The renaissance of Iron Mike Tyson

John Wight
5 min readSep 12, 2022

“This is not a tough man’s world; it’s a thinking man’s world.” So tweeted Mike Tyson recently with words to live by from a man who knows.

The third act of Mike Tyson’s life has been fascinating to witness. From harrowing times that have included a very ugly divorce from Robin Givens, excessive cocaine use, the frittering away of his fortune, being convicted and imprisoned for rape, and plus and perhaps most notably the accidental death of his 4-year-old daughter Exodus in 2009, Tyson has re-emerged to attain the status of entrepreneur with his cannabis farm and brand in California, boxing guru with his Instagram videos of him teaching the sweet science, podcaster, broadcaster and public speaker. He’s even taken part in an exhibition bout with fellow ring legend Roy Jones Jr.

So, yes, the former heavyweight champion’s life has been a study in redemption and reinvention. However not everybody is impressed. In a recent Guardian piece on Tyson, Frank Warren, who once promoted Mike Tyson in the UK — and who was once physically assaulted by him — left no doubt when it comes to what he thinks about the man: ‘“He is a compelling character, and he’s one of those fellas who gets you to feel that he’s misunderstood but, when you get into it, he is what he is, which is a thug and a bully and a misogynist.”

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John Wight
John Wight

Written by John Wight

Writing on politics, culture, sport and whatever else. Please consider taking out a subscription at https://medium.com/@johnwight1/membership

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