# Mike Tyson is My Hero **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 7, 2002, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-tyson-is-my-hero/112848 "2002-06-07T15:32:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-tyson-is-my-hero/112848/21 "2002-06-08T07:15:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Max Torque \* > \*\*Holyfield is a dirty fighter who wins by cheating and leading with his head. \*\* I used to lead with my head when I was doing kick-boxing. When I did, I usually ended up unconscious. ---
**Author:** ![GopherGod72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f0a364/32.png) [@GopherGod72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GopherGod72)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-tyson-is-my-hero/112848/22 "2002-06-08T07:17:48Z")
Tyson was right about one thing… the majority of people want to see him get the shit kicked out of him. America will PARTAY when Tyson drinks his own blood on the way down to the 10 count. That is my prayer… and I hope he retires in the humiliation of defete. Even with all his money that will be the only thing that grinds him down, knowing he’s a loser. Even if nobody else sees it that way, he will. Deservidly so. ---
**Author:** ![GopherGod72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f0a364/32.png) [@GopherGod72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GopherGod72)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-tyson-is-my-hero/112848/23 "2002-06-08T07:26:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Milossarian \* > \*\*This I will say in defense of Tyson. > > A lot was made about that big melee when Tyson and Lewis appeared on stage together. Tyson came over to where Lewis was standing, and then everybody was kung-fu fighting. > > Well, Tyson was coming over to Lewis for a better photo op. You know the one; where the boxers stand chin-to-chin, fist upraised, looking menacingly at one another. One of Lewis’s security people freaked out when he saw Tyson coming, and started the whole thing. \*\* Oh dear fucking God! You either or not serious or you have NOT seen the video of it. Tyson pretty much CHARGED Lewis and Lewis stood still at the on-coming until Tyson had his arms cocked back while still charching and then Lewis at the VERY last second put up cocked fists in defense as a horde of people from both camps had already been try to push Tyson back. If you didn’t see the same thing you are fucking blind. ---
**Author:** ![heresiarch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@heresiarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heresiarch)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-tyson-is-my-hero/112848/24 "2002-06-08T07:51:48Z")
Tyson reminds me of my favorite character in Blazing Saddles. No, not the sheriff, the other guy. No, not the gunslinger. Whatshisname - **Mongo**! Yeah, everybody loves that big ole puppy dog **Mongo**. **Tyson’s** just like **Mongo** , but not loyal or generous or paper-trained. And evil instead of good. And actually, now that I think about it, he’s not like a puppy dog at all, more like a vicious pit bull with a taser shoved up his ass. Win or lose, I hope Mike makes enough money to afford a lifetime supply of Lithium. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-tyson-is-my-hero/112848/25 "2002-06-08T08:15:45Z")
When Cus D’Amato (Tyson’s original trainer) died, that was the end of the beginning for “Iron Mike.” When he fell in with Don King, that was the beginning of the end. Tyson at the start was a serious student of boxing history, and a smart kid. I’d compare his change after losing Cus to the change in Elvis after Elvis’s mother, Grace, died. A footnote: Tyson is not a boxer. Tyson is a prize fighter. To paraphrase what David Waters said recently, “Boxing is what they do at the Summer Olympics. This is prize fighting, a completely different sport.” I have no preference at all about the fight today, except that I’d prefer it didn’t snarl up traffic here in Memphis so badly. ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-tyson-is-my-hero/112848/26 "2002-06-08T10:19:54Z")
I think Lewis has conducted himself with tremendous dignity most of the time, and would make a much better figurehead for boxing that Tyson who is, indisputably, a rapist and a cheat. I know this is a pay-per-view fight, but I don’t know who’s watching it here in the UK (despite the fact that our man is going to win). Over the past 3 weeks I’ve tried very hard to find anyone who has access to the appropriate TV channel, and I was prepared to offer to pay or split the requisite fee for a tape of the fight. The question of the ppv fee didn’t arise, however, since I couldn’t find a single soul who even subscribed to the right channel, let alone anyone who was interested in watching it. ---
**Author:** ![MrO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@MrO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrO)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2002, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-tyson-is-my-hero/112848/27 "2002-06-09T04:50:06Z")
**lobley** , unlike you, I had no patriotic or regionalistic motivations for wanting Lewis to win. Never have understood those feelings. Tyson’s American, and so am I. So what? I wanted Lewis to win because he’s intelligent, articulate, and civilized. Boxing is a brutal sport, but it’s a sport–the only one that I can summon up any interest in at all. Luckily, it was broadcast on regular TV here in Korea. The only drawback was that the announcing was all in Korean, which I don’t understand perfectly, but at least I could see the fight. For all his big talk about crushing skulls, to me Tyson looked scared the whole time. Started each round with a little flurry of punches, then hid from Lewis’ hands the rest of the time. Lewis didn’t even look tired at the end. It was exactly the fight I wanted to see. Now if Tyson will just go the heck away, maybe the Sweet Science can regain some dignity. And yes, boxing can be dignified. There’s no denying that it’s barbaric and primitive, but that’s why I like it: it reduces physical competition to its most basic elements. The rules and equipment are minimal, no unnatural, artificial hoops and goals and rubber balls to play with. Just hit each other until one falls down. It seems more honest to me somehow. ---
**Author:** ![Milossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Milossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milossarian)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2002, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-tyson-is-my-hero/112848/28 "2002-06-09T16:48:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\*Oh dear fucking God! You either or not serious or you have NOT seen the video of it. Tyson pretty much CHARGED Lewis and Lewis stood still at the on-coming until Tyson had his arms cocked back while still charching and then Lewis at the VERY last second put up cocked fists in defense as a horde of people from both camps had already been try to push Tyson back. If you didn’t see the same thing you are fucking blind. \*\* Your jerkishness aside in your response, _who_ hasn’t seen the video? I’d suggest you watch it again. So what if Tyson “charged” Lewis? What were his intentions when he got there? No “arms are cocked” until one of Lewis’ posse steps between Tyson and Lewis, and menaces Tyson. As for the fight, I shelled out the $60, then the Red Wings completely messed up my program by going into 3 overtimes. We did manage to catch the end between OT periods. I wish this fight would have happened about 4 or 5 years ago, but props to Lewis. As they were saying on ESPN, he has pretty much cleaned out his division, and his era. There almost isn’t anybody left to beat. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2002, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-tyson-is-my-hero/112848/29 "2002-06-09T17:54:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MrO \* > And yes, boxing can be dignified. There’s no denying that it’s barbaric and primitive, but that’s why I like it: it reduces physical competition to its most basic elements. The rules and equipment are minimal, no unnatural, artificial hoops and goals and rubber balls to play with. Just hit each other until one falls down. It seems more honest to me somehow. Boxing has gloves, gum shields, a ring, a referee, three judges, a timekeeper, two trainers plus cornermen. Boxing has rules about the weight of the fighters, the weight and padding of the gloves, the permitted (artificial) area to strike, the permitted injuries before a boxer is allowed to continue, when a fighter must retire to his corner and who wins if nobody is knocked out. Boxing is corrupt (just think how many world title organisations there are), has fixed pairings (how often has the hype failed to match the reality) and is not much of a career path (I understand that Tyson, one of the most successful fighters ever, is millions in debt). Now martial arts combats, by contrast, are great. I went to the British Karate Championships once. The blows (which of course never landed, because that would be barbaric) were so fast you needed the replays on the ringside TVs to see them. The contestants were perfectly self-controlled, fit, healthy and courteous. Quite a contrast with a bad-tempered rapist with a taste for flesh… ---
**Author:** ![Ripple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@Ripple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ripple)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2002, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-tyson-is-my-hero/112848/30 "2002-06-09T19:23:40Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by FNRFR \* > \*\* I predict Lewis in 8, unless Tyson does something to merit disqualification._\* Nice job with the prediction. ---
**Author:** ![GopherGod72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f0a364/32.png) [@GopherGod72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GopherGod72)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2002, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-tyson-is-my-hero/112848/31 "2002-06-09T21:16:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Milossarian \* > > * * * > > Your jerkishness aside in your response \*\* You’re right about that. I’m sorry. Very uncalled for. ---
**Author:** ![MrO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@MrO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrO)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2002, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-tyson-is-my-hero/112848/32 "2002-06-10T00:11:48Z")
Yes, boxing has all that stuff, plus head protectors for most amateur fights. Pretty minimal. Yes, it’s pretty corrupt. Most everything is, seems to me. I’ve never seen a Karate Championship, though I’ve seen some Taekwondo and Aikido tournaments. I like most forms of one-on-one combat. The Taekwondo tournaments lose a little appeal because of all the armour the contestants wear, but I understand that it’s for their protection. Also, there are strict limits about where a strike can land. If a perfectly good kick lands in the wrong place, there’s no point. Like in boxing, you have to hit the designated target area. It’s a sport, not a bar fight. And yes, Tyson has a bad temper. Most boxers, and most practitioners of Asian martial arts, are fairly courteous. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2002, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-tyson-is-my-hero/112848/33 "2002-06-10T04:48:53Z")
“In the clearing stands a Boxer and a fighter by his trade and he carries the reminder of every glove that laid him down or cut him 'til he cried out, in his anger and his shame, “I am leaving, I am leaving,” but the fighter still remains” -Paul Simon sorry, for some reason, the above verse just started running through my head while reading this. BTW, people said his trainer was the one who took care of him-what kind of homelife did Tyson have? ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2002, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-tyson-is-my-hero/112848/34 "2002-06-10T05:20:33Z")
I wouldn’t watch Boxing if you paid me, but I’m glad Tyson got his ass handed to him. He’s a slime. ---
**Author:** ![Banger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@Banger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banger)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2002, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-tyson-is-my-hero/112848/35 "2002-06-10T17:46:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ripple \* > \*\* > > Nice job with the prediction. \*\* Do I win a prize? I saw the fight at a friend’s house, and was surprisingly one of only a few who picked Lewis to win. No one was impressed with my prediction, as they were all too angry at how poorly Tyson fought to appreciate my prescience ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2002, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-tyson-is-my-hero/112848/36 "2002-06-10T18:06:39Z")
I just wanted to say, anyone else remember when Lennox Lewis was Canadian? An olympic gold-medal winner for the Canadian boxing team, to be more specific. Just curious. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2002, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-tyson-is-my-hero/112848/37 "2002-06-10T19:36:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by FNRFR \* > \*\* > > Do I win a prize? > > No one was impressed with my prediction, as they were all too angry at how poorly Tyson fought to appreciate my prescience ☹ \*\* Even a blind dog finds a bone once in a while. 😉 Seriously, nice prediction. featherlou: Yes, I remember. The thing I hate about Lennox is the accent switching. Most of the time he’s English, but once in a while he slides in some Jamaican accented slang. “Would you like some tea and crumpets, Jolly Mon?” And then he boxed for the Canadian Olympic team? It’s enough to give you a headache. For chrissakes Lewis, your ethnic schizophrenia is unbearable. Pick an ethnicity, and a dialectic and stick with it. Stop switching. And what’s up with his calling himself a “pugilist specialist?” Exactly what subdivision of pugilism has he specialized in? I can’t believe this fop won. I have to sit there at midnight watching Mike Tyson staring at the ceiling with blood coming from his nose and both eyes with a confused look on his face. Lennox beat him up so bad he turned polite. I mean for chrissakes Mike Tyson is a monster. He has that huge upper body, and those stubby arms, like he’s a T-rex, and there’s not the slightest bit of humanity peering out of those psycopathic eyes. He’s this horrible evil monster with a little girl’s voice. He’s perfect. It’s just not right that he didn’t win. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2002, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-tyson-is-my-hero/112848/38 "2002-06-10T20:05:12Z")
Lewis grew up near Toronto, but was born in England. ---
**Author:** ![heresiarch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@heresiarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heresiarch)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2002, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-tyson-is-my-hero/112848/39 "2002-06-10T22:29:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scylla \* > \*\*Lennox beat him up so bad he turned polite. \*\* Lennox beat the fornicate out of him. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-tyson-is-my-hero/112848.md?page=1)