"I had to get beaten a couple of times" - Mike Tyson posts curious tweet on being "the champ"
Mike Tyson has posted a curious tweet, stating that he had to lose in order to become a champion.
'Iron Mike' became the youngest heavyweight champion on the planet in 1986 by defeating Trevor Berbick via knockout to claim WBC gold. Over the next few years, he went on to unify all the collective heavyweight straps and the lineal title as well with a stoppage victory over Michael Spinks.
Tyson did all of this before eventually losing the first fight of his career in 1990 against Buster Douglas. Prior to the loss in Tokyo, he was a perfect 37-0. However, based off a recent tweet from the 55-year-old, he had to be beaten a couple of times to become champion.
The former heavyweight champion sometimes reflects upon his career on Twitter and did so again recently.
See Mike Tyson's tweet about becoming a champion below:
In order to become the champ, I had to get beaten a couple of times.
Mike Tyson reflects upon his career on social media
Since his retirement, Mike Tyson has become much more open about his career and his ultimate downfall in boxing. 'Iron Mike' regularly discusses his career on social media.
The former heavyweight champion was one of the most recognizable figures of his era, but it came with a price. Much of his fame is derived from his rise and subsequent downfall. Tyson publicly suffered from drug addiction and financial issues in the final half of his career.
'Iron Mike' has discussed these issues at length, most notably on his podcast. However, he will also send out posts about his boxing career on social media, most of which are very self-reflective.
In December, Tyson sent out a tweet that discussed his money issues later in his career. According to the former champion, he never boxed for money and only made $500 for his debut fight. However, once he did start fighting for the paycheck, he became lost in his life.
See Mike Tyson's tweet about boxing for money below:
For my first fight, I only made $500 and that's only because someone took it out their pocket and gave it me. I never fought for the money. But when I did start fighting for the money, I got lost.
Nowadays, Tyson is seemingly content with his life and his career. He clawed himself out of bankruptcy to become the beloved elder statesman of the boxing scene. 'Iron Mike's' rise from the ashes has been something to behold.