Mike Tyson had a legendary career as a heavyweight boxer, that saw him become a two time world champion, and it all started in dramatic circumstances at just 13-years-old.
Tyson became the youngest ever heavyweight champion at just 20 years, four months, and 22 days old and he was just a young teenager when it all began for him.
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The kid, who would come to be known as 'Iron Mike,' was discovered in a juvenile detention and sent to train with Cus D'Amato, who was assisted by Teddy Atlas and Kevin Rooney.
The trio trained Tyson for a few months before they decided he was ready to get into the ring for the first time and Atlas recently explained what happened.
"I take him down the Bronx smokers when the time came for him to finally be ready to fight," the former trainer told 'The Fight' podcast.
"When I finally thought he was ready to fight I’ve gotta pick the opponent.
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"By this time he was probably up to 195lbs/200lbs, he was 13 years old I think. How am I gonna find a heavyweight [his age who will fight him]?"
The trainer, now commentator, explained that he was asked to put his fighter's age down but they wouldn't believe that he was 13, and it was quite regular for fighters to lie in order to get a younger opponent.
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Instead the 65-year-old old lied and claimed the future world champion was older, writing down that he was 18-years-old and getting a 17-year-old opponent.
"So I put him in this ‘exhibition’, it was called an exhibition, bigger gloves, bigger headgear.
"We agreed, ‘Okay, we’re gonna box and we’re not trying to kill each other.’
"But I knew I had to look out for Mike. I knew this other guy was older, I knew this other guy would not keep his word.
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"So I just said, ‘Mike, be alert, see what he does.’
"The other guy’s looking to knock him out. So, within a minute, Mike made him miss and it’s over. He knocks this 17-year-old kid out…
"Bang, bang, bang, hitting him with combinations, three-punch combinations.
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"All of a sudden he pins him on the ropes. He hurts the guy, the guy goes against the ropes.
"Then he comes in, bang, he hits him with a left hook. The guy’s head goes like this [twists backwards], his body goes like this [limp] and he falls outside the ring.
"...But there was a problem right away, because now his trainer jumped in the ring to go after Mike. I went immediately after him.
“I was his father, big brother, whatever you wanna call it. Even though Cus D’Amato is the patriarch of the whole thing, I was the guy there with him.
“I jump in the ring and go right after the trainer and we’ve got each other by the throat.
"He’s going right after Mike so I go right after him and I intercede, we got each other and I tell him, ‘I’ll freaking break your jaw.’"
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Heavyweight Boxing, Boxing, Mike Tyson