Former heavyweight boxing champion and savage knockout artist Mike Tyson is the subject of countless crazy stories. Here he saved the hide of rapper Fat Joe and his homie Big Pun back in the day…
Back in the 1980’s and early 1990’s, there was a fearsome force wreaking havoc in the boxing world. No, not the villain Don King, rather one of the many boxers he ripped off, Mike Tyson.
‘Iron Mike’ won the WBC heavyweight championship against Trevor Berbick in 1986. At the age of 20 years and 4 months, ‘Kid Dynamite’ became the youngest heavyweight champion in history.
Until 1990, Tyson remained undefeated. All but four of his 37 victories came by way of T/KO. As a result of his terrifying ring presence and less than savory personality, Tyson was a force to be reckoned with outside the ring too.
It’s no secret that heavyweight boxing beast Mike Tyson lived a wild lifestyle while he was the champion. Hitting the clubs, spending carelessly and indulging in women, drugs, and alcohol.
Tyson’s Night With Fat Joe
Tyson’s nights out had involved plenty of violence during his younger years. After beating Mitch Green by unanimous decision in 1986, ‘Iron Mike’ found himself confronted by his former opponent in Harlem.
Tyson went berserk, smashing Green’s eye socket and leaving him a bloody unconscious mess on the ground. Another story featuring Tyson at his scary best was told by rapper Fat Joe, who claims Tyson chased a gang of bouncers around a New York night club:
‘Me and Big Pun, rest in peace, we were two deep in the tunnel club meaning there was only two of us, and these bouncers are looking at us. people get shot and robbed often, I don’t even know why we were there. Big Pun was like the most famous rapper on earth at this point, triple platinum.
They asked him to take off his boots, and then they start screaming like ‘f*** your mother!” Next thing you know this guy says something about Pun’s mother. Then there’s like four, five, six bouncers wanting to knock us out.
They want some trouble, these are seven foot tall, huge guys, I’m like ‘Sh*t, we about to get knocked out. Then out of nowhere comes Mike Tyson, it was a blessing. 2:30 in the morning, fresh out of jail wearing a suit. Mike started chasing these bouncers around the car like 20 times.’
‘I have tons of Mike Tyson stories.’
Mike Tyson in The Present Tense
Unlike many former champs before him, Tyson has managed to pull himself out of the tailspin he veered into. Having become a self-confessed alcoholic after losing the title to Buster Douglas and going to jail, ‘Iron Mike’ has cleaned himself up in his middle age.
Currently running a one-man Broadway show, starring in movies and writing books, Tyson shows he is more than just a one-trick boxing champ.
