Former Professional Boxer and an Inductee of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, Mike Tyson said he can’t afford to see his children become professional boxers. He said taking to professional boxing remained a last resort when one had nothing to do but told his children “you went to a private school! You can’t be a boxer, you’ve taken trips to Europe, you’ve been around the world”.
The World Boxing Legend was quoted in the media to have said “I had my oldest son who was 16 telling me he wanted to become a professional boxer. But stop there – you went to a private school! You can’t be a boxer, you’ve taken trips to Europe, you’ve been around the world. You can’t be a fighter with that. You want to fight guys like me? Animals? I don’t want my kids to go through that, it’s degrading. Boxing, you do it when you have nothing.
“It’s a lot of sacrifices, pain, suffering. I took the blows so that my children wouldn’t have to do it. When I look at them, I see middle-class children, who went to school, who do what they want. Boxing means wanting to be the best, to dominate everyone. I don’t want to put that kind of pressure on them.”
Mike Tyson, also known as “Iron Mike,” is a former professional boxer who had a successful career from 1985 to 2005.
Some of his accomplishments include:
– Winning his first 19 professional fights by knockout
– Holding the record for being the youngest boxer to win a heavyweight title at 20 years old
– Becoming the first boxer to hold the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles simultaneously
– Being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame
Mike Tyson also had a controversial career and was known for his intimidating boxing style and his controversial behavior both inside and outside the ring.