Mike Tyson’s incredible life in and out of ring captured in candid photos from racing pigeons to becoming boxing legend
MIKE TYSON’S amazing life both in and out of the ring have been captured in a series of incredible candid photos.
British photographer Michael Brennan covered so many of Mike Tyson’s iconic and infamous moments.
From Iron Mike’s early days living with trainer Cus D’Amato to his rape conviction, Brennan has seen it all.
And now he’s revealed all about his “unstable” years.
Born in 1966, Tyson would grow up in Brooklyn without a father – with his mum passing away when he was just 16.
Tyson went to live with legendary boxing trainer Cus D’Amato – and quickly showed a talent for the sport.
He became the youngest-ever world heavyweight champion in 1986 – but lost his crown in a shock defeat to James Buster Douglas in 1990.
Tyson would also lose twice to Evander Holyfield – including his controversial ear-bite of 1997.
Despite a series of defeats, Tyson is widely regarded as a contender for the Greatest of all Time mantle.
Out of the ring, though, his life has been plagued by contrvoersy.
In 1992, he was jailed for three years for the rape of beauty pageant contestant, Desiree Washington.
Tyson – nicknamed “The Baddest Man on the Planet” – was jailed again in 1999 for assaulting two older men.
A year later, Tyson bit Lennox Lewis in a press conference – before losing to the Brit star.
In 2003, he filed for bankruptcy having blown a £330million fortune.
Tyson has been married three times and has seven children, and in 2009 opened a cannabis ranch in California before embarking on a career in movies, most-notably the Hangover franchise.
All in all, Tyson won 50 of his 58 fights – 44 via KO – and even embarked on a brief career in WWE.
Now, aged 54, Tyson is looking as fit, strong and quick as ever as he set his sights on a comeback to boxing.
And one man knows Tyson’s struggles – and celebrationgs – better than British photographer Brennan.
He has now opened up about the legendary fighter – looking back at his life in and out of the ring.
On Tyson, Brennan revealed: “I first went to see Mike on November 28th; 1985, Thanksgiving Day in the US.
“He was living in legendary trainer Cus D’Amato’s house in Catskill, New York.
“Mike had been adopted by Cus & his partner, who Mike called his mother, Camille Ewald.
“After a strenuous workout in the morning, Mike and Camille invited me to sit down for Thanksgiving lunch along with two or three other adoptees.
“There was plenty banter and chat over a delicious lunch.
“After the meal Mike started washing the dishes and I volunteered to dry them.
“I felt that I would have been abusing their hospitality if I started taking pictures.”
Brennan continued by saying he could sense the “madness” was about to be revealed.
‘MADNESS’
He said: “The madness that consumed his later life was just around the corner.
“The silence of his surroundings were almost deafening.
“Fast forward to the year 2000 – in Phoenix, Arizona – Mike was preparing to fight Lou Savarese in Glasgow.
“Surrounded by a retinue of ‘advisors’ I turned up un-announced.
“His demeanour was unpredictable. He insisted we walk around a nearby car park.
“He kept whispering gibberish in my ear and he was clearly unstable.
‘There had been rumours that his unpredictable behaviour necessitated medication.
“He begrudgingly agreed to pose in a Glasgow Rangers football shirt.”
Brennan recalled how the early 2000s were a dark period for Tyson, with Iron Mike “out of control”, but added how he’s “reinvented” himself in the present day.
The photographer continued: “During that early period of 2000 through to 2006, he really spun out of control.
“His present day personality is a long way from either of those two Mike Tysons.
“[It’s like] a tribute to his reinventing himself after those years of madness.”
