Why I Like Mike

Even on this, his birthday week I should first say that there are certainly plenty of reasons NOT to like Mike Tyson as a person. He is a convicted felon; he is well-known for biting a guy's ear off in the ring; he said he wanted to eat another man's children; and plenty more. It is not uncommon for people who accomplished the greatest things to be flawed- sometimes even deeply flawed- human beings. And Mike really was one of the greatest boxers ever. Maybe he could have been THE greatest had things worked out differently. Alas, they did not, and he has left an infamous legacy of both ups and downs. But none of that takes away from what he accomplished in the boxing ring during the mid-to-late 1980s. As anyone who trains in boxing or is just a fan of boxing knows, Mike Tyson gave us a lot of things not just to like during that time, but a lot of things to learn from that can be a real benefit to your own training. Here are my Top 5:

1)  He Moves Differently

I remember the first time I saw John Elway throw the football at Stanford University in 1982. It wasn't that he was good that struck me, it was the way he threw the ball. It was different. Like nothing I had ever seen. There were quarterbacks with big arms back then but not the way the ball just exploded off of his hands. It looked like a cannon. I not only became a fan of John Elway's but also started to become a real fan of movement, as silly as that might sound. Every human being has a unique style of movement but some are extra special. The first time I saw Mike Tyson box, the same thing happened. Nobody boxed that way. Certainly not at the time and not ever since. Occasionally people will say that someone was like a Mike Tyson of their time, like George Foreman for instance, but only in so much as that they were aggressive and powerful and everybody feared them. But nobody moved like him (certainly not George Foreman, who was quite the opposite). Not even close.

So, what was so different and why do I care? To some degree, it cannot be completely explained. Just watch a highlight package of his and anybody else's and you will see what I mean! If I were to just try and describe it, I would say that it was lightning quick, explosive, extremely tight in the sense that there was nothing floppy, slow, heavy or even just superfluous. All very efficient, direct, and above all, sudden. His transition from a passive mode to an attack state was instantaneous and awesome on a level that almost transcended boxing and sports in general. He reminded me of a real, live superhero. Or perhaps a deadly animal predator that we all have innate, built-in fear of. But don't worry, this list isn't all me waxing philosophical - read on!

2)  He Was Just So Technically Sound

Based on public persona and cultural impact, it is easy to think that Iron Mike was just this vicious, savage brawler and nothing else, but anyone who studies boxing quickly learns just how amazing he was on a purely technical level. His footwork, head movement, defense and punches were absolute perfection during his heyday when he was the baddest man on the planet. I have never seen a heavyweight look that sharp. So much punching power with perfect efficiency, using every muscle to its maximum potential. The knock on Tyson's career is that he never fought anybody that good while he was still good, before his world came crumbling down. This is undeniably true but because he was such an amazing mover and perfect boxer, it almost doesn't really matter to me. Not only are his punches and defense textbook but from a workout perspective as well, you are going to use more muscles and get much better exercise throwing them like he does. Especially those uppercuts! So for teaching people how to box for fitness, there is no one more ideal to study.

3)  He Was/Is a Student of the Game

Mike has repeatedly talked about the boxers like Jack Dempsey, Sugar Ray Robinson and more in great detail, depth and reverence rarely spoken by fellow pugilists, often crediting them with techniques he has emulated. His "Ring IQ" was far higher than his reputation might have suggested. Plus there is also a deep love and passion for the sport, outside of his own experience in it. You just don't hear that a lot from many of the other greats.

4)  Coachability

Along those lines, Mike was by many accounts, extremely coachable, despite his insane physical talents. A system was developed by his original coach and mentor, Cus D'amato, known as the Peekaboo Style. It was different and challenging and something very few fighters of any notoriety of have adopted. For Mike, it was a perfect fit and despite Floyd Patterson's success in that system with Cus, Tyson will always represent that style better than anyone. During those years with D'amato, Kevin Rooney, Teddy Atlas, Mike Tyson an extension of their coaching in the ring. It should also be noted that Peekaboo is at its heart, a defensive style of boxing, something which Tyson had mastered and was also proud of, even though most casual fans don't necessarily perceive this part of his game. BUT it should also be noted that this was the biggest stylistic change between Tyson in the 80s vs the 90s and beyond. Once he moved away from the original training team, so much of the brilliant defensive work seemed to disappear. 

Even just from watching old videos of Mike training with the aforementioned Kevin Rooney, you can tell just by the body language that he stayed humble, listened carefully to ever word coach said, and put it into action. Once again, this is not something I see a lot with other fighters, yet alone fighters as physically talented as Tyson was/is.

5)  He Was Shorter and Smaller Than Everybody He Fought

Again, it almost seems to contradict this reputation a ferocious brawler. Not that you can't be smaller and ferocious, far from it, but Mike fought in the heavyweight division and he was never really a heavyweight. He often gave up anywhere from 4-8 inches of height to his opponent and even more in reach and weight. 

Tyson will tell you that this was to his advantage.  He was able to make this true, but it was not inherently so. Fighting taller people is tough. There are advantages that the smaller fighter has, for sure, but all things being equal, the bigger person will win. Weight is very significant, too, when it comes to both throwing a punch and taking a punch. There is also a psychological component as well. The taller opponent is more threatening, more intimidating. We all have an inherent, human reaction to this but for anyone who is smaller, Mike Tyson is proof that David can not only beat Goliath but completely dominate physically, ragdolling Goliaths on a regular basis.

Beyond just being my favorite boxer, Tyson represents something bigger to me. As I said earlier, he's like a superhero. Or a great warrior who harkens back to the days long before modern society when we lived in tribes, led by the toughest, strongest fighters. I guess I am waxing philosophical here again but at the very least, he inspires me to do better, work harder, and try to understand the sweet science on a deeper level. Though very different as a person, I think he is like Bruce Lee in this regard. It wasn't just about Kung Fu or Jeet Kun Do with Bruce, as it's not just about boxing with Tyson either, it is about human combat and human potential, and the simple, essential form of power. It has been nice to see Mike get himself back into shape in his 50s. Even at age 56, he moves differently and you can tell there is still something magical there.