Tyson

Posted on May 30 in Headlineby adminPrint

Last weekend I was shuffling through some new bootleg movies when I came across one that was simply marked Tyson. There are very few names in sports and entertainment that reach such a level that they can be immediately recognized by uttering one simple word. Jordan, Magic, Ali, Lebron, Kobe, and of course Tyson.

As a youngster I remember going to the barbershop every week and insisting on the Tyson part. As a young kid this guy seemed like a God to me, and to the rest of the world for that matter. Then the infamous Robin Givens interview turned up, followed shortly by the rape conviction. It seemed like a long three years but when Mike Tyson finally returned to the ring he returned with the vengeance of Hurricane Andrew.

For whatever reason Mike Tyson just can’t seem to shake the demons of life. Whether it’s his own questionable decisions or tragic occurrences. In case you don’t remember the Mike Tyson vs. Bruce Seldon fight after which Tupac Shakur would take his final ride in Las Vegas, Nevada.

No one will ever forget the ugly ear incident with Evander Hollyfield, but none of these things are the reason I’m writing this piece today. Today I decided to take a little break from rap music, videos, and mixtapes to speak on a genuinely misunderstood man who has had probably one of the roughest lives imaginable.

Just imagine being born in the ghetto with no father of course, you get arrested 38 times before you’re 13, your mother dies when you’re 16; after which you finally start to see some promise in life only to be chopped down again right before you reach ultimate superstardom because the man who helped you get there passes away. Finally you seem to be living on top of the world with a wife and all the money you could imagine. Shortly thereafter your wife leaves you and then we all know how the story goes from there.

I just felt the need to offer my compassion for this fellow because after several years of seemingly good behavior and decisions he gets hit with the news that no parent ever wants to hear. As I’m sure most of you know his four-year-old daughter Exxodus Tyson died earlier this week after a treadmill accident.

I guess after watching that DVD the other night and seeing the raw emotion and compassion that Mike Tyson spoke with as he recounted several people throughout his life I have a much different perspective on a person that most people probably view as a monster. Our hearts and prayers go out to the Tyson family!