Sports

Mike Tyson

Arrested 38 times by 13; a reform-school counselor introduced him to the trainer who became his guardian.

Born: 1966 · Brooklyn, New York, US
Roots: Black American
Family: Poverty; His father left when he was two; his mother died when he was 16, and trainer Cus D'Amato became his legal guardian.
Education: Left Catskill High School; tutored at D'Amato's house
Started with: A pigeon coop; His first fight, by his account, came when an older boy killed one of his pigeons; a reform-school counselor later took him to Cus D'Amato.
Affiliations & societies: None documented.; Information only — claims like these are often unverifiable and may be wrong.

The pathway

1979 · age 13
Tryon reform school
Counselor Bobby Stewart, an ex-boxer, sees the talent and drives him to D'Amato, who declares him a future heavyweight champion on sight.
1986 · age 20
Youngest heavyweight champion
Stops Trevor Berbick; D'Amato had died the year before.
1988 · age 21
Spinks in 91 seconds$20M+
Undisputed, unbeaten, and the highest-paid athlete in the world.
1992 · age 25
Convicted of rape
Serves three years of a six-year sentence in Indiana.
1997 · age 30
The ear
Disqualified for biting Holyfield; his license is revoked for a period. Bankruptcy follows in 2003 despite some $400M in career earnings.
2020 · age 54
Reinvention
Podcasts, a one-man show, a cannabis business, and an exhibition return at 54.

Sources

Compiled from these references and contemporaneous press reporting. Figures are approximate; verify before relying on them.