ngannou or even former world champion Tyson Fury. While both Paul and Ngannou were drafted by Joshua, seeing them fall might not be a bad idea if they can find a way to make it happen. Paul would give up a weight advantage and Ngannou would lose an advantage in ring experience. I will repeat: this is a feasible fight. It may not be very attractive, but at least it is doable.

Fury is a different story. He is as elevated as Joshua and also very talented. Don’t be fooled by the fact that Ngannou took him the distance and almost beat him. Fury will be well prepared if the guy gets something out of this experience. The most vital thing that should be on everyone’s mind, however, is the fact that Paul was soundly beaten by Joshua’s fists. A man cannot endure too many situations like this, not like the ones Joshua inflicted on him. Fury and Ngannou’s shots also won’t undo the damage Paul received in the fight with Joshua.

Of course, declarations about Paul’s possible return to the ring may be just noise at this point. There’s still a long way to go, all the way to the jawbone of his heels. After something like that you can’t run straight into the ring. It’s vital for Paul to stay in the public eye, and he does this by letting the word get out that he can fight professionally in the ring again…. probably against two powerful fighters, no less. However, if Paul is grave about stepping into the ring against top-class opponents, he should think long and challenging before signing any contract.

All this, of course, leads to the issue of novel fights, which now absolutely must tire the audience (or maybe that’s not true?). Last week we saw no better fighter than Oleksandr Usyk, the king of the heavyweight division, who almost lost to a kickboxer himself, with exactly one boxing fight under his belt. If Usyk can almost walk away from a novelty fight, anyone can do it. Established fighters better put the novelty business aside or take their opponents very, very seriously. It doesn’t matter how seasoned and seasoned they are, because at the rate things are going, the mainstream mainstay is going to lose in one of these circus cases to the underdog.

However, no one can deny that Paul has done very well in the cutting edge fighting industry. This made him richer than he probably could have ever dreamed of. And believe it or not, he’s not half a bad fighter. He’s just not champion material. But boxing can be like a siren song, leading otherwise smart men and women towards a seemingly basic, high-profile payday. Paul already knew the price. You can pay for these things once. One wonders why exactly he would want to do it again.

Foster will face Ford this Saturday night in Houston, Texas, defending his WBC super featherweight title against the former featherweight champion in a fight that is increasingly being linked to Stevenson due to connections between their camps.

Discussing the fight, Foster explained why he thinks a fight with Ford could raise demand for a future fight with Shakur.

“If we’re being truthful, he’s got a little bit more in his toolbox than Shakur,” Foster told Fighthype. “He’s not a bigger or bigger fighter in terms of distance and all that, but in terms of certain tools that he throws into the ring offensively, he does some things a little better than Shakur.”

Foster believes Ford’s style will give fans a taste of what a fight with Stevenson could look like, especially considering how much attention is already being placed on the possibility of the two eventually meeting.

“Ray’s style is he’s trying to imitate Shakur,” Foster said. “When they see I can handle it, they’ll be eager to see what I do to Shakur.”

Foster also spent much of the interview criticizing the amount of support Ford received from Stevenson, Keyshawn Davis and other fighters connected to their circle ahead of Saturday’s fight.

“They can create any Avengers team they need,” Foster said. “When I do the same to him, it will make me look even better.”

The WBC champion suggested Stevenson and his team prepare Ford for this fight because they understand the danger he poses stylistically.

“I saw the interview with Shakur,” Foster said. “He said me and Keyshawn, if we spar, no one can beat us because we’re the best in the world. If I were Ray Ford, I’d be pissed. That tells me they’re giving the belt to the little guy over there.”

Foster made it clear that he expects a dominant performance on Saturday against Ford and believes Stevenson will have no choice but to continue fighting him later.

“He’s definitely going to have to answer after the fight,” Foster said.

Broadcasts of the main event of Foster vs. Ford live on DAZN from the Toyota Center in Houston.