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I do not think this is the case as these wars were orchestrated, by the few who control the many, and as such they needed the war to last as long as possible to kill as many fit and healthy people possible to bring about this current dysgenic world we live in.False Flag at SeaThe Lusitania, Woodrow Wilson, and the Deceptions that Dragged America into World War IThis is a long article. But World War I – which was the first global war, and claimed as many as 65 million lives – has nearly been forgotten about. This article contains many suppressed facts, and I hope you come away from it with a better understanding of how the present connects to the past.As discussions crop up of a Third World War possibly arising from tensions in the Middle East or Ukraine, it is apt to examine the First World War, whose 100th anniversary falls this year. America’s entanglement in that war, like so many others, was engineered through a false flag.In 1915, Britain was at war with Germany. The United States was still neutral. On May 7, the Lusitania, a British ocean liner en route from America to England, was sunk by a German submarine some 12 miles off Ireland’s southern coast. There were 764 survivors, but nearly 1,200 people, including 128 Americans, lost their lives. The Lusitania – which had been the world’s largest ship when launched in 1906 – went down in just 18 minutes after a single torpedo hit. Survivors reported there had been two explosions – a smaller one followed moments later by an enormous one. This was affirmed by the log of the U-20, the submarine which sank her.The tragedy was portrayed to the public as the wanton slaughter of women and children. It became the subject of a relentless propaganda campaign, including a fabricated claim that German children were given a holiday from school to celebrate the sinking. The Lusitania was the most important in a series of pretexts used to generate the eventual U.S. declaration of war on Germany.Understanding Germany’s U-boat PoliciesAfter the war began in 1914, Britain immediately began a naval blockade of Germany, intercepting merchant ships and strewing the North Sea with mines. Since the British classified even foodstuffs as “contraband,” the Germans had to ration food. By all estimates, several hundred thousand people ultimately died of starvation due to the blockade.Germany’s decision to blockade Britain was retaliatory. Since the British possessed naval superiority, Germany’s only means of blockade was through its U-boat force. Although the U.S. media characterized sub warfare as barbaric, British mines were just as lethal as German torpedoes. Furthermore, while the Germans normally only targeted ships of belligerent nations (sparing neutrals), the British blockade was indiscriminate, barring neutral as well as belligerent ships.In the war’s early stages, U-boats observed the “Cruiser Rules” that had been established under international law (e.g., at the Hague Conventions). Before sinking a merchant vessel, they would surface, and allow the ship’s crew to evacuate in lifeboats.This changed, however, thanks to new rules unilaterally instituted by the British Admiralty, then headed by Winston Churchill. The British began arming their merchant ships. As Colin Simpson notes in The Lusitania:From October 1914 onward a steady stream of inflammatory orders were issued to the masters of British merchant ships. It was made an offense to obey a U-boat’s orders to halt. Instead masters must immediately engage the enemy, either with their armament if they possessed it, or by ramming if they did not. Any master who surrendered his ship was to be prosecuted, and several were.One British merchantman was paid a bounty of $3,300 for ramming a submarine. Thus both a carrot and stick goaded merchantmen to engage subs.The Germans faced an inescapable dilemma. As warships, subs were fragile. One shot from even a low-caliber cannon could sink a U-boat. By the time of the Lusitania incident, merchantmen had sunk several. Walter Schweiger, commander of the sub that sank the Lusitania, had already narrowly escaped an attempted ramming. Although U-boat captains continued to exercise discretion, they were usually unwilling to surface and risk destruction by observing the Cruiser Rules which Britain herself had abandoned.Schweiger; Churchill as head of AdmiraltyWhy Churchill Broke the RulesPrior to the Lusitania’s sinking, Winston Churchill wrote to Walter Runciman, President of the Board of Trade, that it is “most important to attract neutral shipping to our shores, in the hope especially of embroiling the United States with Germany.”In his postwar book The World Crisis, Churchill wrote: “The maneuver which brings an ally into the field is as serviceable as that which wins a great battle.”The first British counter-move, made on my responsibility in 1915 was to arm British merchantmen to the greatest possible extent with guns of sufficient power to deter the U-boat from surface attack. . . . As the U-boats were forced by the progressive arming of the British Mercantile Marine to rely increasingly on under-water attacks, they encountered a new set of dangers. The submerged U-boat with its defective vision ran the greatest risk of mistaking neutral for British vessels and of drowning neutral crews, and thus of embroiling Germany with other great Powers.To Churchill’s disappointment, however, U-boat captains scrupulously avoided attacking American ships. The next best thing, therefore, was to have a British ship sunk with American passengers on board. Churchill had Commander Joseph Kenworthy, of the Political Section of Naval Intelligence, submit a report on what the political results would be of such a sinking. The Lusitania became the fulfillment of Churchill’s objectives. This false flag involved coordination on both sides of the Atlantic. The political background requires us to digress from the Lusitania momentarily.The Bankers’ HandmaidenWoodrow Wilson had been elected President in 1912. Given that the former Princeton professor had only one year of political experience (as governor of New Jersey), this was a miracle that only the American “Establishment” (less politely called Illuminati) could have pulled off. Among Wilson’s top financial angels were munitions manufacturer Cleveland Dodge (National City Bank/Rockefellers) and banker Jacob Schiff (Kuhn, Loeb Bank/Rothschilds).“Wall Street” Republicans had ruled the White House for 16 years, but with a vociferous reform movement growing within the party, under the auspices of men like Senator Robert La Follette and Congressman Charles Lindbergh, Sr., the bankers were content to let the Republican Party cool off and put their trust in Wilson. With J. P. Morgan’s backing, former Republican President Teddy Roosevelt was trotted out as the candidate of the short-lived “Bull Moose” Party. His candidacy split Republican votes between himself and incumbent President William Howard Taft. This allowed Wilson, the Democratic Party candidate, to win the election with only 42 percent of the popular vote. Since Roosevelt spoke loudly (though with tongue in cheek) about “reform,” he also helped derail La Follette’s attempt to secure the Republican nomination.According to Curtis Dall (President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s son-in-law), Wilson pledged to banker Bernard Baruch to do four things if elected President:lend an ear to advice on who should occupy his cabinet;support creation of a central bank (i.e., the Federal Reserve);support creation of the income tax;lend an ear to advice should war erupt in Europe.5How swiftly Wilson fulfilled these pledges! These were still the days, of course, before the Council on Foreign Relations – chief recruiting ground for Presidential cabinets over the last century – existed. Wilson’s cabinet was said to have been handpicked by “Colonel” Edward Mandell House, CFR founder. He was a Wall Street front man who lived in the White House, wielding such influence that Harper’s Weekly called him “Assistant President House.” (His role paralleled that of Harry Hopkins, who later lived in the White House during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Presidency, acting as the liaison to Bernard Baruch.)Wilson & House; Bernard Baruch1913 – Wilson’s first year in office – saw establishment of both the Federal Reserve and income tax (the latter was ratified the month before his inauguration). The Federal Reserve gave the bankers the authority to set interest rates (and thus toggle the stock market at will) and to create money from nothing, which would flow into their multinational banks and corporations. Colonel House’s official biographer, Charles Seymour (Skull & Bones), called House the “unseen guardian angel” of the Federal Reserve Act.6Income tax (which the banksters had no intention of substantially paying themselves) gave them a lien on Americans’ earning power, to pay for (among other things) the interest the bankers would collect on loans to the government. Both the original central bank legislation, as well as the income tax amendment, were introduced in Congress by Senator Nelson Aldrich, whose daughter married John D. Rockefeller, Jr.; he was the maternal grandfather of CFR chairman David Rockefeller.Once the Federal Reserve and income tax were in place, only one thing was still needed: a significant reason for America to borrow. In June 1914, six months after the Federal Reserve Act passed, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, triggering the start of World War I. America participated; as a result, our national debt grew from a manageable $1 billion to $25 billion.The war would not only yield billions in profits for the Illuminati, but would, with the League of Nations, incipiently fulfill their dream of a world government. But how to entangle America in the war? Here the interests of the British and American Establishments coincided in the Lusitania’s sinking.A False Flag ForeknownOur ambassador to England under Wilson was the militantly pro-British Walter Hines Page. During his tenure, he received a private annual stipend of $25,000 (well over a half-million in today’s dollars) from munitions magnate Cleveland Dodge, so that he could live in “proper ambassadorial style.”7(In realpolitik, this is normally called a “bribe.”)On May 2, 1915 – five days before the Lusitania was sunk – Page wrote to his son: “If a British liner full of American passengers be blown up, what will Uncle Sam do? That’s what’s going to happen.”8Edward Mandell House was in England at this time as Wilson’s emissary. On the morning of the fateful 7th, House met with Edward Grey (left), Britain’s foreign minister. House recorded: “We spoke of the probability of an ocean liner being sunk, and I told him if this were done, a flame of indignation would sweep across America, which would in itself probably carry us into the war.”9Later that day, House and Grey met with King George V at Buckingham Palace. House wrote: “We fell to talking, strangely enough, of the probability of Germany sinking a trans-Atlantic liner. . . . He [the king] said, ‘Suppose they should sink the Lusitania, with American passengers on board?’”10(These quotes appear in Houses’s official biography, The Intimate Papers of Colonel House.)These remarks betrayed foreknowledge that cannot be dismissed as coincidences chanced upon in casual conversation.That evening, a splendid dinner was given honoring House; numerous British dignitaries attended, including Grey, and – at House’s request – Lord Mersey, the Wreck Commissioner, who would later oversee the inquiry regarding the Lusitania. During this dinner the news arrived of the great ship’s sinking. House announced to the assembled guests that America would enter the war within the month.The following day, Ambassador Page cabled Wilson: “The freely expressed universal opinion is that the United States must declare war or forfeit European respect. So far as I know this opinion is universal. If the U.S. does come in, the moral and physical effect will be to bring peace quickly and to give the U.S. a great influence in ending the war and in so reorganizing the world as to prevent its recurrence. . . .”11This remarkable cablegram reveals that the postwar restructuring of the world – which really occurred four years later at the Paris Peace Conference, where Wilson proposed the League of Nations – was envisioned from the outset. In Berlin, without even waiting for instructions, the American embassy began preparing to shut down.As we will, see however, the Wilson-House-Page clique had overestimated Americans’ willingness to go to war over the Lusitania. But first: How was this false flag engineered? How did British and American officials know, in advance, that a submarine would likely target the ship? And that the attack would result in its being “blown up” and sunk? Why did the 32,000-ton ship vanish beneath the waves in just 18 minutes?From Luxury Liner to WarshipThe Cunard Line built the Lusitania and her sister ship Mauretania with loans from the British government, which also bestowed annual subsidies on Cunard for operational costs. In return for this, the Admiralty required that the ships be designed as auxiliary cruisers, available in wartime.In February 1913, Winston Churchill informed Cunard chairman Alfred Booth that war with Germany was expected, estimating the outbreak as September 1914.12(He was only off by a month.) In accordance with instructions, the Lusitania, like other British liners, was refitted to carry guns. There is dispute over whether she actually had cannon, but some testimony exists that she did, concealed on her lowest deck, where passengers were not allowed. The Lusitania was listed as an auxiliary cruiser in Jane’s Fighting Ships, a copy of which U-boat commanders kept on board to identify targets.More importantly, the British used the Lusitania to ferry heavy loads of munitions from America to Britain. Since the U.S. government disallowed shipment of most munitions on passenger ships, the British got around this by submitting falsified manifests for the Lusitania. Wilson had appointed Dudley Field Malone as collector of customs for the port of New York. Malone rubber-stamped the manifests, knowing full well what was going on.As submarine warfare increased, the situation became too much for the Lusitania’s captain, David Dow, who informed Cunard he could no longer mix carrying passengers with munitions. As a result, for the final voyage he was replaced by William Turner.On that fateful crossing, the Lusitania was transporting six million rifle cartridges and more than 50 tons of shrapnel shells. But there were other items that provide possible clues to the mysterious second explosion that sank the ship after a single torpedo hit. One was guncotton, an explosive the British used in their mines (it was called gun“cotton” because in its manufacture, the chemicals were soaked in cotton).In the U.S. Justice Department’s archives is an affidavit signed by Dr. E. W. Ritter von Rettegh, a chemist employed by Captain Guy Gaunt, the British naval attaché in Washington. Ritter von Rettegh stated that Gaunt called him to his office on April 26, 1915, and asked what the effect would be of sea water coming into contact with guncotton. The chemist explained that there were two types of gun cotton – trinitro cellulose, which sea water would not affect, and pyroxyline, which sea water could cause to suddenly explode, as a result of chemical changes that he explained in technical detail.13The following day, Gaunt visited the Du Pont munitions plant in Christfield, New Jersey, and Du Pont thereupon shipped tons of pyroxyline, packaged in burlap, to the Cunard wharf in New York City, where it was loaded onto the Lusitania. It quite evidently accounts for the item on the ship’s manifest of 3,813 40-pound containers of “cheese,” which were shipped along with 696 containers of “butter.” That these packages were not butter and cheese is clear: they were not shipped in refrigerated compartments; their destination was listed as the Royal Navy’s Weapons Testing Establishment; and no one filed an insurance claim for the lost “butter and cheese.”14Captain Turner (left); Guy GauntPlacing thousands of burlap containers of guncotton in the Lusitania’s hold would sharply increase the chances that a torpedo would make the ship – as Ambassador Page predicted – “be blown up.” Considering that the ship also carried tons of shrapnel shells and cartridges, the potential for devastation became even worse. One of the Lusitania’s survivors, Joseph Marichal, stated he had distinctly heard cartridges exploding, a sound he was familiar with as a former officer in the French army.While Captain Gaunt’s interview with Dr. Ritter von Rettegh might have an innocent explanation, it is noteworthy that after submitting his affidavit, the chemist was arrested and charged with making “utterances prejudicial to the peace of the Nation.” He was tried in camera and sentenced to prison. Gaunt, on the other hand, was promoted to rear-admiral and knighted.Other mysterious items appeared on the Lusitania’s manifest. One was 323 bales of “furs.” The furs originated from depots employed by Du Pont; the cargo was destined for the British company of B. F. Babcock, which was never involved in importing furs, but did import cotton used in making guncotton.15Like the butter and cheese, no one ever filed an insurance claim on the “furs.”Patrick O’Sullivan, in The Lusitania: Unravelling the Mysteries, advanced a theory that the explosion was touched off by aluminum powder, a highly combustible explosive; 46 tons were aboard, destined for the Woolrich Arsenal. Also stored with the cargo were 18 cases of percussion fuses consisting of mercury fulminate, which a torpedo could also have caused to explode.Regardless of which item ignited first, the massive detonation which sank the ship did originate in the forward area holding her munitions.German WarningsThe Germans had little choice but to try to stop the Lusitania’s munitions from reaching England. But neither did they wish to provoke America by harming its citizens. On April 22, they ordered a conspicuous warning placed in fifty newspapers near the Cunard sailing notices, alerting potential passengers to the danger. This would have given the public a week’s notice. However, a State Department officer ordered the warning’s publication suppressed. On April 26, George Viereck, representing the Germans, obtained an audience with Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan. Bryan immediately cleared the notice for publication, and also urged President Wilson to warn Americans. Wilson, however, always on the bankers’ puppet strings, declined to do so.Setting the TrapThere was no guarantee, of course, that this false flag would occur, since it depended on a U-boat commander’s unpredictable actions. There were, however, probabilities. The British had broken Germany’s naval codes. While they could not pinpoint a sub’s exact location, intercepted radio signals provided abundant information about U-boats’ activities, destinations and general areas of operation. They were also well aware of the U-20’s presence in the Irish Sea that May, from reports of the sub sinking vessels.On May 5 – two days before the tragedy – Winston Churchill met with Admiral Fisher (First Sea Lord), Admiral Oliver (Chief of Naval Staff), and Commander Joseph Kenworthy (Naval Intelligence), in the Admiralty’s map room. Here a great grid showed locations of British ships and hostile ships, marked with pins. The map showed the Lusitania and U-20 on a collision course. What was said is unrecorded, but Kenworthy wrote in his postwar book The Freedom of the Seas: “The Lusitania was deliberately sent at considerably reduced speed into an area where a U-boat was known to be waiting and with her escorts withdrawn.” However, the publisher deleted the word “deliberately” at the Admiralty’s insistence.16Churchill with Admiral Fisher; KenworthyThe Admiralty could have safeguarded the Lusitania by rerouting her around the north of Ireland, where it knew no U-boats were operating. Especially damning was the failure to provide escorts. On previous voyages, destroyers had accompanied the Lusitania where submarines threats existed. On May 7, however, no destroyers were designated to protect her, even though four were lying idle in the nearby port of Milford Haven,17and despite the U-20’s known presence in the south Irish Sea, where it had sunk two steamers the previous day. The only warship assigned to meet the Lusitania was an aging cruiser, the Juno. However, even the Juno was ordered back to the port of Queenstown on Ireland’s southern coast – on the justification that she was vulnerable to submarine attack!Yet the Lusitania received no instructions to divert to Queenstown. On the evening of the 6th, Captain Turner assured his increasingly nervous passengers that, on entering the war zone the next day, they would be securely in the Royal Navy’s care. But when dawn broke, the Royal Navy was nowhere in sight. Turner was alone in the Irish Sea with a U-boat on the prowl. It is a matter of record that there were wireless communications with the Lusitania, but these messages’ transcripts have always been missing from the Admiralty’s files. Some suspect Turner requested permission to reroute the ship and was refused. Vice-Admiral Henry Coke, commanding defenses in this sector from his Queenstown headquarters, requested permission from the Admiralty to divert the Lusitania. He received no decision.Left: the U-20Patrick Beesly was considered the leading authority on the history of British Naval Intelligence, in which he was long an officer. In his book Room 40, Beesly wrote:Nothing, absolutely nothing was done to ensure the liner’s safe arrival . . . . I am reluctantly driven to the conclusion that there was a conspiracy deliberately to put the Lusitania at risk in the hopes that even an abortive attack on her would bring the United States into the war. Such a conspiracy could not have been put into effect without Winston Churchill’s express permission and approval.18The Cover-upAs soon as Vice-Admiral Coke received the report of the Lusitania’s SOS, he ordered the Juno to its rescue. The cruiser was in sight of the survivors in the water when it was recalled to Queenstown on the Admiralty’s orders – the pretext being that it, too, might be sunk by the submarine (which was now gone). Although this concern was legitimate, it undoubtedly cost considerable loss of life, for it was much longer after the Juno’s recall that other rescue craft – fishing smacks and patrol boats – began arriving.Hundreds of bodies washed up on the Irish shore or were recovered by vessels. Another instruction the Admiralty sent Coke was “to ensure that bodies selected for the inquest had not been killed or mutilated by means which we do not wish to be made public.”19What “means” could this have referred to, other than mutilation from the ship’s munitions?Orders were also given to try to halt the inquest held by the local coroner, John Horgan, for fear that the Irish – whose rapport with England was tenuous – might render an unfavorable verdict. (This fear proved unfounded.)In Britain, a formal inquiry into the sinking was to be held before Lord Mersey, who had also overseen the Titanic inquiry. However, well before it got underway, the Admiralty resolved to scapegoat the ship’s captain, William Turner:• Within a week of the sinking, Richard Webb, director of the Admiralty’s Trade Division, issued a report which said of Turner that “one is forced to conclude that he is either utterly incompetent, or that he had been got at by the Germans.”20• Admiral Lord Fisher concurred, saying that Turner “is not a fool but a knave. I feel absolutely certain that Captain Turner of the Lusitania is a scoundrel and been bribed. . . . I hope that Captain Turner will be arrested immediately after the Inquiry, whatever the verdict or finding may be.”21And, he added, in his notations on Webb’s report: “Ought not Lord Mersey to get a hint?”22• Churchill responded that “we shall pursue the Captain without check.”23• Webb then wrote Lord Mersey: “I am directed by the Board of Admiralty to inform you that it is considered politically expedient that Captain Turner the master of the Lusitania be most prominently blamed for the disaster.”24Thus, in violation of the traditions of justice, Lord Mersey was asked to render a verdict before the inquiry even began. The request came from the men responsible for denying the Lusitania protection.Comparison to Pearl Harbor is apt. In that event, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and select officials had complete foreknowledge of the attack, which they denied to the commanders in Hawaii, Admiral Kimmel and General Short. Roosevelt then appointed an investigative body, the Roberts Commission, which laid all blame on Kimmel and Short. Roosevelt thus followed the example set 26 years earlier by his distant cousin Churchill. It bears mentioning that when the Lusitania sank, Franklin D. Roosevelt was Assistant Secretary of the Navy, the same position held by another of his cousins, Theodore Roosevelt, when the USS Maine exploded in 1898, triggering the Spanish-American War.At the inquiry, held partly in camera, Lord Mersey (left) quashed all evidence of the Lusitania’s munitions. Captain Turner was never even asked what his cargo was. Mersey relied on a letter from Dudley Field Malone saying items on the ship’s manifest “were permitted to be shipped on passenger steamers under the laws of the United States.” Malone’s letter was unsworn (he declined to make a statement under oath) and referred only to the first one-page manifest, not its 24-page supplement.Mersey’s report concluded that “the loss of the ship and lives was due to damage caused to the said ship by torpedoes fired by a submarine of German nationality whereby the ship sank.” However, Mersey was unwilling to crucify Captain Turner. There seem to have been two factors in this: (1) no substantive evidence was produced in court incriminating Turner, an able and veteran seaman; and (2) by the time of the verdict, Churchill had been dismissed from the Admiralty due to the disastrous Dardanelles (Gallipoli) campaign, so there was no longer any need to placate him.Following the hearing, Mersey waived his fee for his work on it, asked to be excused from further justice duties, and told his children: “The Lusitania case was a damned dirty business.”25In the United States, a separate hearing on the Lusitania was held much later under Judge Julius Mayer. The nature of the ship’s cargo had become increasingly known. Senator Robert La Follette publicly stated:Four days before the Lusitania sailed, President Wilson was warned in person by Secretary of State Bryan that the Lusitania had 6,000,000 rounds of ammunition on board, besides explosives; and that passengers who proposed to sail on that vessel were sailing in violation of a statute of this country, that no passengers shall travel upon a railroad train or sail upon a vessel that carries dangerous explosives.26American families who had lost loved ones sued the Cunard Line for allowing passengers to sail with contraband munitions. Dudley Field Malone was named as codefendant and, if convicted, could have been indicted for involuntary manslaughter. However, no evidence concerning the illicit cargo was heard at the hearing. Judge Mayer, relying in part on Mersey’s findings, ruled in favor of Cunard and against the claimants.The Mayer hearing was missing a critical piece of evidence: the Lusitania’s original manifest. President Wilson personally sealed it in an envelope, marked it “Only to be opened by the President of the United States,” and had it hidden in the archives of the Treasury Department (which oversees the customs service). We know this because President Franklin D. Roosevelt later had it retrieved, and it turned up among his papers. (To see it, click here.)The False Flag FaltersAlthough Colonel House and Ambassador Page had seemed confident the U.S. would declare war over the Lusitania, the American people didn’t share their zeal. They were upset by the sinking, but not enough to send their sons to European battlefields.The case for war was baseless:• That the British were the first to violate the “Cruiser Rules” was not lost on everyone, especially German-Americans;• The effort to conceal the truth about the Lusitania’s munitions was only partially successful; many recognized that the British were using women and children to protect arms shipments – as State Department solicitor Cone Johnson put it, mixing “babies and bullets.”• Americans wishing to travel to England safely could easily do so by using U.S. ships or those of other neutral countries. Americans boarding British ships traveled at their own risk; they could no more claim immunity from German attack than an American who chose to ride on a British gun carriage on a battleground in France.With the nation’s mood insufficient for war, Wilson and House began what would be a long series of diplomatic jousts calculated to provoke Germany into rupturing relations. After the Lusitania, Wilson demanded that Germany halt submarine warfare. The Germans replied that the Lusitania was an auxiliary cruiser carrying contraband munitions, and that Britain’s Admiralty had ordered all merchantmen to fire upon or ram surfaced submarines (they provided Wilson with copies of the British orders, which a U-boat crew had found on a captured vessel). Wilson’s reply denied the charges, asserting the United States had “enforced its statues with scrupulous vigilance through its regularly constituted officials and it is able therefore to assure the Imperial German Government that it has been misinformed.”Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan refused to sign this reply. He had long striven with the President over the latter’s double-standard policy: tolerating England’s naval blockade of Germany and violations of “Cruiser Rules,” while excoriating Germany for reciprocation. Now Bryan was being asked to sign a note that was glaringly false – for Dudley Field Malone had already told Wilson that “practically all of her [the Lusitania’s] cargo was contraband of some kind.”27Bryan chose to resign, for which the press excoriated him; the New York World accused him of “unspeakable treachery.”Left to right: Bryan; cartoon depicts Kaiser applauding Bryan; Dudley Field Malone. Interestingly, Malone would oppose Bryan again as an attorney assisting Clarence Darrow in the 1925 Scopes Trial; and in 1944 he portrayed Winston Churchill in Mission to Moscow, perhaps the most flagrantly pro-Communist movie Hollywood ever made. It would probably be reasonable to say Malone was “connected.”Bryan’s resignation was gold to the Illuminati, for he possessed something they couldn’t stomach: integrity. He’d been made Secretary of State in return for helping secure Wilson’s nomination at the 1912 Democratic Convention. In his place was appointed Robert Lansing, a pro-war State Department legal adviser who’d already proven useful in circumnavigating Bryan. Lansing’s nephews, Allen Dulles and John Foster Dulles, would become two of the most powerful insiders of twentieth century politics.Newspapers and books began stirring hysteria about the imminence of a German invasion. The film The Battle Cry of Peace depicted a Hun-like army devastating New York City and Washington. A well-financed national “preparedness” movement was birthed; J. P. Morgan’s daughter served as treasurer for the women’s section of the “Movement for National Preparedness.”Above: foreign invaders assault the virtuous maidens of New York City in The Battle Cry of Peace (1915)Wilson meanwhile awaited another pretext for war, but the Germans were careful not to give him one, having no desire to see American troops swelling Allied ranks. They ordered U-boat captains not to torpedo another passenger ship without warning. However, sooner or later, a mistake was bound to occur. On March 24, 1916 in the English Channel, a U-boat commander, looking through his periscope, mistook an odd-looking ship for a minelayer, and fired a torpedo. The ship turned out to be a French passenger steamer, the Sussex. The damaged ship was towed to port; there were Americans on board; none were killed, but four were injured.Wilson and his controllers hoped they now had their pretext for war. The President sent a hostile ultimatum to the Germans, demanding they halt “present methods” of submarine warfare (go back to “Cruiser Rules”) or face a rupture in relations. The Germans wisely responded that they would comply, provided the United States require Britain to likewise observe international law.Once again, Germany had parried war – and Wilson now had to focus on reelection.The 1916 ElectionsDespite the anti-Germany media campaign, Americans remained overwhelmingly opposed to entering the European war. Wilson’s belligerence had not been lost on many, and as a result, the Republican nominee – Charles Evan Hughes – held a large lead in polls.The American Establishment was very satisfied with the services the obedient Wilson had provided, and preferred him to the untried Hughes (similar to the Obama-Romney paradigm of 2012). Hughes’s public relations director Myron Fagan later became a pioneering exposer of the CFR and Illuminati.Hughes and FaganTo ensure Wilson’s reelection, Teddy Roosevelt was brought out to do just what he’d done in 1912: betray his own party.28Roosevelt traveled the country making militant speeches, attacking Germany and denouncing pacifists as “mollycoddles.” These speeches greatly annoyed Hughes, as the public started believing, by proxy, that Hughes was pro-war. Taking the cue, the Democrats made Wilson’s campaign slogan “He kept us out of war,” even though Wilson had done everything possible to get us into it. The ploys worked. Hughes’s polls lead evaporated. Wilson won one of the closest Presidential elections in history, and did so, ironically, because voters wanted to avoid war.The Zimmerman NoteOnce reelected, Wilson shed the “peace” pretenses, and again sought justification for war. After Germany – pressing for victory to end the gruesome conflict ­– announced resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare, Wilson terminated relations, claiming Germany had broken its pledge. (He ignored that the pledge had been conditional on Britain’s reciprocal observance of international law, something the British government never did.)But Wilson still needed another provocation to push the war button. Ever-reliable British intelligence produced just what he needed: their decoding of the “Zimmerman telegram.”Arthur Zimmerman (left) was Germany’s foreign secretary. In January 1917 he had cabled the German ambassador in Mexico, instructing him that, if the U.S. entered the war, Germany should propose a military alliance with Mexico. (Wilson had antagonized Mexico in 1914 by having U.S. forces occupy Vera Cruz, a move undertaken for the benefit of John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company, which had extensive oil interests in Mexico.) The Germans reasoned that having Mexico as an ally might keep U.S. troops pinned in North America. The Zimmerman telegram rather naively suggested that, in the event of victory, Mexico could recover territories previously lost to the United States: Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.Such proposals were actually “par for the course” in the international deal-making of World War I. For example, Britain had brought Italy into the war as an ally by promising the Italians new territories. The Mexicans considered the German proposal quite unrealistic. Nonetheless, when Wilson released the Zimmerman telegram to the wire services, it was used to renew “German invasion hysteria.”On April 2, Wilson convened Congress and requested a declaration of war, which came four days later. Despite the orchestrated media furor, most Americans still opposed war, but the financial powers had lined up both parties’ machines; only a handful of courageous senators and congressmen opposed the declaration.Agenda of the First World WarAmericans were told this would be “the war to end all wars.” Though it failed utterly in this purpose alleged for public consumption, it succeeded in the purposes that were hidden:• (1) Europe was restructured in accordance with Illuminati wishes, in preparation for their “new world order.” As foreign affairs analyst Hilaire du Berrier noted of World War I: “Three empires, six monarchies and twenty-three duchies and principalities disappeared because leaders who had a stake in nationhood had been carried along in a losing tide.“29The Illuminati have always opposed any monarchies they could not compromise because kings symbolized nationhood, and were figures behind whom a nation’s people would rally and unite. The Illuminati wanted monarchies replaced by “democracy,” because democracy splinters a nation into parties; a divided country is weaker, and easier to absorb into world government. This is the “divide and conquer” principle, and the true reason Wilson said the war would “make the world safe for democracy.” This catchphrase really meant “make the world safe for Illuminati,” for the latter knew that in a democracy, wealth combined with media control would ensure their handpicked candidates received over 50 percent of the vote. The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion (10:5) called voting “the instrument which will set us on the throne of the world.”• (2) The first formal world government – the League of Nations – was established. It was the 14th of the famous “Fourteen Points” Wilson brought to the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, which settled the war’s aftermath through the Versailles Treaty.To head the American delegation to the conference, Wilson appointed Paul Warburg – whom he’d also named vice chairman of the Federal Reserve. As his chief economic advisor, he brought banker Bernard Baruch. And as always, Wilson was under the eye of the bankers’ front man, Edward Mandell House. Wilson didn’t invite a single congressman or senator of the Democratic Party to the conference – only the bankers and their entourage.Many people think Wilson invented the League, but it originated with House and the bankers. Ray Stannard Baker, Wilson’s official biographer, said that “practically nothing – not a single idea in the Covenant of the League – was original with the President.”30Charles Seymour, House’s official biographer, said Wilson “approved the House draft almost in its entirety, and his own rewriting of it was practically confined to phraseology.”31Ironically, though the American President proposed the League, the United States did not join. The U.S. Constitution stipulated that no President could single-handedly make a treaty; the Senate had to ratify it. The Senate rejected the Versailles Treaty. Americans had helped win the war, but saw no reason to join an organization that might infringe on their sovereignty. When news of the Senate vote reached Paris, the bankers reacted swiftly. They held a series of meetings, culminating with a dinner at the Majestic Hotel, at which they resolved to form a new organization in the United States. Its purpose would be to change the climate of American opinion so that the nation would accept world government. In 1921, that organization was incorporated in New York City as the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).• (3) The first communist state, the Soviet Union, was birthed from the war’s chaos. Students of realpolitik know the Illuminati established the USSR. Jacob Schiff, one of Wilson’s financial angels, ran Kuhn, Loeb – the Rothschilds’ New York banking satellite – along with Federal Reserve founder Paul Warburg. In 1917 Schiff supplied $20 million in gold to Leon Trotsky, who sailed from New York with 275 other terrorists. The Canadians detained Trotsky at Halifax, Nova Scotia, because they knew he intended to foment revolution in Czarist Russia – our ally in the raging World War. The Bolsheviks (communists) had promised to pull Russia out of the war if the revolution succeeded. The Canadians realized what that meant: Germany would shift its troops from the Eastern to Western front, where they could kill more British, Canadians, and Americans. But at the bankers’ behest, Wilson personally intervened, and requested that Canada release Trotsky. The President thus placed communism’s success above the lives of American soldiers.When Wilson went to the Paris Peace Conference, the Bolsheviks had taken over Russia, and one of his assigned tasks was to ensure they kept it. Here is the long-forgotten sixth of Wilson’s “Fourteen Points”:VI. The evacuation of all Russian [Soviet] territory and such a settlement of all questions affecting Russia as will secure the best and freest cooperation of the other nations of the world in obtaining for her [the communists] an unhampered and unembarrassed opportunity for the independent determination of her own political development and national policy and assure her of a sincere welcome into the society of free nations under institutions of her own choosing; and, more than a welcome, assistance also of every kind that she may need and may herself desire. The treatment accorded Russia [the communists] by her sister nations in the months to come will be the acid test of their good will, of their comprehension of her needs as distinguished from their own interests, and of their intelligent and unselfish sympathy.In his book The Secret World Government, Czarist General Arthur Cherep-Spiridovich expressed the opinion that United States entry into the war was delayed until it was certain Czarist Russia collapsed. (In other words, a premature U.S. commitment might have bolstered the Czar’s position in Russia, thwarting the revolution.) Wilson requested the declaration of war just 18 days after the Czar abdicated.• (4) The war dramatically advanced the cause of Zionism, whose secret agenda is to establish, in Jerusalem, the throne of the Antichrist. In 1916, leading Zionists assured the British government they would bring Wilson and America into the war provided that Britain secure the Jewish people a national homeland in Palestine. The British consented, resulting in the Balfour Declaration, named for its purported author, Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour.This declaration was addressed to Walter Rothschild, a private banker holding no government position. It pledged the British would “use their best endeavours” to found a Jewish homeland in Palestine, even though Britain had no position or authority there whatsoever. Palestine had been under Ottoman (Turkish) control for 400 years. During World War I, the Ottoman Empire was a German ally; on this pretext, the British invaded Palestine, though it had little strategic significance. The famous film Lawrence of Arabia portrayed the exploits of T. E. Lawrence, the British officer who led the Arabs against the Turks. The Arabs were promised Palestine in return for helping Britain defeat the Ottoman Empire. They – and Lawrence himself – did not know that, behind their backs, the Balfour Declaration would secretly pledge the land to the Zionists.The Balfour Declaration was issued on Nov 2, 1917. Five days later, Lenin and the Bolsheviks overthrew the Provisional Government under Kerensky in Russia. This assured that Russia would no longer participate in the war. Since this cost Britain a military ally, it might be argued that Lenin’s Zionist-banker controllers instructed him to delay his seizure of power until Britain had formally committed to the Balfour Declaration.• (5) The war gave the banksters an unprecedented opportunity to loot America. Prior to the declaration of war, J. P. Morgan & Co. acted as the official agent for all British munitions purchases. Morgan also loaned over $2 billion to the Allies during this period. Needless to say, Morgan had a vested interest in Allied victory. After the war declaration, Americans were urged to fund the war by buying government bonds in a series of “Liberty Loans.” Out of the first Liberty Loan, $400 million was paid directly to J. Morgan & Co. to satisfy debts owed it by Britain.32Wilson appointed Bernard Baruch to head the War Industries Board, whose function was purchasing munitions for America’s military. After the war, Congress’s Graham Committee conducted an investigation that revealed the public had been defrauded out of billions for war-related items that were unnecessary, or undelivered, or never even produced. Here is an excerpt from the Committee’s report:We had 53 contracts for 37-millimeter shells, on which we expended $9,134,592. None of these shells ever reached our firing line. We had 689 contracts for 75-millimeter shells, on which we expended $301,941,459. Of these shells, we fired 6,000. We had 142 contracts for 3-inch shells, on which we expended $44,841,844. None of these shells reached the firing line. We had 439 contracts for 4.7-inch shells, on which we expended $41,716,051. Of these shells 14,000 were fired by our forces. We had 305 contracts for 6-inch shells, on which we expended $24,189,085. None of these shells ever reached the firing line. . . .33I spare the reader the full quote, but it continued as above for six more shell calibers. The Committee listed similar frauds in production of howitzers, artillery of all calibers, and gun carriages. A billion dollars was spent on aircraft never delivered. Comparable reports were made on other articles of war.Hundreds of millions were invested in companies which used the money to build factories that contributed nothing to the war effort. House Report no. 998 of the 66th Congress stated:The committee finds that there has been expended for construction upon the Government’s nitrates program to the present time the sum of $116,194,974.37, and that this expenditure produced no nitrates prior to the armistice, and contributed nothing toward the winning of the war. The nitrates program originated with the War Industries Board of the Council of National Defense, and is directly traceable to Mr. Bernard M. Baruch, chairman of the board . . . .34Many industries, such as copper and steel, charged the government inflated prices. Needless to say, the Rockefellers’ Standard Oil enjoyed skyrocketing war profits.While the banksters pocketed billions, American soldiers earned $30 per month risking their lives. Although the Graham Committee conducted three years of investigations and published a 21-volume report, not a single banker or industrialist was jailed. As Ferdinand Lundberg noted: “The basis for many prosecutions was laid by the Graham Committee, and there were indictments of various minor figures. But there were no convictions. By November, 1925, the last of the indictments was quashed.”35You won’t even find a Wikipedia entry for the Graham Committee. It’s been long flushed down one of Orwell’s memory holes.• (6) The war inflicted political as well as military casualties. One effect of the 1898 Spanish-American War had been to undermine the Populist Party, a grassroots movement of dissatisfied voters who opposed Wall Street’s domination of politics, and perceived increasingly fewer differences between the Democratic and Republican parties, many of whose bosses were beholden to the bankers. After the war distracted Americans with a new enemy (Spain) the Populist Party never ran another Presidential candidate.World War I exerted a parallel effect. A reform movement, spearheaded by Senator La Follette (who might, in some respects, be described as the Ron Paul of his day), had attempted to wrest the Republican Party away from the Rockefeller-Morgan interests controlling it. But with America preoccupied with war and another new enemy (Germany), the reform movement all but died; the monopolists emerged from the war with tighter party control than ever before.Spain (left) depicted as a murdering ape, trampling the American flag, in 1898. In World War I, the ape became Germany. It is easier to kill an enemy if he is considered sub-human.• (7) Civil liberties were crushed after Congress passed the Espionage Act of 1917, extended by the Sedition Act of 1918. While these measures decreed punishment for authentic crimes such as passing military secrets to foreign governments, Section 3 of the Sedition Act criminalized opposing the banksters’ plan of plunder:Whoever, when the United States is at war, shall . . . say or do anything except by way of bona fide and not disloyal advice to an investor or investors, with intent to obstruct the sale by the United States of bonds or other securities of the United States or the making of loans by or to the United States . . . or shall willfully by utterance, writing, printing, publication, or language spoken, urge, incite, or advocate any curtailment of production in this country of any thing or things, product or products, necessary or essential to the prosecution of the war . . . shall be punished by a fine of not more than $10,000 or imprisonment for not more than twenty years, or both.It provided the same penalties for anyone who “shall willfully utter, print, write or publish any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language about the form of government of the United States.” This broad language gave great leeway in suppressing the First Amendment.In 1917, Robert Goldstein produced a movie about the Revolutionary War called Spirit of ’76. Because it portrayed Britain negatively, the film was seized as seditious. Goldstein was prosecuted under the Espionage Act and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Louis Nagler, assistant secretary of state for Wisconsin, refused to contribute to the YMCA and Red Cross (whose war council was headed by J. P. Morgan partner Henry Davison). Nagler remarked in a letter that “There is too much graft in these subscriptions . . . . Not over ten or fifteen percent of the money goes to the soldiers.” Nagler was sentenced under the Espionage Act to 20 years in prison (his sentence was commuted in 1920).36Historian Walter Karp notes: “The son of the chief justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court became a convicted felon for sending out a chain letter that said the Sussex Pledge [made by Germany] had not been unconditional.”37Congressman Charles Lindbergh, Sr., one of the Federal Reserve’s bitterest opponents, wrote a book entitled Why Is Your Country at War? The printing plates were seized to curtail publication. For opposing the war, hundreds of less prominent citizens were imprisoned, and innumerable publications were censored or lost mailing privileges.Left: Congressman Charles Lindbergh with his son Charles, Jr., who became the courageous aviator. Right: “Fighting Bob” La Follette, running for President as a third-party candidate in 1924, shortly before his death.Ironically, no enemy spies were convicted under the Espionage Act – only dissenting Americans. In a major coup, the banksters had made opposing their agenda illegal. It therefore begs some comparison to today’s Patriot Act. Although many Americans long for “the good old days,” those days were often uglier than commonly realized.The past is prologue. Woodrow Wilson served his masters well. So would Franklin D. Roosevelt three decades later. Whereas Wilson allowed the sacrifice of over 1,000 lives on the Lusitania, Roosevelt sacrificed over 2,000 at Pearl Harbor. Whereas Wilson and the First World War produced the Federal Reserve, the League of Nations, the Bolshevik Revolution, and Balfour Declaration, Roosevelt and the Second World War produced The World Bank, the United Nations, spread communism over half the globe, and birthed Zionist Israel. Both wars produced billions in war plunder, and suppressed civil rights. It is not difficult to envision what a Third World War might lead to.

Original question:— “If you could create your own special forces, what would it be like?”Details (in the question’s comments):— “Equipment, training, skills, branch and country.”*DISCLAIMER: Though I refer actual things in this answer, the question is hypothetical and personal; so don’t take the answer too seriously, for it is little more than a theoretical exercise on the topic “special forces”. Also, be warned that this is a long answer…So, firstly, there’s a difference between connotative, generic (Lato Sensu) “special forces” and denotative, specific (Stricto Sensu) ‘Special Forces’ (SF). The former is interchangeable in many countries (and for the public at large, especially) with the broader Special Operations Forces* (SOF) community, while the latter refers specifically to SOF that are doctrinally oriented toward Irregular and Unconventional Warfare — meaning the conduction of Guerrilla and Counter-Guerrilla operations (IW), as well as supporting partner forces in the same (UW).*For a comprehensive definition of SOF and their types, see:Gabriel Cabral's answer to What do special operations forces actually do?Now, my ideal SOF organization was conceptualized to be as minimal as possible, while still having enough operational components and assets to fulfill the full spectrum of the Special Warfare doctrine. While conceptualizing this organization, I had in mind small countries — New Zealand’s 1st (New Zealand) Special Air Service Regiment (1 [NZ] SAS Regt, or NZSAS) served as one of my inspirations, being a great minimal SOF model. The idea is that any country could adopt the organization that I devised and be well served — and if it proved to be too small for a larger country’s needs, then simply expanding its operational elements and structure should suffice.NOTE: Instead of citing the “skills” and “training” of my SOF, I’ll cover the units’ general doctrines and capabilities; also, I will mention their overall equipment at the end, after describing the units.ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONThis is how my Special Operations (“Spec Ops”) community would be organized:SPECIAL WARFARE GROUP (SWG):Group Headquarters (GHQ; joint/inter-service):Command Section (CS);Support Section (SS);Selection and Training Section (STS);Studies and Development Section (SDS).M Squadron (M Sdn; Navy):Squadron Headquarters (SHQ, M Sdn);One Troop (M1);Two Troop (M2);Reserve Troop (M3).L Squadron (L Sdn; Army):Squadron Headquarters (SHQ, L Sdn);One Troop (L1);Two Troop (L2);Three Troop (L3);Four Troop (L4);Reserve Troop (L5).H Squadron (H Sdn; Air Force):Squadron Headquarters (SHQ, H Sdn);One Flight (H1);Two Flight (H2);Three Flight (H3);Four Flight (H4);Reserve Flight (H5).The Special Warfare Group (SWG) would be assigned under the Special Operations Command (SOC), which would coordinate the Group’s activities with the military and national Intelligence services, as well as with conventional forces required to support its activities (such as Air Force strategic mobility assets, inter-service CBRNE response units, and so on).Additionally, the Army’s Airborne Regiment would be Special Operations-capable (SOC; unit type), fulfilling a Commando role at the direction of the Special Operations Command (conducting rapid, surgical strikes, raids and assaults at Section, Platoon and Company level) — the Navy, Army and Air Force’s Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC) units would also be Special Operations-capable, conducting Personnel Recovery (PR) and Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) as needed. By the way, “Tier”-wise, the conventional forces would be classified as “Tier 3”, the Special Operations-capable (SOC) forces would be classified as “Tier 2”, and the dedicated Special Operations Forces (SOF) would be classified as “Tier 1”.While I greatly based my SOF on the American SOF community, I also took some inspiration from the UKSF and other Commonwealth SOF (as I mentioned regarding the NZSAS), with its Operators indoctrinated throughout the Special Warfare doctrine — rather than the Operators from each unit being doctrinally specialized in specific aspects of Special Operations (as with the American SOF’s case).ABOUT THE GROUP HEADQUARTERS (GHQ)The GHQ is a joint command, support, training and development element. The fact that it’s a joint component (for the Navy, Army and Air Force’s Squadrons) was intended for the centralization and simplification of the chain of command and direct support assets, making the planning and conduction of the Group’s activities more efficient.The Selection and Training Section (STS) was inspired by the U.S. Army’s John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (SWCS), whose broad instruction disciplines go over Combat Diving, Land Operations in general, Counter-Terrorism, Unconventional Warfare, and more.The STS would be responsible for the joint training of all personnel. This was partly inspired by the UKSF’s unified selection and training program — it allows for great coordination of common doctrine and techniques between forces, promoting interoperability and also facilitating the sharing of experiences.The Special Operators’ (SOs) training, to minimal qualification and readiness standards, should take up to 24 weeks (6 months), with the Operators improving their skills and technical knowledge over time, throughout their service. The training program would be divided into three phases:Assessment and Selection (A&S), where the candidates would be psychologically evaluated, where their basic skills and physical aptitude would be tested, and where passing candidates would then be inducted as trainees (candidates would have to have previously completed their branches’ recruit training, or “Bootcamp”, as well as the basic training for their respective arms, such as Infantry, Airborne, Aviation, etc);Qualification Training (QT), where the fundamentals of Special Warfare and Small Unit Tactics would be taught to the trainees;And Advanced Training (AT), where the trainees would receive advanced training in Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (or TTPs), and would undergo intensive training exercises until these doctrines become “second nature” to them, etc.The Studies and Development Section (SDS) was inspired by the British SAS’s Operations Research Wing (ORW), and by the American JSOC’s tactics and equipment studies elements within its main components (“DEVGRU” and “Delta Force”). This Section would analyze previous engagements and compare failures against successes, would conduct studies on how to improve the fighting doctrines, would create specifications for and conduct the evaluation of new equipment and weapons, etc.ABOUT M SQUADRON (M Sdn)This is the maritime component (Navy), and was based on the U.S. Navy’s Sea, Air and Land Teams (SEALs). Its Troops were based on the SEAL Teams’ Platoons. This Squadron’s Operators are titled Amphibious Raiders. This title is a tribute to the US’s WWII Amphibious Scouts and Raiders of the joint Army-Navy-Marine Observer Group, whose efforts and experiences in developing Underwater Demolitions and Combat Diving techniques, as well as specialized diving gear, laid the foundations for the doctrines of the OSS Maritime Unit’s Operational Divers and the Navy’s Underwater Demolition Teams (UDTs) that came shortly after — and also the SEAL Teams later on, by extent.M Squadron is made up by a Squadron Headquarters (SHQ) and two regular Troops, plus a reserve one. This is so the regular Troops can take turns rotating six-month combat deployments per year. The Troop that isn’t deployed would maintain its combat-readiness, maintain and enhance its skills, as well as remain on constant standby for short-notice missions worldwide (which would include Counter-Terrorism interventions, both at sea and on land). The Reserve Troop, besides conducting continuous training and remaining ready to relieve or replace elements from the regular Troops, would also serve a domestic Security Assistance duty (which would include the conduction of critical interventions such as maritime Counter-Terrorism).Each Troop is made up by a Headquarters Section (HQS) and two Combat Sections — a Helicopter Section (HS) for airborne operations, and a Boat Section (BS) for waterborne operations. Both Combat Sections are 10-Operator strong, and can split up:In two 5-person Squads (each made up by a 3-person Assault Team and a 2-person Reconnaissance Team);Into one 6-person Assault Squad (made up by two 3-person Assault Teams) and one 4-person Reconnaissance Squad;Or in two 4-person Assault Squads and one 2-person Reconnaissance Team.The Sections are numbered according to their respective Troops, so there’s:HS1 and BS1 in One Troop (M1);HS2 and BS2 in Two Troop (M2);And HS3 and BS3 in the Reserve Troop (M3).When on regular deployments, a Troop’s Helicopter Section and a 5-person Squad from the Troop’s Boat Section would deploy aboard and operate from the Navy’s ships, either separately or as a Task Unit (TU), while the other 5-person Squad from the Troop’s Boat Section would deploy aboard and operate from the Navy’s submarines, independently.The Amphibious Raiders would be both Amphibious Commandos and Naval/Amphibious Special Forces Operators, meaning that they would conduct the full spectrum of Naval Special Warfare — hydrographic survey and reconnaissance; harbor and beach reconnaissance; Clearance Diving and Underwater Demolitions; ship and platform operations; etc —, plus small-scale amphibious and land operations — Amphibious and Special Reconnaissance (AR and SR); Direct Action (DA) raids, strikes and assaults; diving and boat infiltration for Intelligence-Gathering (IG) and Irregular/Unconventional Warfare (IW/UW); clandestine and Intelligence support operations; VIP escort and protection; etc.A Combat Diver (“Frogman”) of the OSS Maritime Unit training with the experimental Mark 10 SCUBA Lambertsen Amphibious Respiratory Unit (LARU), one of the earliest closed-circuit diving apparatus (“rebreather”).U.S. Navy SEALs demonstrating their diving infiltration capabilities, equiped with the modern Dräger LAR V (Mark 25) closed-circuit diving apparatus.“DEVGRU” Operators after a night mission during a combat deployment in Afghanistan (circa 2009).ABOUT L SQUADRON (L Sdn)This is the land component (Army), and was based on the US’s Army Special Operations Forces (ARSOF; Rangers, “Green Berets” and “Delta Force” Operators). Its Troops were based on the U.S. Army’s “Delta Force” Troops (as well as on the British and Commonwealth SAS Troops). This Squadron’s Operators are titled Rangers. This title is a tribute to the American Colonial Ranging Companies — which first appeared in 1622, and helped pioneer Irregular/Unconventional Warfare as we know it today (conducting asymmetric actions against hostile tribes, while aiding and exchanging knowledge with friendly tribes) —, while also serving as a nod to the modern 75th Ranger Regiment (the world’s premier assault force). It is worth noting that other countries’ Commando and Special Forces units (and Operators) also borrow the term Ranger, such as the Portuguese Army Rangers from its Special Operations Troops Center, the Irish Army Ranger Wing, New Zealand’s SAS Troopers (historically called Rangers), and so on.L Squadron is made up by a Squadron Headquarters (SHQ) and four regular Troops, plus a reserve one. This is so the regular Squadrons can take turns rotating three-month combat deployments per year. The Troop that isn’t deployed would maintain its combat-readiness, maintain and enhance its skills, as well as remain on standby for short-notice missions worldwide (which would include Counter-Terrorism interventions). The Reserve Troop, besides conducting continuous training and remaining ready to relieve or replace elements from the regular Troops, would also serve a domestic Security Assistance duty (which would include the conduction of critical interventions such as Counter-Terrorism).Each Troop is made up by a Headquarters Section (HQS) and two Operational Detachments (ODs) — double, for the reserve Troop. Each Detachment is a 5-person Squad, divisible into one 3-person Assault Team and one 2-person Reconnaissance Team. The Operational Detachments are numbered with NATO phonetic alphabet letters throughout the Squadron; so there’s:ODA (“Alpha”) and ODB (“Bravo”) in One Troop (L1);ODC (“Charlie”) and ODD (“Delta”) in Two Troop (L2);ODE (“Echo”) and ODF (“Foxtrot”) in Three Troop (L3);ODG (“Golf”) and ODH (“Hotel”) in Four Troop (L4);and ODI (“India”), ODJ (“Juliet”), ODK (“Kilo”) and ODL (“Lima”) in the Reserve Troop (L5).When on regular deployments, the Troops’ Operational Detachments would operate independently or work with the conventional Army forces or with foreign partner forces, with either each OD acting separately, or with both ODs acting as a Task Unit (TU) — re-organized as two 4-person Assault Squads and one 2-person Reconnaissance Team (or as one 6-person Assault Squad and one 4-person Reconnaissance Squad).The Rangers would be both Commandos and Special Forces Operators, meaning that they would conduct the full spectrum of the Special Warfare doctrine — small-scale Direct Action (DA) raids, strikes and assaults; Special Reconnaissance (SR) and Intelligence-Gathering (IG); Irregular/Unconventional Warfare (IW/UW); clandestine and Intelligence support operations; VIP escort and protection; etc. Additionally, the members of the two-person Reconnaissance Teams would have to be fully-qualified Combat Divers (“Frogmen”), as to support their Detachments during amphibious operations — through Amphibious Reconnaissance (AR); Clearance Diving to remove obstacles for boats and amphibious vehicles; conducting diving and boat infiltration during Special Reconnaissance (SR) missions; etc.An artistic illustration of an American Colonial/Revolutionary-period Ranging Party conducting a reconnaissance patrol, supported by friendly native trackers.“Into The Breach”, by Stuart Brown. This painting is dedicated to the U.S. Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment, and depicts a Ranger surgical night raid in Afghanistan (supported by MD Helicopters A/MH-6 Little Bird light attack/transport helicopters of the 160th SOAR [A]).U.S. Army Special Forces Operators (a.k.a. “Green Berets”) from ‘Task Force Dagger’ coordinating with the Afghan Northern Alliance for combined operations (Unconventional Warfare, or UW) against the Taliban regime during the invasion phase of the War in Afghanistan (circa November 2001).ABOUT H SQUADRON (H Sdn)This is the helicopter component (Air Force), and was based upon the U.S. Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne). This Squadron is made up by a Squadron Headquarters (SHQ) and four regular Flights, plus a reserve one.The Flights would rotate three-month deployments supporting the Rangers from L Squadron on combat deployments, also being capable of splitting up to support individual Ranger Detachments, as needed. The Squadron’s assets and personnel would also be able to support Ranger Detachments individually on short-notice missions worldwide, in-between scheduled deployments, as required.H Squadron’s Flights each comprehend a Headquarters Section (HQS), an Attack Section (AS) with light and medium/heavy attack helicopters, and a Transport Section (TS) with light and medium transport helicopters. The Attack and Transport Sections are numbered according to their respective Flights; so there’s:AS1 and TS1 in One Flight (H1);AS2 and TS2 in Two Flight (H2);AS3 and TS3 in Three Flight (H3);AS4 and TS4 in Four Flight (H4);And AS5 and TS5 in the Reserve Flight (H5).H Squadron Aviators and Flightcrews would be trained to conduct Special Insertion and Extraction (SIE) of SOF troops, as well as airborne observation and fire support, and ground attack. They would also be qualified to conduct Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC), Personnel Recovery (PR) and Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR).A Sikorsky MH-60M Black Hawk medium multi-mission helicopter of the 160th SOAR (A).U.S. Army Special Operators (supposedly from “Delta Force”), supported by an MD Helicopters MH-6M Little Bird light transport helicopter of the 160th SOAR (A), fast-roping onto a target area during a night-time urban operations exercise.An MD Helicopters AH-6M Little Bird “Killer Egg” light attack helicopter of the 160th SOAR (A) during an attack/fire support exercise.EQUIPMENT — GENERAL ITEMS LIST:Portable Armament:• M112 demolition charge (plus various explosive breaching charges);• M18A1 Claymore directional fragmentation mine;• M67 fragmentation grenade;• M84 stun grenade (“flashbang”);• M18 colored-smoke grenade;• AN-M18 white smoke grenade;• 84mm caliber Saab M4 Carl Gustav recoilless rifle;• 66mm caliber Nammo M72A6/A7 lightweight anti-tank weapon (LAW);• 60mm caliber M224A1 lightweight mortar;• 40mm caliber LMT L2B M203 2003 (9″ tube) rail-mounted grenade launcher (capable of use as a stand-alone weapon, mounted on an L2B1PG frame);• .50 BMG caliber Barrett M107A1 anti-materiel rifle;• .338 Lapua Magnum caliber McMillan TAC-338 sniper rifle;• 12ga caliber Remington M870 MCS short-barrel breacher shotgun;• 7.62mm (NATO) caliber LWRC M6A3 (16″ barrel) marksman/sniper rifle;• 7.62mm (NATO) caliber FN Mk48 Mod 1 lightweight machine gun;• 5.56mm (NATO) caliber FN Mk46 Mod 1 light machine gun;• 5.56mm (NATO) caliber LWRC M6A2 (14.7″ barrel) assault rifle;• 5.56mm (NATO) caliber LWRC M6A2 CQB (10.5″ barrel) carbine;• 5.56mm (NATO) caliber LWRC M6-PSD subcompact carbine (PDW for vehicle/air crews);• 9mm Parabellum caliber Heckler & Koch MP5-N submachine gun;• 9mm Parabellum caliber Brügger & Thomet MP9R-N machine pistol/PDW;• 4.6mm (HK) caliber Heckler & Koch MP7A2 machine pistol/PDW;• .45 ACP caliber Heckler & Koch HK45 Compact Tactical pistol;• 9mm Parabellum caliber Glock 19 Gen4 pistol;• Fixed-blade Benchmade Nimravus (“Drop-Point” blade; serrated edge) utility/combat knife.Optical Systems:• Insight Technology (L3 Warrior Systems) AN/PVS-31/31A Binocular Night Vision Device (BNVD);• Insight Technology (L3 Warrior Systems) AN/PSQ-36 Fusion Goggle Enhanced (FGE);• Insight Technology (L3 Warrior Systems) Ground Panoramic Night Vision Goggles (GPNVG);• EOTech M553 holographic sight;• EOTech Holographic Hybrid Sight (HHS) — EXPS-3 sight, plus G33.STS magnifier;• ELCAN SpectreDR 1x/4x dual-role sight — with Tenebraex killFlash (SDRTN4-ARD) anti-reflex device;• AimPoint Micro red dot sight (many configurations).Personal Protection Equipment (PPE):• Gentex Advanced Combat Helmet (ACH);• Ops-Core FAST High Cut (standard) modular ballistic helmet;• Crye Precision AirFrame modular ballistic helmet;• Eagle Industries Improved Scalable Plate Carrier (ISPC) vest;• Eagle Industries Combat-Integrated Releasable Armor System (CIRAS) — Land vest;• Eagle Industries Modular Ballistic Armor Vest (MBAV);• Eagle Industries AERO Assault Basic Armor Carrier vest;• Crye Precision CAGE Plate Carrier vest;• Joint pads inserted into the uniform (optional).Uniform and camouflage:• Custom uniform based on the G2/G3 Combat Uniform (for reference, check the photo of “DEVGRU” Operators in the answer, above); in• Legacy US camouflage patterns (US Tigerstripe, M81 Woodland and the “Coffee Stain” Desert camo); or• US and Canadian digital, pixelated camouflage patterns (CADPAT, MARPAT, Navy AOR and Army UCP patterns); or• Crye Precision’s MultiCam family of camouflage patterns.Vehicles and mobility equipment:• Sikorsky MH-60M Black Hawk helicopter (or custom export equivalent);• Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian helicopter;• MD Helicopters A/MH-6M Little Bird helicopter (or custom MD530 export variant);• General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper surveillance/attack drone;• Boeing Insitu RQ-21A Blackjack surveillance drone;• AeroVironment RQ-11B Raven surveillance drone;• Schiebel Camcopter S-100 drone;• Static-line T-10 parachute;• Ram air Multi-Mission Parachute System (MMPS);• Dräger LAR V (Mk25) closed-circuit diving apparatus;• STIDD Systems Diver Propulsion Device (DPD);• Zodiac Milpro Futura Commando 420 (FC420) Combat Rubber Raiding Craft (CRRC);• Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB/RIB) — custom model;• Polaris Sportsman MV850 quadbike;• Polaris MRZR-4 tactical vehicle;• AM General GMV modular light armored vehicle.That’s it. It was a long answer, as I had warned; but it was a nice exercise, organizing all of these ideas. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it…

Michael Gerard Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2005. Nicknamed "Iron Mike"[3]and "Kid Dynamite" in his early career, and later known as "The Baddest Man on the Planet",[4]Tyson is considered one of the best heavyweight boxers of all time.[5]He reigned as the undisputed world heavyweight champion from 1987 to 1990. Claiming his first belt at 20 years, four months, and 22 days old, Tyson holds the record as the youngest boxer to win a heavyweight title.[6]Tyson won his first 19 professional fights by knockout, 12 of them in the first round. He won the WBC title in 1986 after stopping Trevor Berbick in the second round, and added the WBA and IBF titles after defeating James Smith and Tony Tucker in 1987. He was the first heavyweight boxer to simultaneously hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles, as well as the only heavyweight to unify them in succession. The following year, Tyson became the lineal champion when he knocked out Michael Spinks in 91 seconds of the first round.[7]In 1990, Tyson lost the titles to underdog Buster Douglas, who knocked him out in the tenth round.In 1992, Tyson was convicted of rape and sentenced to six years in prison, although he was released on parole after three years.[8][9][10]After his release in 1995, he engaged in a series of comeback fights, regaining the WBA and WBC titles in 1996 to join Floyd Patterson, Muhammad Ali, Tim Witherspoon, Evander Holyfield and George Foreman as the only men in boxing history to have regained a heavyweight championship after losing it. After being stripped of the WBC title in the same year, Tyson lost the WBA title to Evander Holyfield by an eleventh round stoppage. Their 1997 rematch ended when Tyson was disqualified for biting Holyfield's ears, one bite notoriously being strong enough to remove a portion of his right ear.In 2002, Tyson fought for the world heavyweight title again at the age of 35, losing by knockout to Lennox Lewis. Tyson retired from professional boxing in 2006, after being stopped in consecutive matches against journeymen Danny Williams and Kevin McBride. Tyson declared bankruptcy in 2003, despite having received over $30 million for several of his fights and $300 million during his career. At the time the media reported that he had approximately $23 million in debt.[11]Tyson was known for his ferocious and intimidating boxing style as well as his controversial behavior inside and outside the ring. He holds the sixth longest unified championship reign in heavyweight boxing history at 8 consecutive defenses. BoxRec ranked him as the world's top 10 heavyweight 12 times, and placed him at No.1 from 1986 to 1989.[12]He was ranked 16th on The Ring magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time,[13]and first on ESPN's list of "The Hardest Hitters in Heavyweight History".[14]Sky Sports described him as "perhaps the most ferocious fighter to step into a professional ring".[15]He has been inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame.Contents1Early life2Amateur career3Professional career3.1Rise to stardom3.2Undisputed champion3.3Controversy and upset3.4After Douglas4Rape trial and prison5Comeback5.1Tyson–Holyfield fights5.1.1Tyson vs. Holyfield I5.1.2Tyson vs. Holyfield II and aftermath5.21999–20055.2.1Lewis vs. Tyson5.2.2Later career, bankruptcy, and retirement6Exhibition fights6.1Mike Tyson's World Tour6.2Tyson vs. Jones7Legacy8Life after boxing9Personal life10In popular culture11Professional boxing record12Exhibition boxing record13Pay-per-view bouts13.1Professional boxing13.1.1PPV home television13.1.2Closed-circuit theatre TV13.2Professional wrestling13.2.1World Wrestling Federation13.2.2All Elite Wrestling14Awards and honors14.1Humane letters14.2Boxing14.3Professional wrestling15See also16References17External linksEarly lifeMichael Gerard Tyson was born in Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York City on June 30, 1966.[16]He has an older brother named Rodney (born c. 1961)[17]and an older sister named Denise, who died of a heart attack at age 24 in February 1990.[18]Tyson's biological father is listed as "Purcell Tyson" (who was from Jamaica) on his birth certificate,[19][20]but the man Tyson had known as his father was Jimmy Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick was from Grier Town, North Carolina (a predominantly black neighborhood that was annexed by the city of Charlotte),[21]where he was one of the neighborhood's top baseball players. Kirkpatrick married and had a son, Tyson's half-brother Jimmie Lee Kirkpatrick, who would help to integrate Charlotte high school football in 1965. In 1959, Jimmy Kirkpatrick left his family and moved to Brooklyn, where he met Tyson's mother, Lorna Mae (Smith) Tyson. Kirkpatrick frequented pool halls, gambled and hung out on the streets. "My father was just a regular street guy caught up in the street world", Tyson said. Kirkpatrick abandoned the Tyson family around the time Mike was born, leaving Tyson's mother to care for the children on her own.[22]Kirkpatrick died in 1992.[23]The family lived in Bedford-Stuyvesant until their financial burdens necessitated a move to Brownsville when Tyson was 10 years old.[24]Tyson's mother died six years later, leaving 16-year-old Tyson in the care of boxing manager and trainer Cus D'Amato, who would become his legal guardian. Tyson later said, "I never saw my mother happy with me and proud of me for doing something: she only knew me as being a wild kid running the streets, coming home with new clothes that she knew I didn't pay for. I never got a chance to talk to her or know about her. Professionally, it has no effect, but it's crushing emotionally and personally."[25]Throughout his childhood, Tyson lived in and around neighborhoods with a high rate of crime. According to an interview in Details, his first fight was with a bigger youth who had pulled the head off one of Tyson's pigeons.[26]Tyson was repeatedly caught committing petty crimes and fighting those who ridiculed his high-pitched voice and lisp. By the age of 13, he had been arrested 38 times.[27]He ended up at the Tryon School for Boys in Johnstown, New York. Tyson's emerging boxing ability was discovered there by Bobby Stewart, a juvenile detention center counselor and former boxer. Stewart considered Tyson to be an outstanding fighter and trained him for a few months before introducing him to Cus D'Amato.[22]Tyson dropped out of high school as a junior.[28]He would be awarded an honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Central State University in 1989.[29]Kevin Rooney also trained Tyson, and he was occasionally assisted by Teddy Atlas, although Atlas was dismissed by D'Amato when Tyson was 15. Rooney eventually took over all training duties for the young fighter.[30]Amateur careerAs an amateur, Tyson won gold medals at the 1981 and 1982 Junior Olympic Games, defeating Joe Cortez in 1981 and beating Kelton Brown in 1982. Brown's corner threw in the towel in the first round. He fought Henry Tillman twice as an amateur, losing both bouts by decision. Tillman went on to win heavyweight gold at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.[31]Professional careerRise to stardomMain article: Trevor Berbick vs. Mike TysonTyson made his professional debut as an 18-year-old on March 6, 1985, in Albany, New York. He defeated Hector Mercedes via first-round TKO.[22]He had 15 bouts in his first year as a professional. Fighting frequently, Tyson won 26 of his first 28 fights by KO or TKO; 16 of those came in the first round.[32]The quality of his opponents gradually increased to journeyman fighters and borderline contenders,[32]like James Tillis, David Jaco, Jesse Ferguson, Mitch Green, and Marvis Frazier. His win streak attracted media attention and Tyson was billed as the next great heavyweight champion. D'Amato died in November 1985, relatively early into Tyson's professional career, and some speculate that his death was the catalyst to many of the troubles Tyson was to experience as his life and career progressed.[33]Tyson's first nationally televised bout took place on February 16, 1986, at Houston Field House in Troy, New York, against journeyman heavyweight Jesse Ferguson, and was carried by ABC Sports. Tyson knocked down Ferguson with an uppercut in the fifth round that broke Ferguson's nose.[34]During the sixth round, Ferguson began to hold and clinch Tyson in an apparent attempt to avoid further punishment. After admonishing Ferguson several times to obey his commands to box, the referee finally stopped the fight near the middle of the sixth round. The fight was initially ruled a win for Tyson by disqualification (DQ) of his opponent. The ruling was "adjusted" to a win by technical knockout (TKO) after Tyson's corner protested that a DQ win would end Tyson's string of knockout victories, and that a knockout would have been the inevitable result.In July, after recording six more knockout victories, Tyson fought former world title challenger Marvis Frazier in Glens Falls, New York, on another ABC Sports broadcast. Tyson won easily, charging at Frazier at the opening bell and hitting him with an uppercut that knocked Frazier unconscious thirty seconds into the fight.On November 22, 1986, Tyson was given his first title fight against Trevor Berbick for the World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight championship. Tyson won the title by TKO in the second round, and at the age of 20 years and 4 months became the youngest heavyweight champion in history.[35]Tyson's dominant performance brought many accolades. Donald Saunders wrote: "The noble and manly art of boxing can at least cease worrying about its immediate future, now [that] it has discovered a heavyweight champion fit to stand alongside Dempsey, Tunney, Louis, Marciano, and Ali."[36]Tyson intimidated fighters with his strength, combined with outstanding hand speed, accuracy, coordination and timing.[37]Tyson also possessed notable defensive abilities, holding his hands high in the peek-a-boo style taught by his mentor Cus D'Amato[38][39]to slip under and weave around his opponent's punches while timing his own.[39]Tyson's explosive punching technique was due in large part to crouching immediately prior to throwing a hook or an uppercut: this allowed the 'spring' of his legs to add power to the punch.[40]Among his signature moves was a right hook to his opponent's body followed by a right uppercut to his opponent's chin. Lorenzo Boyd, Jesse Ferguson and José Ribalta were each knocked down by this combination.[citation needed]Undisputed championSee also: Mike Tyson vs. James Smith, Mike Tyson vs. Tony Tucker, and Mike Tyson vs. Michael SpinksExpectations for Tyson were extremely high, and he was the favorite to win the heavyweight unification series, a tournament designed to establish an undisputed heavyweight champion. Tyson defended his title against James Smith on March 7, 1987, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He won by unanimous decision and added Smith's World Boxing Association (WBA) title to his existing belt.[41]"Tyson-mania" in the media was becoming rampant.[42]He beat Pinklon Thomas in May by TKO in the sixth round.[43]On August 1 he took the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title from Tony Tucker in a twelve-round unanimous decision 119–111, 118–113, and 116–112.[44]He became the first heavyweight to own all three major belts – WBA, WBC, and IBF – at the same time. Another fight, in October of that year, ended with a victory for Tyson over 1984 Olympic super heavyweight gold medalist Tyrell Biggs by TKO in the seventh round.[45]During this time, Tyson came to the attention of gaming company Nintendo. After witnessing one of Tyson's fights, Nintendo of America president Minoru Arakawa was impressed by the fighter's "power and skill", prompting him to suggest Tyson be included in the upcoming Nintendo Entertainment System port of the Punch Out!! arcade game. In 1987, Nintendo released Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, which was well received and sold more than a million copies.[46]Tyson had three fights in 1988. He faced Larry Holmes on January 22, 1988, and defeated the legendary former champion by KO in the fourth round.[47]This was the only knockout loss Holmes suffered in 75 professional bouts. In March, Tyson then fought contender Tony Tubbs in Tokyo, Japan, fitting in an easy second-round TKO victory amid promotional and marketing work.[48]On June 27, 1988, Tyson faced Michael Spinks. Spinks, who had taken the heavyweight championship from Larry Holmes via fifteen-round decision in 1985, had not lost his title in the ring but was not recognized as champion by the major boxing organizations. Holmes had previously given up all but the IBF title, and that was eventually stripped from Spinks after he elected to fight Gerry Cooney (winning by TKO in the fifth round) rather than IBF Number 1 Contender Tony Tucker, as the Cooney fight provided him a larger purse. However, Spinks did become the lineal champion by beating Holmes and many (including Ring magazine) considered him to have a legitimate claim to being the true heavyweight champion.[49]The bout was, at the time, the richest fight in history and expectations were very high. Boxing pundits were predicting a titanic battle of styles, with Tyson's aggressive infighting conflicting with Spinks's skillful out-boxing and footwork. The fight ended after 91 seconds when Tyson knocked Spinks out in the first round; many consider this to be the pinnacle of Tyson's fame and boxing ability.[50][51]Controversy and upsetMain article: Mike Tyson vs. Buster DouglasDuring this period, Tyson's problems outside the ring were also starting to emerge. His marriage to Robin Givens was heading for divorce,[52]and his future contract was being fought over by Don King and Bill Cayton.[53]In late 1988, Tyson parted with manager Bill Cayton and fired longtime trainer Kevin Rooney, the man many credit for honing Tyson's craft after the death of D'Amato.[39][54]Following Rooney's departure, critics alleged that Tyson began to show less head movement and combination punching.[55]In 1989, Tyson had only two fights amid personal turmoil. He faced the British boxer Frank Bruno in February. Bruno managed to stun Tyson at the end of the first round,[56]although Tyson went on to knock Bruno out in the fifth round. Tyson then knocked out Carl "The Truth" Williams in the first round in July.[57]By 1990, Tyson seemed to have lost direction, and his personal life was in disarray amidst reports of less vigorous training prior to the Buster Douglas match.[58]In a fight on February 11, 1990, he lost the undisputed championship to Douglas in Tokyo.[59]Tyson was a huge betting favorite; indeed, the Mirage, the only casino to put out odds for the fight, made Tyson a 42/1 favorite. Tyson failed to find a way past Douglas's quick jab that had a 12-inch (30 cm) reach advantage over his own.[60]Tyson did catch Douglas with an uppercut in the eighth round and knocked him to the floor, but Douglas recovered sufficiently to hand Tyson a heavy beating in the subsequent two rounds. After the fight, the Tyson camp would complain that the count was slow and that Douglas had taken longer than ten seconds to get back on his feet.[61]Just 35 seconds into the tenth round, Douglas unleashed a brutal uppercut, followed by a four-punch combination of hooks that sent Tyson to the canvas for the first time in his career. He was counted out by referee Octavio Meyran.[59]The knockout victory by Douglas over Tyson, the previously undefeated "baddest man on the planet" and arguably the most feared boxer in professional boxing at that time, has been described as one of the most shocking upsets in modern sports history.[62][63]After DouglasMain articles: Mike Tyson vs. Henry Tillman, Mike Tyson vs. Alex Stewart, Mike Tyson vs. Donovan Ruddock, and Mike Tyson vs. Donovan Ruddock IIDespite the shocking loss, Tyson has said that losing to Douglas was the greatest moment of his career. “I needed that fight to make me a better person and fighter. I have a broader perspective of myself and boxing.”[64]After the loss, Tyson recovered with first-round knockouts of Henry Tillman[65]and Alex Stewart[66]in his next two fights. Tyson's victory over Tillman, the 1984 Olympic heavyweight gold medalist, enabled Tyson to avenge his amateur losses at Tillman's hands. These bouts set up an elimination match for another shot at the undisputed world heavyweight championship, which Evander Holyfield had taken from Douglas in his first defense of the title.[67]Tyson, who was the number one contender, faced number two contender Donovan "Razor" Ruddock on March 18, 1991, in Las Vegas. Ruddock was seen as the most dangerous heavyweight around and was thought of as one of the hardest punching heavyweights. Tyson and Ruddock went back and forth for most of the fight, until referee Richard Steele controversially stopped the fight during the seventh round in favor of Tyson. This decision infuriated the fans in attendance, sparking a post-fight melee in the audience. The referee had to be escorted from the ring.[68]Tyson and Ruddock met again on June 28 that year, with Tyson knocking down Ruddock twice and winning a twelve-round unanimous decision 113–109, 114–108, and 114–108.[69]A fight between Tyson and Holyfield for the undisputed championship was scheduled for November 8, 1991, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, but Tyson pulled out after sustaining a rib cartilage injury during training.[70]Rape trial and prisonTyson was arrested in July 1991 for the rape of 18-year-old Desiree Washington, Miss Black Rhode Island, in an Indianapolis hotel room. Tyson's rape trial took place in the Marion County superior court from January 26 to February 10, 1992.[71]Partial corroboration of Washington's story came via testimony from Tyson's chauffeur who confirmed Desiree Washington's state of shock after the incident. Further testimony came from the emergency room physician who examined Washington more than 24 hours after the incident and confirmed that Washington's physical condition was consistent with rape.[72]Under lead defense lawyer Vincent J. Fuller's direct examination, Tyson claimed that everything had taken place with Washington's full consent and he claimed not to have forced himself upon her. When he was cross-examined by lead prosecutor Gregory Garrison, Tyson denied claims that he had misled Washington and insisted that she wanted to have sex with him.[73]Tyson was convicted on the rape charge on February 10, 1992, after the jury deliberated for nearly 10 hours.[74]Alan Dershowitz, acting as Tyson's counsel, filed an appeal urging error of law in the Court's exclusion of evidence of the victim's past sexual conduct (known as the Rape Shield Law), the exclusion of three potential defense witnesses, and the lack of a jury instruction on honest and reasonable mistake of fact.[75]The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled against Tyson in a 2–1 vote.[75]The Indiana Supreme Court let the lower court opinion stand due to a 2–2 split in its review. The tie vote was due to the fact that the then-Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court recused himself from the case. The Chief Justice later revealed he did so because of a heated argument between his wife and Dershowitz at a Yale Law School reunion concerning the case.[76]On March 26, 1992, Tyson was sentenced to six years in prison along with four years of probation.[77]He was assigned to the Indiana Youth Center (now the Plainfield Correctional Facility) in April 1992,[78]and he was released in March 1995 after serving less than three years of the sentence.[79]It has been widely reported that while in prison, he converted to Islam and adopted the Muslim name Malik Abdulaziz[80](though some sources report the adoption of a different Islamic name, Malik Shabazz).[81]However, Tyson has stated that he converted to Islam before entering prison, but made no efforts to correct the misinformation in the media.[82]Due to his conviction, Tyson is required to register as a Tier II sex offender under federal law.[83][84][85]ComebackMain articles: Mike Tyson vs. Peter McNeeley, Mike Tyson vs. Buster Mathis Jr., Frank Bruno vs. Mike Tyson II, and Bruce Seldon vs. Mike TysonAfter being paroled from prison, Tyson easily won his comeback bouts against Peter McNeeley and Buster Mathis Jr.. Tyson's first comeback fight grossed more than US$96 million worldwide, including a United States record $63 million for PPV television. The viewing of the fight was purchased by 1.52 million homes, setting both PPV viewership and revenue records.[86]The 89-second fight elicited criticism that Tyson's management lined up "tomato cans" to ensure easy victories for his return.[87]TV Guide included the Tyson–McNeeley fight in their list of the 50 Greatest TV Sports Moments of All Time in 1998.[88]Tyson regained one belt by easily winning the WBC title against Frank Bruno in March 1996. It was the second fight between the two, and Tyson knocked out Bruno in the third round.[89]In 1996, Lennox Lewis turned down a $13.5 million guarantee to fight Tyson. This would've been Lewis's highest fight purse to date. Lewis then accepted $4 million from Don King to step aside and allow Tyson to fight Bruce Seldon for an expected $30 million instead with the intention that if Tyson defeated Seldon, he would fight Lewis next.[90]Tyson added the WBA belt by defeating champion Seldon in the first round in September that year. Seldon was severely criticized and mocked in the popular press for seemingly collapsing to innocuous punches from Tyson.[91]Tyson–Holyfield fightsTyson vs. Holyfield IMain article: Mike Tyson vs. Evander HolyfieldTyson attempted to defend the WBA title against Evander Holyfield, who was in the fourth fight of his own comeback. Holyfield had retired in 1994 following the loss of his championship to Michael Moorer. It was said that Don King and others saw former champion Holyfield, who was 34 at the time of the fight and a huge underdog, as a washed-up fighter.[92]On November 9, 1996, in Las Vegas, Nevada, Tyson faced Holyfield in a title bout dubbed "Finally". In a surprising turn of events, Holyfield, who was given virtually no chance to win by numerous commentators,[93]defeated Tyson by TKO when referee Mitch Halpern stopped the bout in round eleven.[94]Holyfield became the second boxer to win a heavyweight championship belt three times. Holyfield's victory was marred by allegations from Tyson's camp of Holyfield's frequent headbutts[95]during the bout. Although the headbutts were ruled accidental by the referee,[95]they would become a point of contention in the subsequent rematch.[96]Tyson vs. Holyfield II and aftermathMain article: Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson IITyson and Holyfield fought again on June 28, 1997. Originally, Halpern was supposed to be the referee, but after Tyson's camp protested, Halpern stepped aside in favor of Mills Lane.[97]The highly anticipated rematch was dubbed The Sound and the Fury, and it was held at the Las Vegas MGM Grand Garden Arena, site of the first bout. It was a lucrative event, drawing even more attention than the first bout and grossing $100 million. Tyson received $30 million and Holyfield $35 million, the highest paid professional boxing purses until 2007.[98][99]The fight was purchased by 1.99 million households, setting a pay-per-view buy rate record that stood until May 5, 2007, being surpassed by Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr.[99][100]Soon to become one of the most controversial events in modern sports,[101]the fight was stopped at the end of the third round, with Tyson disqualified[102]for biting Holyfield on both ears. The first time Tyson bit him, the match was temporarily stopped. Referee Mills Lane deducted two points from Tyson and the fight resumed. However, after the match resumed, Tyson bit him again, resulting in his disqualification, and Holyfield won the match. The first bite was severe enough to remove a piece of Holyfield's right ear, which was found on the ring floor after the fight.[103]Tyson later stated that his actions were retaliation for Holyfield repeatedly headbutting him without penalty.[96]In the confusion that followed the ending of the bout and announcement of the decision, a near riot occurred in the arena and several people were injured.[104]Tyson Holyfield II was the first heavyweight title fight in over 50 years to end in a disqualification.[105]As a subsequent fallout from the incident, US$3 million was immediately withheld from Tyson's $30-million purse by the Nevada state boxing commission (the most it could legally hold back at the time).[106]Two days after the fight, Tyson issued a statement,[107]apologizing to Holyfield for his actions and asked not to be banned for life over the incident.[108]Tyson was roundly condemned in the news media but was not without defenders. Novelist and commentator Katherine Dunn wrote a column that criticized Holyfield's sportsmanship in the controversial bout and charged the news media with being biased against Tyson.[109]On July 9, 1997, Tyson's boxing license was rescinded by the Nevada State Athletic Commission in a unanimous voice vote; he was also fined US$3 million and ordered to pay the legal costs of the hearing.[110]As most state athletic commissions honor sanctions imposed by other states, this effectively made Tyson unable to box in the United States. The revocation was not permanent, as the commission voted 4–1 to restore Tyson's boxing license on October 18, 1998.[111]During his time away from boxing in 1998, Tyson made a guest appearance at WrestleMania XIV as an enforcer for the main event match between Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin. During this time, Tyson was also an unofficial member of Michaels's stable, D-Generation X. Tyson was paid $3 million for being guest enforcer of the match at WrestleMania XIV.[112]1999–2005Main articles: Mike Tyson vs. Francois Botha and Mike Tyson vs. Andrew Golota"I'm the best ever. I'm the most brutal and vicious, the most ruthless champion there has ever been. There's no one can stop me. Lennox is a conqueror? No! I'm Alexander! He's no Alexander! I'm the best ever. There's never been anyone as ruthless. I'm Sonny Liston. I'm Jack Dempsey. There's no one like me. I'm from their cloth. There is no one who can match me. My style is impetuous, my defense is impregnable, and I'm just ferocious. I want your heart! I want to eat his children! Praise be to Allah!"—Tyson's post-fight interview after knocking out Lou Savarese 38 seconds into the bout in June 2000.[113]In January 1999, Tyson returned to the ring for a match against the South African Francois Botha. This match also ended in controversy. While Botha initially controlled the fight, Tyson allegedly attempted to break Botha's arms during a tie-up and both boxers were cautioned by the referee in the ill-tempered bout. Botha was ahead on points on all scorecards and was confident enough to mock Tyson as the fight continued. Nonetheless, Tyson landed a straight right hand in the fifth round that knocked out Botha.[114]Critics noticed Tyson stopped using the bob and weave defense altogether following this return.[115]Legal problems arose with Tyson once again. On February 5, 1999, Tyson was sentenced to a year's imprisonment, fined $5,000, and ordered to serve two years probation along with undergoing 200 hours of community service for assaulting two motorists after a traffic accident on August 31, 1998.[116]He served nine months of that sentence. After his release, he fought Orlin Norris on October 23, 1999. Tyson knocked down Norris with a left hook thrown after the bell sounded to end the first round. Norris injured his knee when he went down and said that he was unable to continue. Consequently, the bout was ruled a no contest.[117]In 2000, Tyson had three fights. The first match in January was staged at the MEN Arena in Manchester, England against Julius Francis. Following controversy as to whether Tyson was allowed into the country, he took four minutes to knock out Francis, ending the bout in the second round.[118]He also fought Lou Savarese in June 2000 in Glasgow, winning in the first round; the fight lasted only 38 seconds. Tyson continued punching after the referee had stopped the fight, knocking the referee to the floor as he tried to separate the boxers.[119]In October, Tyson fought the similarly controversial Andrew Golota,[120]winning in round three after Gołota was unable to continue due to a broken cheekbone, concussion, and neck injury.[121]The result was later changed to no contest after Tyson refused to take a pre-fight drug test and then tested positive for marijuana in a post-fight urine test.[122]Tyson fought only once in 2001, beating Brian Nielsen in Copenhagen by TKO in the seventh round.[123]Lewis vs. TysonMain article: Lennox Lewis vs. Mike TysonTyson once again had the opportunity to fight for a heavyweight championship in 2002. Lennox Lewis held the WBC, IBF, IBO and Lineal titles at the time. As promising fighters, Tyson and Lewis had sparred at a training camp in a meeting arranged by Cus D'Amato in 1984.[124]Tyson sought to fight Lewis in Nevada for a more lucrative box-office venue, but the Nevada Boxing Commission refused him a license to box as he was facing possible sexual assault charges at the time.[125]Two years prior to the bout, Tyson had made several inflammatory remarks to Lewis in an interview following the Savarese fight. The remarks included the statement "I want your heart, I want to eat your children."[126]On January 22, 2002, the two boxers and their entourages were involved in a brawl at a New York press conference to publicize the planned event.[127]A few weeks later, the Nevada State Athletic Commission refused to grant Tyson a license for the fight, and the promoters had to make alternative arrangements. After multiple states balked at granting Tyson a license, the fight eventually occurred on June 8 at the Pyramid Arena in Memphis, Tennessee. Lewis dominated the fight and knocked out Tyson with a right hand in the eighth round. Tyson was respectful after the fight and praised Lewis on his victory.[128]This fight was the highest-grossing event in pay-per-view history at that time, generating $106.9 million from 1.95 million buys in the US.[99][100]Later career, bankruptcy, and retirementTyson at the Boxing Hall of Fame, 2013In another Memphis fight on February 22, 2003, Tyson beat fringe contender Clifford Etienne 49 seconds into round one. The pre-fight was marred by rumors of Tyson's lack of fitness. Some said that he took time out from training to party in Las Vegas and get a new facial tattoo.[129]This eventually proved to be Tyson's final professional victory in the ring.In August 2003, after years of financial struggles, Tyson finally filed for bankruptcy.[130][131][132]On August 13, 2003, Tyson entered the ring for a face-to-face confrontation against K-1 fighting phenom, Bob Sapp, immediately after Sapp's win against Kimo Leopoldo in Las Vegas. K-1 signed Tyson to a contract with the hopes of making a fight happen between the two, but Tyson's felony history made it impossible for him to obtain a visa to enter Japan, where the fight would have been most profitable. Alternative locations were discussed, but the fight ultimately failed to happen.[133]On July 30, 2004, Tyson had a match against British boxer Danny Williams in another comeback fight, and this time, staged in Louisville, Kentucky. Tyson dominated the opening two rounds. The third round was even, with Williams getting in some clean blows and also a few illegal ones, for which he was penalized. In the fourth round, Tyson was unexpectedly knocked out. After the fight, it was revealed that Tyson was trying to fight on one leg, having torn a ligament in his other knee in the first round. This was Tyson's fifth career defeat.[134]He underwent surgery for the ligament four days after the fight. His manager, Shelly Finkel, claimed that Tyson was unable to throw meaningful right-hand punches since he had a knee injury.[135]On June 11, 2005, Tyson stunned the boxing world by quitting before the start of the seventh round in a close bout against journeyman Kevin McBride. In the 2008 documentary Tyson, he stated that he fought McBride for a payday, that he did not anticipate winning, that he was in poor physical condition and fed up with taking boxing seriously. After losing three of his last four fights, Tyson said he would quit boxing because he felt he had lost his passion for the sport.[136]In 2000 Tyson fired everyone working for him and enlisted new accountants, who prepared a statement showing he started the year $3.3 million in debt but earned $65.7 million.[137]In August 2007, Tyson pleaded guilty to drug possession and driving under the influence in an Arizona court, which stemmed from an arrest in December where authorities said Tyson, who has a long history of legal problems, admitted to using cocaine that day and to being addicted to the drug.[138]Exhibition fightsMike Tyson's World TourTo help pay off his debts, Tyson announced he would be doing a series of exhibition bouts, calling it Tyson's World Tour. For his first bout, Tyson returned to the ring in 2006 for a four-round exhibition against journeyman heavyweight Corey Sanders in Youngstown, Ohio.[139]Tyson, without headgear at 5 ft 10.5 in and 216 pounds, was in quality shape, but far from his prime against Sanders, at 6 ft 6 in[140]who wore headgear. Tyson appeared to be "holding back" in the exhibition to prevent an early end to the "show". "If I don't get out of this financial quagmire there's a possibility I may have to be a punching bag for somebody. The money I make isn't going to help my bills from a tremendous standpoint, but I'm going to feel better about myself. I'm not going to be depressed", explained Tyson about the reasons for his "comeback".[141]After the bout was poorly received by fans the remainder of the tour was cancelled.[142]Tyson vs. JonesMain article: Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr.It was announced in July 2020 that Tyson had signed a contract to face former four-division world champion, Roy Jones Jr., in an eight-round exhibition fight. Mixed martial arts coach Rafael Cordeiro was selected to be Tyson's trainer and cornerman.[143][144]The bout—officially sanctioned by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC)—was initially scheduled to take place on September 12 at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California,[145]however, the date was pushed back to November 28 in order to maximize revenue for the event. The fight went the full 8 rounds, and was declared a draw.[146]The fight was a split draw and the three judges scored the fight as follows: Chad Dawson (76–76 draw), Christy Martin (79–73 for Tyson), and Vinny Pazienza (76–80 for Jones).[147]LegacyTyson was The Ring magazine's Fighter of the Year in 1986 and 1988.[148]A 1998 ranking of "The Greatest Heavyweights of All-Time" by The Ring magazine placed Tyson at No.14 on the list.[149]Despite criticism of facing underwhelming competition during his run as champion, Tyson's knockout power and intimidation factor made him the sport's most dynamic box-office draw.[150]According to Douglas Quenqua of The New York Times, "The [1990s] began with Mike Tyson, considered by many to be the last great heavyweight champion, losing his title to the little-known Buster Douglas. Seven years later, Mr. Tyson bit Evander Holyfield's ear in a heavyweight champion bout—hardly a proud moment for the sport."[151]He is remembered for his attire of black trunks, black shoes with no socks, and a plain white towel fit around his neck in place of a traditional robe, as well as his habit of rapidly pacing the ring before the start of a fight.[150][152]At his peak, Tyson rarely took a step back and had never been knocked down or seriously challenged.[152]According to Martial Arts World Report, it gave Tyson an Honorable Mention in its Ten Greatest Heavyweights of All Time rather than a ranking because longevity is a factor and the peak period of Tyson's career lasted only about 5 years.[153]BoxRec currently ranks Tyson at No. 75 among the greatest pound-for-pound boxers of all time with 370.9 points.[154]In The Ring magazine's list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years, released in 2002, Tyson was ranked at No. 72.[155]He is ranked No. 16 on The Ring magazine's 2003 list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.[156][157]Tyson has defeated 11 boxers for the world heavyweight title, the seventh-most in history.On June 12, 2011, Tyson was inducted to the International Boxing Hall of Fame alongside legendary Mexican champion Julio César Chávez, light welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu, and actor/screenwriter Sylvester Stallone.[158]In 2011, Bleacher Report omitted Tyson from its list of top 10 heavyweights, saying that that "Mike Tyson is not a top 10 heavyweight. He killed the fighters he was supposed to beat, but when he fought another elite fighter, he always lost. I'm not talking about some of those B-level fighters he took a belt from. I'm talking about the handful of good boxers he fought throughout his career."[159]In 2013, Tyson was inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame and headlined the induction ceremony.[160][161]Tyson was inducted into the Southern Nevada Hall of Fame in 2015 along with four other inductees with ties to Southern Nevada.[162][163]Tyson reflected on his strongest opponents in ten categories for a 2014 interview with The Ring magazine, including best jab, best defense, fastest hands, fastest feet, best chin, smartest, strongest, best puncher, best boxer, and best overall.[164]In 2017, The Ring magazine ranked Tyson as No. 9 of 20 heavyweight champions based on a poll of panelists that included trainers, matchmakers, media, historians, and boxers, including:[165]Trainers: Teddy Atlas, Pat Burns, Virgil Hunter, and Don TurnerMatchmakers: Eric Bottjer, Don Chargin, Don Elbaum, Bobby Goodman, Ron Katz, Mike Marchionte, Russell Peltz, and Bruce Trampler.Media: Al Bernstein, Ron Borges, Gareth A Davies, Norm Frauenheim, Jerry Izenberg, Harold Lederman, Paulie Malignaggi, Dan Rafael, and Michael RosenthalHistorians: Craig Hamilton, Steve Lott, Don McRae, Bob Mee, Clay Moyle, Adam Pollack, and Randy RobertsBoxers: Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson participated in the poll, but neither fighter ranked himself. Instead, a weighted average from the other panelists was assigned to their respective slots on their ballots.In 2020, Bill Caplan of The Ring magazine listed Tyson as No. 17 of the 20 greatest heavyweights of all time.[166]Tyson spoke with The Ring magazine in 2020 about his six greatest victories, which included knockouts of Trevor Berbick, Pinklon Thomas, Tony Tucker, Tyrell Biggs, Larry Holmes, and Michael Spinks.[167]In 2020, CBS Sports boxing experts Brian Campbell and Brent Brookhouse ranked the top 10 heavyweights of the last 50 years and Tyson was ranked No. 7.[168]Life after boxingTyson in 2006In an interview with USA Today published on June 3, 2005, Tyson said, "My whole life has been a waste – I've been a failure." He continued: "I just want to escape. I'm really embarrassed with myself and my life. I want to be a missionary. I think I could do that while keeping my dignity without letting people know they chased me out of the country. I want to get this part of my life over as soon as possible. In this country nothing good is going to come of me. People put me so high; I wanted to tear that image down."[169]Tyson began to spend much of his time tending to his 350 pigeons in Paradise Valley, an upscale enclave near Phoenix, Arizona.[170]Tyson has stayed in the limelight by promoting various websites and companies.[171]In the past Tyson had shunned endorsements, accusing other athletes of putting on a false front to obtain them.[172]Tyson has held entertainment boxing shows at a casino in Las Vegas[173]and started a tour of exhibition bouts to pay off his numerous debts.[174]On December 29, 2006, Tyson was arrested in Scottsdale, Arizona, on suspicion of DUI and felony drug possession; he nearly crashed into a police SUV shortly after leaving a nightclub. According to a police probable-cause statement, filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, "[Tyson] admitted to using [drugs] today and stated he is an addict and has a problem."[175]Tyson pleaded not guilty on January 22, 2007, in Maricopa County Superior Court to felony drug possession and paraphernalia possession counts and two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence of drugs. On February 8 he checked himself into an inpatient treatment program for "various addictions" while awaiting trial on the drug charges.[176]On September 24, 2007, Tyson pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine and driving under the influence. He was convicted of these charges in November 2007 and sentenced to 24 hours in jail. After his release, he was ordered to serve three years probation and undergo 360 hours community service. Prosecutors had requested a year-long jail sentence, but the judge praised Tyson for seeking help with his drug problems.[177]On November 11, 2009, Tyson was arrested after getting into a scuffle at Los Angeles International airport with a photographer.[178]No charges were filed.Tyson has taken acting roles in movies and television, most famously playing a fictionalized version of himself in the 2009 film The Hangover.In September 2011, Tyson gave an interview in which he made comments about former Alaska governor Sarah Palin including crude and violent descriptions of interracial sex. These comments were reprinted on The Daily Caller website. Journalist Greta van Susteren criticized Tyson and The Daily Caller over the comments, which she described as "smut" and "violence against women".[179]After debuting a one-man show in Las Vegas, Tyson collaborated with film director Spike Lee and brought the show to Broadway in August 2012.[180][181]In February 2013, Tyson took his one-man show Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth on a 36-city, three-month national tour. Tyson talks about his personal and professional life on stage.[182]The one-man show was aired on HBO on November 16, 2013.In October 2012, Tyson launched the Mike Tyson Cares Foundation.[183]The mission of the Mike Tyson Cares Foundation is to "give kids a fighting chance" by providing innovative centers that provide for the comprehensive needs of kids from broken homes.In August 2013, Tyson teamed up with Acquinity Sports to form Iron Mike Productions, a boxing promotions company.In September 2013, Tyson was featured on a six-episode television series on Fox Sports 1 that documented his personal and private life entitled Being: Mike Tyson.[184][185]Tyson in February 2013In November 2013, Tyson's Undisputed Truth was published, which appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list.[186]At the Golden Podium Awards Ceremony, Tyson received the SPORTEL Special Prize for the best autobiography.[187]In May 2017, Tyson published his second book, Iron Ambition,[188]which details his time with trainer and surrogate father Cus D'Amato.He hosts the podcast Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson.[189]In February 2018, Tyson attended the international mixed martial arts (MMA) tournament in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk. Tyson said: "as I have travelled all over the country of Russia I have realised that the people are very sensitive and kind. But most Americans do not have any experience of that."[190]On May 12, 2020, Tyson posted a video on his Instagram of him training again. At the end of the video, Tyson hinted at a return to boxing by saying, "I'm back".[191]On May 23, 2020, at All Elite Wrestling's Double or Nothing, Tyson helped Cody defeat Lance Archer alongside Jake Roberts and presented him the inaugural AEW TNT Championship. Tyson alongside Henry Cejudo, Rashad Evans, and Vitor Belfort appeared on the May 27 episode of AEW Dynamite facing off against Chris Jericho and his stable The Inner Circle.[192]Tiki Lau released a dance music single, Mike Tyson in October 2020 which includes vocals from Tyson.[193]Personal lifeThe gates of Tyson's mansion in Southington, Ohio, which he purchased and lived in during the 1980s.[194]Tyson resides in Seven Hills, Nevada.[195]He has been married three times, and has seven children, one deceased, with three women; in addition to his biological children, Tyson includes his second wife's oldest daughter as one of his own.[196]His first marriage was to actress Robin Givens from February 7, 1988, to February 14, 1989.[52]Givens was known at the time for her role on the sitcom Head of the Class. Tyson's marriage to Givens was especially tumultuous, with allegations of violence, spousal abuse, and mental instability on Tyson's part.[197]Matters came to a head when Tyson and Givens gave a joint interview with Barbara Walters on the ABC TV newsmagazine show 20/20 in September 1988, in which Givens described life with Tyson as "torture, pure hell, worse than anything I could possibly imagine."[198]Givens also described Tyson as "manic depressive" on national television while Tyson looked on with an intent and calm expression.[197]A month later, Givens announced that she was seeking a divorce from the allegedly abusive Tyson.[197]According to the book Fire and Fear: The Inside Story of Mike Tyson, Tyson admitted that he punched Givens and stated, "that was the best punch I've ever thrown in my entire life."[199]Tyson claimed that book was "filled with inaccuracies."[200]They had no children but she reported having had a miscarriage; Tyson claimed that she was never pregnant and only used that to get him to marry her.[197][201]During their marriage, the couple lived in a mansion in Bernardsville, New Jersey.[202][203]His second marriage was to Monica Turner from April 19, 1997, to January 14, 2003.[204]At the time of the divorce filing, Turner worked as a pediatric resident at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C.[205]She is the sister of Michael Steele, the former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland and former Republican National Committee Chairman.[206]Turner filed for divorce from Tyson in January 2002, claiming that he committed adultery during their five-year marriage, an act that "has neither been forgiven nor condoned."[205]The couple had two children; son Amir and daughter Rayna.On May 25, 2009, Tyson's four-year-old daughter Exodus was found by her seven-year-old brother Miguel unconscious and tangled in a cord, dangling from an exercise treadmill. The child's mother untangled her, administered CPR and called for medical attention. Tyson, who was in Las Vegas at the time of the incident, traveled back to Phoenix to be with her. She died of her injuries on May 26, 2009.[207][208]Eleven days after his daughter's death, Tyson wed for the third time, to longtime girlfriend Lakiha "Kiki" Spicer, age 32, exchanging vows on Saturday, June 6, 2009, in a short, private ceremony at the La Bella Wedding Chapel at the Las Vegas Hilton.[209]They have two children; daughter Milan and son Morocco.[196]Tyson has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.[210]In March 2011, Tyson appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to discuss his new Animal Planet reality series Taking on Tyson. In the interview with DeGeneres, Tyson discussed some of the ways he had improved his life in the past two years, including sober living and a vegan diet.[211]However, in August 2013 he admitted publicly that he had lied about his sobriety and was on the verge of death from alcoholism.[212]In December 2013, during an interview with Fox News, Tyson talked about his progress with sobriety and how being in the company of good people has made him want to be a better and more humble person. Tyson also talked about religion and said that he is very grateful to be a Muslim and that he needs Allah.[213]He also revealed that he is no longer vegan, stating, "I was a vegan for four years but not anymore. I eat chicken every now and then. I should be a vegan. [No red meat] at all, no way! I would be very sick if I ate red meat. That's probably why I was so crazy before."[213]In 2013, Tyson stated "the more I look at churches and mosques, the more I see the devil".[214]In 2015, Tyson announced that he was supporting Donald Trump's presidential candidacy.[215]In popular cultureFurther information: Mike Tyson in popular cultureAt the height of his fame and career in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, Tyson was one of the most recognized sports personalities in the world. In addition to his many sporting accomplishments, his outrageous and controversial behavior in the ring and in his private life has kept him in the public eye and in the courtroom.[216]As such, Tyson has been the subject of myriad popular media including movies, television, books and music. He has also been featured in video games and as a subject of parody or satire. Tyson became involved in professional wrestling and has made many cameo appearances in film and television.The film Tyson was released in 1995 and was directed by Uli Edel. It explores the life of Mike Tyson, from the death of his guardian and trainer Cus D'Amato to his rape conviction. Tyson is played by Michael Jai White.Published in 2007, author Joe Layden's book The Last Great Fight: The Extraordinary Tale of Two Men and How One Fight Changed Their Lives Forever, chronicled the lives of Tyson and Douglas before and after their heavyweight championship fight.In 2008, the documentary Tyson premiered at the annual Cannes Film Festival in France.He is the titular character in Mike Tyson Mysteries, which started airing on October 27, 2014, on Adult Swim. In the animated series, Tyson voices a fictionalized version of himself, solving mysteries in the style of Scooby-Doo.[217][218][219]In early March 2015, Tyson appeared on the track "Iconic" on Madonna's album Rebel Heart. Tyson says some lines at the beginning of the song.[220]In late March 2015, Ip Man 3 was announced. With Donnie Yen reprising his role as the titular character, Bruce Lee's martial arts master, Ip Man, while Mike Tyson has been confirmed to join the cast.[221]Principal photography began on March 25, 2015, and was premiered in Hong Kong on December 16, 2015.In January 2017, Tyson launched his YouTube channel with Shots Studios, a comedy video and comedy music production company with young digital stars like Lele Pons and Rudy Mancuso. Tyson's channel includes parody music videos and comedy sketches.[222][223]In October 2017, Tyson was announced as the new face of Australian car servicing franchise Ultra Tune. He has taken over from Jean-Claude van Damme in fronting television commercials for the brand, and the first advert is due to air in January 2018 during the Australian Open.[224][225]A joint Mainland China-Hong Kong-directed film on female friendship titled Girls 2: Girls vs Gangsters (Vietnamese: Girls 2: Những Cô Gái và Găng Tơ) that was shot earlier from July–August 2016 at several locations around Vietnam was released in March 2018, featuring Tyson as "Dragon".[226][227]Michael Gerard Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2005. Nicknamed "Iron Mike"[3]and "Kid Dynamite" in his early career, and later known as "The Baddest Man on the Planet",[4]Tyson is considered one of the best heavyweight boxers of all time.[5]He reigned as the undisputed world heavyweight champion from 1987 to 1990. Claiming his first belt at 20 years, four months, and 22 days old, Tyson holds the record as the youngest boxer to win a heavyweight title.[6]Tyson won his first 19 professional fights by knockout, 12 of them in the first round. He won the WBC title in 1986 after stopping Trevor Berbick in the second round, and added the WBA and IBF titles after defeating James Smith and Tony Tucker in 1987. He was the first heavyweight boxer to simultaneously hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles, as well as the only heavyweight to unify them in succession. The following year, Tyson became the lineal champion when he knocked out Michael Spinks in 91 seconds of the first round.[7]In 1990, Tyson lost the titles to underdog Buster Douglas, who knocked him out in the tenth round.In 1992, Tyson was convicted of rape and sentenced to six years in prison, although he was released on parole after three years.[8][9][10]After his release in 1995, he engaged in a series of comeback fights, regaining the WBA and WBC titles in 1996 to join Floyd Patterson, Muhammad Ali, Tim Witherspoon, Evander Holyfield and George Foreman as the only men in boxing history to have regained a heavyweight championship after losing it. After being stripped of the WBC title in the same year, Tyson lost the WBA title to Evander Holyfield by an eleventh round stoppage. Their 1997 rematch ended when Tyson was disqualified for biting Holyfield's ears, one bite notoriously being strong enough to remove a portion of his right ear.In 2002, Tyson fought for the world heavyweight title again at the age of 35, losing by knockout to Lennox Lewis. Tyson retired from professional boxing in 2006, after being stopped in consecutive matches against journeymen Danny Williams and Kevin McBride. Tyson declared bankruptcy in 2003, despite having received over $30 million for several of his fights and $300 million during his career. At the time the media reported that he had approximately $23 million in debt.[11]Tyson was known for his ferocious and intimidating boxing style as well as his controversial behavior inside and outside the ring. He holds the sixth longest unified championship reign in heavyweight boxing history at 8 consecutive defenses. BoxRec ranked him as the world's top 10 heavyweight 12 times, and placed him at No.1 from 1986 to 1989.[12]He was ranked 16th on The Ring magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time,[13]and first on ESPN's list of "The Hardest Hitters in Heavyweight History".[14]Sky Sports described him as "perhaps the most ferocious fighter to step into a professional ring".[15]He has been inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame.Contents1Early life2Amateur career3Professional career3.1Rise to stardom3.2Undisputed champion3.3Controversy and upset3.4After Douglas4Rape trial and prison5Comeback5.1Tyson–Holyfield fights5.1.1Tyson vs. Holyfield I5.1.2Tyson vs. Holyfield II and aftermath5.21999–20055.2.1Lewis vs. Tyson5.2.2Later career, bankruptcy, and retirement6Exhibition fights6.1Mike Tyson's World Tour6.2Tyson vs. Jones7Legacy8Life after boxing9Personal life10In popular culture11Professional boxing record12Exhibition boxing record13Pay-per-view bouts13.1Professional boxing13.1.1PPV home television13.1.2Closed-circuit theatre TV13.2Professional wrestling13.2.1World Wrestling Federation13.2.2All Elite Wrestling14Awards and honors14.1Humane letters14.2Boxing14.3Professional wrestling15See also16References17External linksEarly lifeMichael Gerard Tyson was born in Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York City on June 30, 1966.[16]He has an older brother named Rodney (born c. 1961)[17]and an older sister named Denise, who died of a heart attack at age 24 in February 1990.[18]Tyson's biological father is listed as "Purcell Tyson" (who was from Jamaica) on his birth certificate,[19][20]but the man Tyson had known as his father was Jimmy Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick was from Grier Town, North Carolina (a predominantly black neighborhood that was annexed by the city of Charlotte),[21]where he was one of the neighborhood's top baseball players. Kirkpatrick married and had a son, Tyson's half-brother Jimmie Lee Kirkpatrick, who would help to integrate Charlotte high school football in 1965. In 1959, Jimmy Kirkpatrick left his family and moved to Brooklyn, where he met Tyson's mother, Lorna Mae (Smith) Tyson. Kirkpatrick frequented pool halls, gambled and hung out on the streets. "My father was just a regular street guy caught up in the street world", Tyson said. Kirkpatrick abandoned the Tyson family around the time Mike was born, leaving Tyson's mother to care for the children on her own.[22]Kirkpatrick died in 1992.[23]The family lived in Bedford-Stuyvesant until their financial burdens necessitated a move to Brownsville when Tyson was 10 years old.[24]Tyson's mother died six years later, leaving 16-year-old Tyson in the care of boxing manager and trainer Cus D'Amato, who would become his legal guardian. Tyson later said, "I never saw my mother happy with me and proud of me for doing something: she only knew me as being a wild kid running the streets, coming home with new clothes that she knew I didn't pay for. I never got a chance to talk to her or know about her. Professionally, it has no effect, but it's crushing emotionally and personally."[25]Throughout his childhood, Tyson lived in and around neighborhoods with a high rate of crime. According to an interview in Details, his first fight was with a bigger youth who had pulled the head off one of Tyson's pigeons.[26]Tyson was repeatedly caught committing petty crimes and fighting those who ridiculed his high-pitched voice and lisp. By the age of 13, he had been arrested 38 times.[27]He ended up at the Tryon School for Boys in Johnstown, New York. Tyson's emerging boxing ability was discovered there by Bobby Stewart, a juvenile detention center counselor and former boxer. Stewart considered Tyson to be an outstanding fighter and trained him for a few months before introducing him to Cus D'Amato.[22]Tyson dropped out of high school as a junior.[28]He would be awarded an honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Central State University in 1989.[29]Kevin Rooney also trained Tyson, and he was occasionally assisted by Teddy Atlas, although Atlas was dismissed by D'Amato when Tyson was 15. Rooney eventually took over all training duties for the young fighter.[30]Amateur careerAs an amateur, Tyson won gold medals at the 1981 and 1982 Junior Olympic Games, defeating Joe Cortez in 1981 and beating Kelton Brown in 1982. Brown's corner threw in the towel in the first round. He fought Henry Tillman twice as an amateur, losing both bouts by decision. Tillman went on to win heavyweight gold at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.[31]Professional careerRise to stardomMain article: Trevor Berbick vs. Mike TysonTyson made his professional debut as an 18-year-old on March 6, 1985, in Albany, New York. He defeated Hector Mercedes via first-round TKO.[22]He had 15 bouts in his first year as a professional. Fighting frequently, Tyson won 26 of his first 28 fights by KO or TKO; 16 of those came in the first round.[32]The quality of his opponents gradually increased to journeyman fighters and borderline contenders,[32]like James Tillis, David Jaco, Jesse Ferguson, Mitch Green, and Marvis Frazier. His win streak attracted media attention and Tyson was billed as the next great heavyweight champion. D'Amato died in November 1985, relatively early into Tyson's professional career, and some speculate that his death was the catalyst to many of the troubles Tyson was to experience as his life and career progressed.[33]Tyson's first nationally televised bout took place on February 16, 1986, at Houston Field House in Troy, New York, against journeyman heavyweight Jesse Ferguson, and was carried by ABC Sports. Tyson knocked down Ferguson with an uppercut in the fifth round that broke Ferguson's nose.[34]During the sixth round, Ferguson began to hold and clinch Tyson in an apparent attempt to avoid further punishment. After admonishing Ferguson several times to obey his commands to box, the referee finally stopped the fight near the middle of the sixth round. The fight was initially ruled a win for Tyson by disqualification (DQ) of his opponent. The ruling was "adjusted" to a win by technical knockout (TKO) after Tyson's corner protested that a DQ win would end Tyson's string of knockout victories, and that a knockout would have been the inevitable result.In July, after recording six more knockout victories, Tyson fought former world title challenger Marvis Frazier in Glens Falls, New York, on another ABC Sports broadcast. Tyson won easily, charging at Frazier at the opening bell and hitting him with an uppercut that knocked Frazier unconscious thirty seconds into the fight.On November 22, 1986, Tyson was given his first title fight against Trevor Berbick for the World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight championship. Tyson won the title by TKO in the second round, and at the age of 20 years and 4 months became the youngest heavyweight champion in history.[35]Tyson's dominant performance brought many accolades. Donald Saunders wrote: "The noble and manly art of boxing can at least cease worrying about its immediate future, now [that] it has discovered a heavyweight champion fit to stand alongside Dempsey, Tunney, Louis, Marciano, and Ali."[36]Tyson intimidated fighters with his strength, combined with outstanding hand speed, accuracy, coordination and timing.[37]Tyson also possessed notable defensive abilities, holding his hands high in the peek-a-boo style taught by his mentor Cus D'Amato[38][39]to slip under and weave around his opponent's punches while timing his own.[39]Tyson's explosive punching technique was due in large part to crouching immediately prior to throwing a hook or an uppercut: this allowed the 'spring' of his legs to add power to the punch.[40]Among his signature moves was a right hook to his opponent's body followed by a right uppercut to his opponent's chin. Lorenzo Boyd, Jesse Ferguson and José Ribalta were each knocked down by this combination.[citation needed]Undisputed championSee also: Mike Tyson vs. James Smith, Mike Tyson vs. Tony Tucker, and Mike Tyson vs. Michael SpinksExpectations for Tyson were extremely high, and he was the favorite to win the heavyweight unification series, a tournament designed to establish an undisputed heavyweight champion. Tyson defended his title against James Smith on March 7, 1987, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He won by unanimous decision and added Smith's World Boxing Association (WBA) title to his existing belt.[41]"Tyson-mania" in the media was becoming rampant.[42]He beat Pinklon Thomas in May by TKO in the sixth round.[43]On August 1 he took the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title from Tony Tucker in a twelve-round unanimous decision 119–111, 118–113, and 116–112.[44]He became the first heavyweight to own all three major belts – WBA, WBC, and IBF – at the same time. Another fight, in October of that year, ended with a victory for Tyson over 1984 Olympic super heavyweight gold medalist Tyrell Biggs by TKO in the seventh round.[45]During this time, Tyson came to the attention of gaming company Nintendo. After witnessing one of Tyson's fights, Nintendo of America president Minoru Arakawa was impressed by the fighter's "power and skill", prompting him to suggest Tyson be included in the upcoming Nintendo Entertainment System port of the Punch Out!! arcade game. In 1987, Nintendo released Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, which was well received and sold more than a million copies.[46]Tyson had three fights in 1988. He faced Larry Holmes on January 22, 1988, and defeated the legendary former champion by KO in the fourth round.[47]This was the only knockout loss Holmes suffered in 75 professional bouts. In March, Tyson then fought contender Tony Tubbs in Tokyo, Japan, fitting in an easy second-round TKO victory amid promotional and marketing work.[48]On June 27, 1988, Tyson faced Michael Spinks. Spinks, who had taken the heavyweight championship from Larry Holmes via fifteen-round decision in 1985, had not lost his title in the ring but was not recognized as champion by the major boxing organizations. Holmes had previously given up all but the IBF title, and that was eventually stripped from Spinks after he elected to fight Gerry Cooney (winning by TKO in the fifth round) rather than IBF Number 1 Contender Tony Tucker, as the Cooney fight provided him a larger purse. However, Spinks did become the lineal champion by beating Holmes and many (including Ring magazine) considered him to have a legitimate claim to being the true heavyweight champion.[49]The bout was, at the time, the richest fight in history and expectations were very high. Boxing pundits were predicting a titanic battle of styles, with Tyson's aggressive infighting conflicting with Spinks's skillful out-boxing and footwork. The fight ended after 91 seconds when Tyson knocked Spinks out in the first round; many consider this to be the pinnacle of Tyson's fame and boxing ability.[50][51]Controversy and upsetMain article: Mike Tyson vs. Buster DouglasDuring this period, Tyson's problems outside the ring were also starting to emerge. His marriage to Robin Givens was heading for divorce,[52]and his future contract was being fought over by Don King and Bill Cayton.[53]In late 1988, Tyson parted with manager Bill Cayton and fired longtime trainer Kevin Rooney, the man many credit for honing Tyson's craft after the death of D'Amato.[39][54]Following Rooney's departure, critics alleged that Tyson began to show less head movement and combination punching.[55]In 1989, Tyson had only two fights amid personal turmoil. He faced the British boxer Frank Bruno in February. Bruno managed to stun Tyson at the end of the first round,[56]although Tyson went on to knock Bruno out in the fifth round. Tyson then knocked out Carl "The Truth" Williams in the first round in July.[57]By 1990, Tyson seemed to have lost direction, and his personal life was in disarray amidst reports of less vigorous training prior to the Buster Douglas match.[58]In a fight on February 11, 1990, he lost the undisputed championship to Douglas in Tokyo.[59]Tyson was a huge betting favorite; indeed, the Mirage, the only casino to put out odds for the fight, made Tyson a 42/1 favorite. Tyson failed to find a way past Douglas's quick jab that had a 12-inch (30 cm) reach advantage over his own.[60]Tyson did catch Douglas with an uppercut in the eighth round and knocked him to the floor, but Douglas recovered sufficiently to hand Tyson a heavy beating in the subsequent two rounds. After the fight, the Tyson camp would complain that the count was slow and that Douglas had taken longer than ten seconds to get back on his feet.[61]Just 35 seconds into the tenth round, Douglas unleashed a brutal uppercut, followed by a four-punch combination of hooks that sent Tyson to the canvas for the first time in his career. He was counted out by referee Octavio Meyran.[59]The knockout victory by Douglas over Tyson, the previously undefeated "baddest man on the planet" and arguably the most feared boxer in professional boxing at that time, has been described as one of the most shocking upsets in modern sports history.[62][63]After DouglasMain articles: Mike Tyson vs. Henry Tillman, Mike Tyson vs. Alex Stewart, Mike Tyson vs. Donovan Ruddock, and Mike Tyson vs. Donovan Ruddock IIDespite the shocking loss, Tyson has said that losing to Douglas was the greatest moment of his career. “I needed that fight to make me a better person and fighter. I have a broader perspective of myself and boxing.”[64]After the loss, Tyson recovered with first-round knockouts of Henry Tillman[65]and Alex Stewart[66]in his next two fights. Tyson's victory over Tillman, the 1984 Olympic heavyweight gold medalist, enabled Tyson to avenge his amateur losses at Tillman's hands. These bouts set up an elimination match for another shot at the undisputed world heavyweight championship, which Evander Holyfield had taken from Douglas in his first defense of the title.[67]Tyson, who was the number one contender, faced number two contender Donovan "Razor" Ruddock on March 18, 1991, in Las Vegas. Ruddock was seen as the most dangerous heavyweight around and was thought of as one of the hardest punching heavyweights. Tyson and Ruddock went back and forth for most of the fight, until referee Richard Steele controversially stopped the fight during the seventh round in favor of Tyson. This decision infuriated the fans in attendance, sparking a post-fight melee in the audience. The referee had to be escorted from the ring.[68]Tyson and Ruddock met again on June 28 that year, with Tyson knocking down Ruddock twice and winning a twelve-round unanimous decision 113–109, 114–108, and 114–108.[69]A fight between Tyson and Holyfield for the undisputed championship was scheduled for November 8, 1991, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, but Tyson pulled out after sustaining a rib cartilage injury during training.[70]Rape trial and prisonTyson was arrested in July 1991 for the rape of 18-year-old Desiree Washington, Miss Black Rhode Island, in an Indianapolis hotel room. Tyson's rape trial took place in the Marion County superior court from January 26 to February 10, 1992.[71]Partial corroboration of Washington's story came via testimony from Tyson's chauffeur who confirmed Desiree Washington's state of shock after the incident. Further testimony came from the emergency room physician who examined Washington more than 24 hours after the incident and confirmed that Washington's physical condition was consistent with rape.[72]Under lead defense lawyer Vincent J. Fuller's direct examination, Tyson claimed that everything had taken place with Washington's full consent and he claimed not to have forced himself upon her. When he was cross-examined by lead prosecutor Gregory Garrison, Tyson denied claims that he had misled Washington and insisted that she wanted to have sex with him.[73]Tyson was convicted on the rape charge on February 10, 1992, after the jury deliberated for nearly 10 hours.[74]Alan Dershowitz, acting as Tyson's counsel, filed an appeal urging error of law in the Court's exclusion of evidence of the victim's past sexual conduct (known as the Rape Shield Law), the exclusion of three potential defense witnesses, and the lack of a jury instruction on honest and reasonable mistake of fact.[75]The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled against Tyson in a 2–1 vote.[75]The Indiana Supreme Court let the lower court opinion stand due to a 2–2 split in its review. The tie vote was due to the fact that the then-Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court recused himself from the case. The Chief Justice later revealed he did so because of a heated argument between his wife and Dershowitz at a Yale Law School reunion concerning the case.[76]On March 26, 1992, Tyson was sentenced to six years in prison along with four years of probation.[77]He was assigned to the Indiana Youth Center (now the Plainfield Correctional Facility) in April 1992,[78]and he was released in March 1995 after serving less than three years of the sentence.[79]It has been widely reported that while in prison, he converted to Islam and adopted the Muslim name Malik Abdulaziz[80](though some sources report the adoption of a different Islamic name, Malik Shabazz).[81]However, Tyson has stated that he converted to Islam before entering prison, but made no efforts to correct the misinformation in the media.[82]Due to his conviction, Tyson is required to register as a Tier II sex offender under federal law.[83][84][85]ComebackMain articles: Mike Tyson vs. Peter McNeeley, Mike Tyson vs. Buster Mathis Jr., Frank Bruno vs. Mike Tyson II, and Bruce Seldon vs. Mike TysonAfter being paroled from prison, Tyson easily won his comeback bouts against Peter McNeeley and Buster Mathis Jr.. Tyson's first comeback fight grossed more than US$96 million worldwide, including a United States record $63 million for PPV television. The viewing of the fight was purchased by 1.52 million homes, setting both PPV viewership and revenue records.[86]The 89-second fight elicited criticism that Tyson's management lined up "tomato cans" to ensure easy victories for his return.[87]TV Guide included the Tyson–McNeeley fight in their list of the 50 Greatest TV Sports Moments of All Time in 1998.[88]Tyson regained one belt by easily winning the WBC title against Frank Bruno in March 1996. It was the second fight between the two, and Tyson knocked out Bruno in the third round.[89]In 1996, Lennox Lewis turned down a $13.5 million guarantee to fight Tyson. This would've been Lewis's highest fight purse to date. Lewis then accepted $4 million from Don King to step aside and allow Tyson to fight Bruce Seldon for an expected $30 million instead with the intention that if Tyson defeated Seldon, he would fight Lewis next.[90]Tyson added the WBA belt by defeating champion Seldon in the first round in September that year. Seldon was severely criticized and mocked in the popular press for seemingly collapsing to innocuous punches from Tyson.[91]Tyson–Holyfield fightsTyson vs. Holyfield IMain article: Mike Tyson vs. Evander HolyfieldTyson attempted to defend the WBA title against Evander Holyfield, who was in the fourth fight of his own comeback. Holyfield had retired in 1994 following the loss of his championship to Michael Moorer. It was said that Don King and others saw former champion Holyfield, who was 34 at the time of the fight and a huge underdog, as a washed-up fighter.[92]On November 9, 1996, in Las Vegas, Nevada, Tyson faced Holyfield in a title bout dubbed "Finally". In a surprising turn of events, Holyfield, who was given virtually no chance to win by numerous commentators,[93]defeated Tyson by TKO when referee Mitch Halpern stopped the bout in round eleven.[94]Holyfield became the second boxer to win a heavyweight championship belt three times. Holyfield's victory was marred by allegations from Tyson's camp of Holyfield's frequent headbutts[95]during the bout. Although the headbutts were ruled accidental by the referee,[95]they would become a point of contention in the subsequent rematch.[96]Tyson vs. Holyfield II and aftermathMain article: Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson IITyson and Holyfield fought again on June 28, 1997. Originally, Halpern was supposed to be the referee, but after Tyson's camp protested, Halpern stepped aside in favor of Mills Lane.[97]The highly anticipated rematch was dubbed The Sound and the Fury, and it was held at the Las Vegas MGM Grand Garden Arena, site of the first bout. It was a lucrative event, drawing even more attention than the first bout and grossing $100 million. Tyson received $30 million and Holyfield $35 million, the highest paid professional boxing purses until 2007.[98][99]The fight was purchased by 1.99 million households, setting a pay-per-view buy rate record that stood until May 5, 2007, being surpassed by Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr.[99][100]Soon to become one of the most controversial events in modern sports,[101]the fight was stopped at the end of the third round, with Tyson disqualified[102]for biting Holyfield on both ears. The first time Tyson bit him, the match was temporarily stopped. Referee Mills Lane deducted two points from Tyson and the fight resumed. However, after the match resumed, Tyson bit him again, resulting in his disqualification, and Holyfield won the match. The first bite was severe enough to remove a piece of Holyfield's right ear, which was found on the ring floor after the fight.[103]Tyson later stated that his actions were retaliation for Holyfield repeatedly headbutting him without penalty.[96]In the confusion that followed the ending of the bout and announcement of the decision, a near riot occurred in the arena and several people were injured.[104]Tyson Holyfield II was the first heavyweight title fight in over 50 years to end in a disqualification.[105]As a subsequent fallout from the incident, US$3 million was immediately withheld from Tyson's $30-million purse by the Nevada state boxing commission (the most it could legally hold back at the time).[106]Two days after the fight, Tyson issued a statement,[107]apologizing to Holyfield for his actions and asked not to be banned for life over the incident.[108]Tyson was roundly condemned in the news media but was not without defenders. Novelist and commentator Katherine Dunn wrote a column that criticized Holyfield's sportsmanship in the controversial bout and charged the news media with being biased against Tyson.[109]On July 9, 1997, Tyson's boxing license was rescinded by the Nevada State Athletic Commission in a unanimous voice vote; he was also fined US$3 million and ordered to pay the legal costs of the hearing.[110]As most state athletic commissions honor sanctions imposed by other states, this effectively made Tyson unable to box in the United States. The revocation was not permanent, as the commission voted 4–1 to restore Tyson's boxing license on October 18, 1998.[111]During his time away from boxing in 1998, Tyson made a guest appearance at WrestleMania XIV as an enforcer for the main event match between Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin. During this time, Tyson was also an unofficial member of Michaels's stable, D-Generation X. Tyson was paid $3 million for being guest enforcer of the match at WrestleMania XIV.[112]1999–2005Main articles: Mike Tyson vs. Francois Botha and Mike Tyson vs. Andrew Golota"I'm the best ever. I'm the most brutal and vicious, the most ruthless champion there has ever been. There's no one can stop me. Lennox is a conqueror? No! I'm Alexander! He's no Alexander! I'm the best ever. There's never been anyone as ruthless. I'm Sonny Liston. I'm Jack Dempsey. There's no one like me. I'm from their cloth. There is no one who can match me. My style is impetuous, my defense is impregnable, and I'm just ferocious. I want your heart! I want to eat his children! Praise be to Allah!"—Tyson's post-fight interview after knocking out Lou Savarese 38 seconds into the bout in June 2000.[113]In January 1999, Tyson returned to the ring for a match against the South African Francois Botha. This match also ended in controversy. While Botha initially controlled the fight, Tyson allegedly attempted to break Botha's arms during a tie-up and both boxers were cautioned by the referee in the ill-tempered bout. Botha was ahead on points on all scorecards and was confident enough to mock Tyson as the fight continued. Nonetheless, Tyson landed a straight right hand in the fifth round that knocked out Botha.[114]Critics noticed Tyson stopped using the bob and weave defense altogether following this return.[115]Legal problems arose with Tyson once again. On February 5, 1999, Tyson was sentenced to a year's imprisonment, fined $5,000, and ordered to serve two years probation along with undergoing 200 hours of community service for assaulting two motorists after a traffic accident on August 31, 1998.[116]He served nine months of that sentence. After his release, he fought Orlin Norris on October 23, 1999. Tyson knocked down Norris with a left hook thrown after the bell sounded to end the first round. Norris injured his knee when he went down and said that he was unable to continue. Consequently, the bout was ruled a no contest.[117]In 2000, Tyson had three fights. The first match in January was staged at the MEN Arena in Manchester, England against Julius Francis. Following controversy as to whether Tyson was allowed into the country, he took four minutes to knock out Francis, ending the bout in the second round.[118]He also fought Lou Savarese in June 2000 in Glasgow, winning in the first round; the fight lasted only 38 seconds. Tyson continued punching after the referee had stopped the fight, knocking the referee to the floor as he tried to separate the boxers.[119]In October, Tyson fought the similarly controversial Andrew Golota,[120]winning in round three after Gołota was unable to continue due to a broken cheekbone, concussion, and neck injury.[121]The result was later changed to no contest after Tyson refused to take a pre-fight drug test and then tested positive for marijuana in a post-fight urine test.[122]Tyson fought only once in 2001, beating Brian Nielsen in Copenhagen by TKO in the seventh round.[123]Lewis vs. TysonMain article: Lennox Lewis vs. Mike TysonTyson once again had the opportunity to fight for a heavyweight championship in 2002. Lennox Lewis held the WBC, IBF, IBO and Lineal titles at the time. As promising fighters, Tyson and Lewis had sparred at a training camp in a meeting arranged by Cus D'Amato in 1984.[124]Tyson sought to fight Lewis in Nevada for a more lucrative box-office venue, but the Nevada Boxing Commission refused him a license to box as he was facing possible sexual assault charges at the time.[125]Two years prior to the bout, Tyson had made several inflammatory remarks to Lewis in an interview following the Savarese fight. The remarks included the statement "I want your heart, I want to eat your children."[126]On January 22, 2002, the two boxers and their entourages were involved in a brawl at a New York press conference to publicize the planned event.[127]A few weeks later, the Nevada State Athletic Commission refused to grant Tyson a license for the fight, and the promoters had to make alternative arrangements. After multiple states balked at granting Tyson a license, the fight eventually occurred on June 8 at the Pyramid Arena in Memphis, Tennessee. Lewis dominated the fight and knocked out Tyson with a right hand in the eighth round. Tyson was respectful after the fight and praised Lewis on his victory.[128]This fight was the highest-grossing event in pay-per-view history at that time, generating $106.9 million from 1.95 million buys in the US.[99][100]Later career, bankruptcy, and retirementTyson at the Boxing Hall of Fame, 2013In another Memphis fight on February 22, 2003, Tyson beat fringe contender Clifford Etienne 49 seconds into round one. The pre-fight was marred by rumors of Tyson's lack of fitness. Some said that he took time out from training to party in Las Vegas and get a new facial tattoo.[129]This eventually proved to be Tyson's final professional victory in the ring.In August 2003, after years of financial struggles, Tyson finally filed for bankruptcy.[130][131][132]On August 13, 2003, Tyson entered the ring for a face-to-face confrontation against K-1 fighting phenom, Bob Sapp, immediately after Sapp's win against Kimo Leopoldo in Las Vegas. K-1 signed Tyson to a contract with the hopes of making a fight happen between the two, but Tyson's felony history made it impossible for him to obtain a visa to enter Japan, where the fight would have been most profitable. Alternative locations were discussed, but the fight ultimately failed to happen.[133]On July 30, 2004, Tyson had a match against British boxer Danny Williams in another comeback fight, and this time, staged in Louisville, Kentucky. Tyson dominated the opening two rounds. The third round was even, with Williams getting in some clean blows and also a few illegal ones, for which he was penalized. In the fourth round, Tyson was unexpectedly knocked out. After the fight, it was revealed that Tyson was trying to fight on one leg, having torn a ligament in his other knee in the first round. This was Tyson's fifth career defeat.[134]He underwent surgery for the ligament four days after the fight. His manager, Shelly Finkel, claimed that Tyson was unable to throw meaningful right-hand punches since he had a knee injury.[135]On June 11, 2005, Tyson stunned the boxing world by quitting before the start of the seventh round in a close bout against journeyman Kevin McBride. In the 2008 documentary Tyson, he stated that he fought McBride for a payday, that he did not anticipate winning, that he was in poor physical condition and fed up with taking boxing seriously. After losing three of his last four fights, Tyson said he would quit boxing because he felt he had lost his passion for the sport.[136]In 2000 Tyson fired everyone working for him and enlisted new accountants, who prepared a statement showing he started the year $3.3 million in debt but earned $65.7 million.[137]In August 2007, Tyson pleaded guilty to drug possession and driving under the influence in an Arizona court, which stemmed from an arrest in December where authorities said Tyson, who has a long history of legal problems, admitted to using cocaine that day and to being addicted to the drug.[138]Exhibition fightsMike Tyson's World TourTo help pay off his debts, Tyson announced he would be doing a series of exhibition bouts, calling it Tyson's World Tour. For his first bout, Tyson returned to the ring in 2006 for a four-round exhibition against journeyman heavyweight Corey Sanders in Youngstown, Ohio.[139]Tyson, without headgear at 5 ft 10.5 in and 216 pounds, was in quality shape, but far from his prime against Sanders, at 6 ft 6 in[140]who wore headgear. Tyson appeared to be "holding back" in the exhibition to prevent an early end to the "show". "If I don't get out of this financial quagmire there's a possibility I may have to be a punching bag for somebody. The money I make isn't going to help my bills from a tremendous standpoint, but I'm going to feel better about myself. I'm not going to be depressed", explained Tyson about the reasons for his "comeback".[141]After the bout was poorly received by fans the remainder of the tour was cancelled.[142]Tyson vs. JonesMain article: Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr.It was announced in July 2020 that Tyson had signed a contract to face former four-division world champion, Roy Jones Jr., in an eight-round exhibition fight. Mixed martial arts coach Rafael Cordeiro was selected to be Tyson's trainer and cornerman.[143][144]The bout—officially sanctioned by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC)—was initially scheduled to take place on September 12 at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California,[145]however, the date was pushed back to November 28 in order to maximize revenue for the event. The fight went the full 8 rounds, and was declared a draw.[146]The fight was a split draw and the three judges scored the fight as follows: Chad Dawson (76–76 draw), Christy Martin (79–73 for Tyson), and Vinny Pazienza (76–80 for Jones).[147]LegacyTyson was The Ring magazine's Fighter of the Year in 1986 and 1988.[148]A 1998 ranking of "The Greatest Heavyweights of All-Time" by The Ring magazine placed Tyson at No.14 on the list.[149]Despite criticism of facing underwhelming competition during his run as champion, Tyson's knockout power and intimidation factor made him the sport's most dynamic box-office draw.[150]According to Douglas Quenqua of The New York Times, "The [1990s] began with Mike Tyson, considered by many to be the last great heavyweight champion, losing his title to the little-known Buster Douglas. Seven years later, Mr. Tyson bit Evander Holyfield's ear in a heavyweight champion bout—hardly a proud moment for the sport."[151]He is remembered for his attire of black trunks, black shoes with no socks, and a plain white towel fit around his neck in place of a traditional robe, as well as his habit of rapidly pacing the ring before the start of a fight.[150][152]At his peak, Tyson rarely took a step back and had never been knocked down or seriously challenged.[152]According to Martial Arts World Report, it gave Tyson an Honorable Mention in its Ten Greatest Heavyweights of All Time rather than a ranking because longevity is a factor and the peak period of Tyson's career lasted only about 5 years.[153]BoxRec currently ranks Tyson at No. 75 among the greatest pound-for-pound boxers of all time with 370.9 points.[154]In The Ring magazine's list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years, released in 2002, Tyson was ranked at No. 72.[155]He is ranked No. 16 on The Ring magazine's 2003 list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.[156][157]Tyson has defeated 11 boxers for the world heavyweight title, the seventh-most in history.On June 12, 2011, Tyson was inducted to the International Boxing Hall of Fame alongside legendary Mexican champion Julio César Chávez, light welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu, and actor/screenwriter Sylvester Stallone.[158]In 2011, Bleacher Report omitted Tyson from its list of top 10 heavyweights, saying that that "Mike Tyson is not a top 10 heavyweight. He killed the fighters he was supposed to beat, but when he fought another elite fighter, he always lost. I'm not talking about some of those B-level fighters he took a belt from. I'm talking about the handful of good boxers he fought throughout his career."[159]In 2013, Tyson was inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame and headlined the induction ceremony.[160][161]Tyson was inducted into the Southern Nevada Hall of Fame in 2015 along with four other inductees with ties to Southern Nevada.[162][163]Tyson reflected on his strongest opponents in ten categories for a 2014 interview with The Ring magazine, including best jab, best defense, fastest hands, fastest feet, best chin, smartest, strongest, best puncher, best boxer, and best overall.[164]In 2017, The Ring magazine ranked Tyson as No. 9 of 20 heavyweight champions based on a poll of panelists that included trainers, matchmakers, media, historians, and boxers, including:[165]Trainers: Teddy Atlas, Pat Burns, Virgil Hunter, and Don TurnerMatchmakers: Eric Bottjer, Don Chargin, Don Elbaum, Bobby Goodman, Ron Katz, Mike Marchionte, Russell Peltz, and Bruce Trampler.Media: Al Bernstein, Ron Borges, Gareth A Davies, Norm Frauenheim, Jerry Izenberg, Harold Lederman, Paulie Malignaggi, Dan Rafael, and Michael RosenthalHistorians: Craig Hamilton, Steve Lott, Don McRae, Bob Mee, Clay Moyle, Adam Pollack, and Randy RobertsBoxers: Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson participated in the poll, but neither fighter ranked himself. Instead, a weighted average from the other panelists was assigned to their respective slots on their ballots.In 2020, Bill Caplan of The Ring magazine listed Tyson as No. 17 of the 20 greatest heavyweights of all time.[166]Tyson spoke with The Ring magazine in 2020 about his six greatest victories, which included knockouts of Trevor Berbick, Pinklon Thomas, Tony Tucker, Tyrell Biggs, Larry Holmes, and Michael Spinks.[167]In 2020, CBS Sports boxing experts Brian Campbell and Brent Brookhouse ranked the top 10 heavyweights of the last 50 years and Tyson was ranked No. 7.[168]Life after boxingTyson in 2006In an interview with USA Today published on June 3, 2005, Tyson said, "My whole life has been a waste – I've been a failure." He continued: "I just want to escape. I'm really embarrassed with myself and my life. I want to be a missionary. I think I could do that while keeping my dignity without letting people know they chased me out of the country. I want to get this part of my life over as soon as possible. In this country nothing good is going to come of me. People put me so high; I wanted to tear that image down."[169]Tyson began to spend much of his time tending to his 350 pigeons in Paradise Valley, an upscale enclave near Phoenix, Arizona.[170]Tyson has stayed in the limelight by promoting various websites and companies.[171]In the past Tyson had shunned endorsements, accusing other athletes of putting on a false front to obtain them.[172]Tyson has held entertainment boxing shows at a casino in Las Vegas[173]and started a tour of exhibition bouts to pay off his numerous debts.[174]On December 29, 2006, Tyson was arrested in Scottsdale, Arizona, on suspicion of DUI and felony drug possession; he nearly crashed into a police SUV shortly after leaving a nightclub. According to a police probable-cause statement, filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, "[Tyson] admitted to using [drugs] today and stated he is an addict and has a problem."[175]Tyson pleaded not guilty on January 22, 2007, in Maricopa County Superior Court to felony drug possession and paraphernalia possession counts and two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence of drugs. On February 8 he checked himself into an inpatient treatment program for "various addictions" while awaiting trial on the drug charges.[176]On September 24, 2007, Tyson pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine and driving under the influence. He was convicted of these charges in November 2007 and sentenced to 24 hours in jail. After his release, he was ordered to serve three years probation and undergo 360 hours community service. Prosecutors had requested a year-long jail sentence, but the judge praised Tyson for seeking help with his drug problems.[177]On November 11, 2009, Tyson was arrested after getting into a scuffle at Los Angeles International airport with a photographer.[178]No charges were filed.Tyson has taken acting roles in movies and television, most famously playing a fictionalized version of himself in the 2009 film The Hangover.In September 2011, Tyson gave an interview in which he made comments about former Alaska governor Sarah Palin including crude and violent descriptions of interracial sex. These comments were reprinted on The Daily Caller website. Journalist Greta van Susteren criticized Tyson and The Daily Caller over the comments, which she described as "smut" and "violence against women".[179]After debuting a one-man show in Las Vegas, Tyson collaborated with film director Spike Lee and brought the show to Broadway in August 2012.[180][181]In February 2013, Tyson took his one-man show Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth on a 36-city, three-month national tour. Tyson talks about his personal and professional life on stage.[182]The one-man show was aired on HBO on November 16, 2013.In October 2012, Tyson launched the Mike Tyson Cares Foundation.[183]The mission of the Mike Tyson Cares Foundation is to "give kids a fighting chance" by providing innovative centers that provide for the comprehensive needs of kids from broken homes.In August 2013, Tyson teamed up with Acquinity Sports to form Iron Mike Productions, a boxing promotions company.In September 2013, Tyson was featured on a six-episode television series on Fox Sports 1 that documented his personal and private life entitled Being: Mike Tyson.[184][185]Tyson in February 2013In November 2013, Tyson's Undisputed Truth was published, which appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list.[186]At the Golden Podium Awards Ceremony, Tyson received the SPORTEL Special Prize for the best autobiography.[187]In May 2017, Tyson published his second book, Iron Ambition,[188]which details his time with trainer and surrogate father Cus D'Amato.He hosts the podcast Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson.[189]In February 2018, Tyson attended the international mixed martial arts (MMA) tournament in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk. Tyson said: "as I have travelled all over the country of Russia I have realised that the people are very sensitive and kind. But most Americans do not have any experience of that."[190]On May 12, 2020, Tyson posted a video on his Instagram of him training again. At the end of the video, Tyson hinted at a return to boxing by saying, "I'm back".[191]On May 23, 2020, at All Elite Wrestling's Double or Nothing, Tyson helped Cody defeat Lance Archer alongside Jake Roberts and presented him the inaugural AEW TNT Championship. Tyson alongside Henry Cejudo, Rashad Evans, and Vitor Belfort appeared on the May 27 episode of AEW Dynamite facing off against Chris Jericho and his stable The Inner Circle.[192]Tiki Lau released a dance music single, Mike Tyson in October 2020 which includes vocals from Tyson.[193]Personal lifeThe gates of Tyson's mansion in Southington, Ohio, which he purchased and lived in during the 1980s.[194]Tyson resides in Seven Hills, Nevada.[195]He has been married three times, and has seven children, one deceased, with three women; in addition to his biological children, Tyson includes his second wife's oldest daughter as one of his own.[196]His first marriage was to actress Robin Givens from February 7, 1988, to February 14, 1989.[52]Givens was known at the time for her role on the sitcom Head of the Class. Tyson's marriage to Givens was especially tumultuous, with allegations of violence, spousal abuse, and mental instability on Tyson's part.[197]Matters came to a head when Tyson and Givens gave a joint interview with Barbara Walters on the ABC TV newsmagazine show 20/20 in September 1988, in which Givens described life with Tyson as "torture, pure hell, worse than anything I could possibly imagine."[198]Givens also described Tyson as "manic depressive" on national television while Tyson looked on with an intent and calm expression.[197]A month later, Givens announced that she was seeking a divorce from the allegedly abusive Tyson.[197]According to the book Fire and Fear: The Inside Story of Mike Tyson, Tyson admitted that he punched Givens and stated, "that was the best punch I've ever thrown in my entire life."[199]Tyson claimed that book was "filled with inaccuracies."[200]They had no children but she reported having had a miscarriage; Tyson claimed that she was never pregnant and only used that to get him to marry her.[197][201]During their marriage, the couple lived in a mansion in Bernardsville, New Jersey.[202][203]His second marriage was to Monica Turner from April 19, 1997, to January 14, 2003.[204]At the time of the divorce filing, Turner worked as a pediatric resident at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C.[205]She is the sister of Michael Steele, the former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland and former Republican National Committee Chairman.[206]Turner filed for divorce from Tyson in January 2002, claiming that he committed adultery during their five-year marriage, an act that "has neither been forgiven nor condoned."[205]The couple had two children; son Amir and daughter Rayna.On May 25, 2009, Tyson's four-year-old daughter Exodus was found by her seven-year-old brother Miguel unconscious and tangled in a cord, dangling from an exercise treadmill. The child's mother untangled her, administered CPR and called for medical attention. Tyson, who was in Las Vegas at the time of the incident, traveled back to Phoenix to be with her. She died of her injuries on May 26, 2009.[207][208]Eleven days after his daughter's death, Tyson wed for the third time, to longtime girlfriend Lakiha "Kiki" Spicer, age 32, exchanging vows on Saturday, June 6, 2009, in a short, private ceremony at the La Bella Wedding Chapel at the Las Vegas Hilton.[209]They have two children; daughter Milan and son Morocco.[196]Tyson has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.[210]In March 2011, Tyson appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to discuss his new Animal Planet reality series Taking on Tyson. In the interview with DeGeneres, Tyson discussed some of the ways he had improved his life in the past two years, including sober living and a vegan diet.[211]However, in August 2013 he admitted publicly that he had lied about his sobriety and was on the verge of death from alcoholism.[212]In December 2013, during an interview with Fox News, Tyson talked about his progress with sobriety and how being in the company of good people has made him want to be a better and more humble person. Tyson also talked about religion and said that he is very grateful to be a Muslim and that he needs Allah.[213]He also revealed that he is no longer vegan, stating, "I was a vegan for four years but not anymore. I eat chicken every now and then. I should be a vegan. [No red meat] at all, no way! I would be very sick if I ate red meat. That's probably why I was so crazy before."[213]In 2013, Tyson stated "the more I look at churches and mosques, the more I see the devil".[214]In 2015, Tyson announced that he was supporting Donald Trump's presidential candidacy.[215]In popular cultureFurther information: Mike Tyson in popular cultureAt the height of his fame and career in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, Tyson was one of the most recognized sports personalities in the world. In addition to his many sporting accomplishments, his outrageous and controversial behavior in the ring and in his private life has kept him in the public eye and in the courtroom.[216]As such, Tyson has been the subject of myriad popular media including movies, television, books and music. He has also been featured in video games and as a subject of parody or satire. Tyson became involved in professional wrestling and has made many cameo appearances in film and television.The film Tyson was released in 1995 and was directed by Uli Edel. It explores the life of Mike Tyson, from the death of his guardian and trainer Cus D'Amato to his rape conviction. Tyson is played by Michael Jai White.Published in 2007, author Joe Layden's book The Last Great Fight: The Extraordinary Tale of Two Men and How One Fight Changed Their Lives Forever, chronicled the lives of Tyson and Douglas before and after their heavyweight championship fight.In 2008, the documentary Tyson premiered at the annual Cannes Film Festival in France.He is the titular character in Mike Tyson Mysteries, which started airing on October 27, 2014, on Adult Swim. In the animated series, Tyson voices a fictionalized version of himself, solving mysteries in the style of Scooby-Doo.[217][218][219]In early March 2015, Tyson appeared on the track "Iconic" on Madonna's album Rebel Heart. Tyson says some lines at the beginning of the song.[220]In late March 2015, Ip Man 3 was announced. With Donnie Yen reprising his role as the titular character, Bruce Lee's martial arts master, Ip Man, while Mike Tyson has been confirmed to join the cast.[221]Principal photography began on March 25, 2015, and was premiered in Hong Kong on December 16, 2015.In January 2017, Tyson launched his YouTube channel with Shots Studios, a comedy video and comedy music production company with young digital stars like Lele Pons and Rudy Mancuso. Tyson's channel includes parody music videos and comedy sketches.[222][223]In October 2017, Tyson was announced as the new face of Australian car servicing franchise Ultra Tune. He has taken over from Jean-Claude van Damme in fronting television commercials for the brand, and the first advert is due to air in January 2018 during the Australian Open.[224][225]A joint Mainland China-Hong Kong-directed film on female friendship titled Girls 2: Girls vs Gangsters (Vietnamese: Girls 2: Những Cô Gái và Găng Tơ) that was shot earlier from July–August 2016 at several locations around Vietnam was released in March 2018, featuring Tyson as "Dragon".[226][227]Michael Gerard Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2005. Nicknamed "Iron Mike"[3]and "Kid Dynamite" in his early career, and later known as "The Baddest Man on the Planet",[4]Tyson is considered one of the best heavyweight boxers of all time.[5]He reigned as the undisputed world heavyweight champion from 1987 to 1990. Claiming his first belt at 20 years, four months, and 22 days old, Tyson holds the record as the youngest boxer to win a heavyweight title.[6]Tyson won his first 19 professional fights by knockout, 12 of them in the first round. He won the WBC title in 1986 after stopping Trevor Berbick in the second round, and added the WBA and IBF titles after defeating James Smith and Tony Tucker in 1987. He was the first heavyweight boxer to simultaneously hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles, as well as the only heavyweight to unify them in succession. The following year, Tyson became the lineal champion when he knocked out Michael Spinks in 91 seconds of the first round.[7]In 1990, Tyson lost the titles to underdog Buster Douglas, who knocked him out in the tenth round.In 1992, Tyson was convicted of rape and sentenced to six years in prison, although he was released on parole after three years.[8][9][10]After his release in 1995, he engaged in a series of comeback fights, regaining the WBA and WBC titles in 1996 to join Floyd Patterson, Muhammad Ali, Tim Witherspoon, Evander Holyfield and George Foreman as the only men in boxing history to have regained a heavyweight championship after losing it. After being stripped of the WBC title in the same year, Tyson lost the WBA title to Evander Holyfield by an eleventh round stoppage. Their 1997 rematch ended when Tyson was disqualified for biting Holyfield's ears, one bite notoriously being strong enough to remove a portion of his right ear.In 2002, Tyson fought for the world heavyweight title again at the age of 35, losing by knockout to Lennox Lewis. Tyson retired from professional boxing in 2006, after being stopped in consecutive matches against journeymen Danny Williams and Kevin McBride. Tyson declared bankruptcy in 2003, despite having received over $30 million for several of his fights and $300 million during his career. At the time the media reported that he had approximately $23 million in debt.[11]Tyson was known for his ferocious and intimidating boxing style as well as his controversial behavior inside and outside the ring. He holds the sixth longest unified championship reign in heavyweight boxing history at 8 consecutive defenses. BoxRec ranked him as the world's top 10 heavyweight 12 times, and placed him at No.1 from 1986 to 1989.[12]He was ranked 16th on The Ring magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time,[13]and first on ESPN's list of "The Hardest Hitters in Heavyweight History".[14]Sky Sports described him as "perhaps the most ferocious fighter to step into a professional ring".[15]He has been inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame.Contents1Early life2Amateur career3Professional career3.1Rise to stardom3.2Undisputed champion3.3Controversy and upset3.4After Douglas4Rape trial and prison5Comeback5.1Tyson–Holyfield fights5.1.1Tyson vs. Holyfield I5.1.2Tyson vs. Holyfield II and aftermath5.21999–20055.2.1Lewis vs. Tyson5.2.2Later career, bankruptcy, and retirement6Exhibition fights6.1Mike Tyson's World Tour6.2Tyson vs. Jones7Legacy8Life after boxing9Personal life10In popular culture11Professional boxing record12Exhibition boxing record13Pay-per-view bouts13.1Professional boxing13.1.1PPV home television13.1.2Closed-circuit theatre TV13.2Professional wrestling13.2.1World Wrestling Federation13.2.2All Elite Wrestling14Awards and honors14.1Humane letters14.2Boxing14.3Professional wrestling15See also16References17External linksEarly lifeMichael Gerard Tyson was born in Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York City on June 30, 1966.[16]He has an older brother named Rodney (born c. 1961)[17]and an older sister named Denise, who died of a heart attack at age 24 in February 1990.[18]Tyson's biological father is listed as "Purcell Tyson" (who was from Jamaica) on his birth certificate,[19][20]but the man Tyson had known as his father was Jimmy Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick was from Grier Town, North Carolina (a predominantly black neighborhood that was annexed by the city of Charlotte),[21]where he was one of the neighborhood's top baseball players. Kirkpatrick married and had a son, Tyson's half-brother Jimmie Lee Kirkpatrick, who would help to integrate Charlotte high school football in 1965. In 1959, Jimmy Kirkpatrick left his family and moved to Brooklyn, where he met Tyson's mother, Lorna Mae (Smith) Tyson. Kirkpatrick frequented pool halls, gambled and hung out on the streets. "My father was just a regular street guy caught up in the street world", Tyson said. Kirkpatrick abandoned the Tyson family around the time Mike was born, leaving Tyson's mother to care for the children on her own.[22]Kirkpatrick died in 1992.[23]The family lived in Bedford-Stuyvesant until their financial burdens necessitated a move to Brownsville when Tyson was 10 years old.[24]Tyson's mother died six years later, leaving 16-year-old Tyson in the care of boxing manager and trainer Cus D'Amato, who would become his legal guardian. Tyson later said, "I never saw my mother happy with me and proud of me for doing something: she only knew me as being a wild kid running the streets, coming home with new clothes that she knew I didn't pay for. I never got a chance to talk to her or know about her. Professionally, it has no effect, but it's crushing emotionally and personally."[25]Throughout his childhood, Tyson lived in and around neighborhoods with a high rate of crime. According to an interview in Details, his first fight was with a bigger youth who had pulled the head off one of Tyson's pigeons.[26]Tyson was repeatedly caught committing petty crimes and fighting those who ridiculed his high-pitched voice and lisp. By the age of 13, he had been arrested 38 times.[27]He ended up at the Tryon School for Boys in Johnstown, New York. Tyson's emerging boxing ability was discovered there by Bobby Stewart, a juvenile detention center counselor and former boxer. Stewart considered Tyson to be an outstanding fighter and trained him for a few months before introducing him to Cus D'Amato.[22]Tyson dropped out of high school as a junior.[28]He would be awarded an honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Central State University in 1989.[29]Kevin Rooney also trained Tyson, and he was occasionally assisted by Teddy Atlas, although Atlas was dismissed by D'Amato when Tyson was 15. Rooney eventually took over all training duties for the young fighter.[30]Amateur careerAs an amateur, Tyson won gold medals at the 1981 and 1982 Junior Olympic Games, defeating Joe Cortez in 1981 and beating Kelton Brown in 1982. Brown's corner threw in the towel in the first round. He fought Henry Tillman twice as an amateur, losing both bouts by decision. Tillman went on to win heavyweight gold at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.[31]Professional careerRise to stardomMain article: Trevor Berbick vs. Mike TysonTyson made his professional debut as an 18-year-old on March 6, 1985, in Albany, New York. He defeated Hector Mercedes via first-round TKO.[22]He had 15 bouts in his first year as a professional. Fighting frequently, Tyson won 26 of his first 28 fights by KO or TKO; 16 of those came in the first round.[32]The quality of his opponents gradually increased to journeyman fighters and borderline contenders,[32]like James Tillis, David Jaco, Jesse Ferguson, Mitch Green, and Marvis Frazier. His win streak attracted media attention and Tyson was billed as the next great heavyweight champion. D'Amato died in November 1985, relatively early into Tyson's professional career, and some speculate that his death was the catalyst to many of the troubles Tyson was to experience as his life and career progressed.[33]Tyson's first nationally televised bout took place on February 16, 1986, at Houston Field House in Troy, New York, against journeyman heavyweight Jesse Ferguson, and was carried by ABC Sports. Tyson knocked down Ferguson with an uppercut in the fifth round that broke Ferguson's nose.[34]During the sixth round, Ferguson began to hold and clinch Tyson in an apparent attempt to avoid further punishment. After admonishing Ferguson several times to obey his commands to box, the referee finally stopped the fight near the middle of the sixth round. The fight was initially ruled a win for Tyson by disqualification (DQ) of his opponent. The ruling was "adjusted" to a win by technical knockout (TKO) after Tyson's corner protested that a DQ win would end Tyson's string of knockout victories, and that a knockout would have been the inevitable result.In July, after recording six more knockout victories, Tyson fought former world title challenger Marvis Frazier in Glens Falls, New York, on another ABC Sports broadcast. Tyson won easily, charging at Frazier at the opening bell and hitting him with an uppercut that knocked Frazier unconscious thirty seconds into the fight.On November 22, 1986, Tyson was given his first title fight against Trevor Berbick for the World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight championship. Tyson won the title by TKO in the second round, and at the age of 20 years and 4 months became the youngest heavyweight champion in history.[35]Tyson's dominant performance brought many accolades. Donald Saunders wrote: "The noble and manly art of boxing can at least cease worrying about its immediate future, now [that] it has discovered a heavyweight champion fit to stand alongside Dempsey, Tunney, Louis, Marciano, and Ali."[36]Tyson intimidated fighters with his strength, combined with outstanding hand speed, accuracy, coordination and timing.[37]Tyson also possessed notable defensive abilities, holding his hands high in the peek-a-boo style taught by his mentor Cus D'Amato[38][39]to slip under and weave around his opponent's punches while timing his own.[39]Tyson's explosive punching technique was due in large part to crouching immediately prior to throwing a hook or an uppercut: this allowed the 'spring' of his legs to add power to the punch.[40]Among his signature moves was a right hook to his opponent's body followed by a right uppercut to his opponent's chin. Lorenzo Boyd, Jesse Ferguson and José Ribalta were each knocked down by this combination.[citation needed]Undisputed championSee also: Mike Tyson vs. James Smith, Mike Tyson vs. Tony Tucker, and Mike Tyson vs. Michael SpinksExpectations for Tyson were extremely high, and he was the favorite to win the heavyweight unification series, a tournament designed to establish an undisputed heavyweight champion. Tyson defended his title against James Smith on March 7, 1987, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He won by unanimous decision and added Smith's World Boxing Association (WBA) title to his existing belt.[41]"Tyson-mania" in the media was becoming rampant.[42]He beat Pinklon Thomas in May by TKO in the sixth round.[43]On August 1 he took the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title from Tony Tucker in a twelve-round unanimous decision 119–111, 118–113, and 116–112.[44]He became the first heavyweight to own all three major belts – WBA, WBC, and IBF – at the same time. Another fight, in October of that year, ended with a victory for Tyson over 1984 Olympic super heavyweight gold medalist Tyrell Biggs by TKO in the seventh round.[45]During this time, Tyson came to the attention of gaming company Nintendo. After witnessing one of Tyson's fights, Nintendo of America president Minoru Arakawa was impressed by the fighter's "power and skill", prompting him to suggest Tyson be included in the upcoming Nintendo Entertainment System port of the Punch Out!! arcade game. In 1987, Nintendo released Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, which was well received and sold more than a million copies.[46]Tyson had three fights in 1988. He faced Larry Holmes on January 22, 1988, and defeated the legendary former champion by KO in the fourth round.[47]This was the only knockout loss Holmes suffered in 75 professional bouts. In March, Tyson then fought contender Tony Tubbs in Tokyo, Japan, fitting in an easy second-round TKO victory amid promotional and marketing work.[48]On June 27, 1988, Tyson faced Michael Spinks. Spinks, who had taken the heavyweight championship from Larry Holmes via fifteen-round decision in 1985, had not lost his title in the ring but was not recognized as champion by the major boxing organizations. Holmes had previously given up all but the IBF title, and that was eventually stripped from Spinks after he elected to fight Gerry Cooney (winning by TKO in the fifth round) rather than IBF Number 1 Contender Tony Tucker, as the Cooney fight provided him a larger purse. However, Spinks did become the lineal champion by beating Holmes and many (including Ring magazine) considered him to have a legitimate claim to being the true heavyweight champion.[49]The bout was, at the time, the richest fight in history and expectations were very high. Boxing pundits were predicting a titanic battle of styles, with Tyson's aggressive infighting conflicting with Spinks's skillful out-boxing and footwork. The fight ended after 91 seconds when Tyson knocked Spinks out in the first round; many consider this to be the pinnacle of Tyson's fame and boxing ability.[50][51]Controversy and upsetMain article: Mike Tyson vs. Buster DouglasDuring this period, Tyson's problems outside the ring were also starting to emerge. His marriage to Robin Givens was heading for divorce,[52]and his future contract was being fought over by Don King and Bill Cayton.[53]In late 1988, Tyson parted with manager Bill Cayton and fired longtime trainer Kevin Rooney, the man many credit for honing Tyson's craft after the death of D'Amato.[39][54]Following Rooney's departure, critics alleged that Tyson began to show less head movement and combination punching.[55]In 1989, Tyson had only two fights amid personal turmoil. He faced the British boxer Frank Bruno in February. Bruno managed to stun Tyson at the end of the first round,[56]although Tyson went on to knock Bruno out in the fifth round. Tyson then knocked out Carl "The Truth" Williams in the first round in July.[57]By 1990, Tyson seemed to have lost direction, and his personal life was in disarray amidst reports of less vigorous training prior to the Buster Douglas match.[58]In a fight on February 11, 1990, he lost the undisputed championship to Douglas in Tokyo.[59]Tyson was a huge betting favorite; indeed, the Mirage, the only casino to put out odds for the fight, made Tyson a 42/1 favorite. Tyson failed to find a way past Douglas's quick jab that had a 12-inch (30 cm) reach advantage over his own.[60]Tyson did catch Douglas with an uppercut in the eighth round and knocked him to the floor, but Douglas recovered sufficiently to hand Tyson a heavy beating in the subsequent two rounds. After the fight, the Tyson camp would complain that the count was slow and that Douglas had taken longer than ten seconds to get back on his feet.[61]Just 35 seconds into the tenth round, Douglas unleashed a brutal uppercut, followed by a four-punch combination of hooks that sent Tyson to the canvas for the first time in his career. He was counted out by referee Octavio Meyran.[59]The knockout victory by Douglas over Tyson, the previously undefeated "baddest man on the planet" and arguably the most feared boxer in professional boxing at that time, has been described as one of the most shocking upsets in modern sports history.[62][63]After DouglasMain articles: Mike Tyson vs. Henry Tillman, Mike Tyson vs. Alex Stewart, Mike Tyson vs. Donovan Ruddock, and Mike Tyson vs. Donovan Ruddock IIDespite the shocking loss, Tyson has said that losing to Douglas was the greatest moment of his career. “I needed that fight to make me a better person and fighter. I have a broader perspective of myself and boxing.”[64]After the loss, Tyson recovered with first-round knockouts of Henry Tillman[65]and Alex Stewart[66]in his next two fights. Tyson's victory over Tillman, the 1984 Olympic heavyweight gold medalist, enabled Tyson to avenge his amateur losses at Tillman's hands. These bouts set up an elimination match for another shot at the undisputed world heavyweight championship, which Evander Holyfield had taken from Douglas in his first defense of the title.[67]Tyson, who was the number one contender, faced number two contender Donovan "Razor" Ruddock on March 18, 1991, in Las Vegas. Ruddock was seen as the most dangerous heavyweight around and was thought of as one of the hardest punching heavyweights. Tyson and Ruddock went back and forth for most of the fight, until referee Richard Steele controversially stopped the fight during the seventh round in favor of Tyson. This decision infuriated the fans in attendance, sparking a post-fight melee in the audience. The referee had to be escorted from the ring.[68]Tyson and Ruddock met again on June 28 that year, with Tyson knocking down Ruddock twice and winning a twelve-round unanimous decision 113–109, 114–108, and 114–108.[69]A fight between Tyson and Holyfield for the undisputed championship was scheduled for November 8, 1991, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, but Tyson pulled out after sustaining a rib cartilage injury during training.[70]Rape trial and prisonTyson was arrested in July 1991 for the rape of 18-year-old Desiree Washington, Miss Black Rhode Island, in an Indianapolis hotel room. Tyson's rape trial took place in the Marion County superior court from January 26 to February 10, 1992.[71]Partial corroboration of Washington's story came via testimony from Tyson's chauffeur who confirmed Desiree Washington's state of shock after the incident. Further testimony came from the emergency room physician who examined Washington more than 24 hours after the incident and confirmed that Washington's physical condition was consistent with rape.[72]Under lead defense lawyer Vincent J. Fuller's direct examination, Tyson claimed that everything had taken place with Washington's full consent and he claimed not to have forced himself upon her. When he was cross-examined by lead prosecutor Gregory Garrison, Tyson denied claims that he had misled Washington and insisted that she wanted to have sex with him.[73]Tyson was convicted on the rape charge on February 10, 1992, after the jury deliberated for nearly 10 hours.[74]Alan Dershowitz, acting as Tyson's counsel, filed an appeal urging error of law in the Court's exclusion of evidence of the victim's past sexual conduct (known as the Rape Shield Law), the exclusion of three potential defense witnesses, and the lack of a jury instruction on honest and reasonable mistake of fact.[75]The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled against Tyson in a 2–1 vote.[75]The Indiana Supreme Court let the lower court opinion stand due to a 2–2 split in its review. The tie vote was due to the fact that the then-Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court recused himself from the case. The Chief Justice later revealed he did so because of a heated argument between his wife and Dershowitz at a Yale Law School reunion concerning the case.[76]On March 26, 1992, Tyson was sentenced to six years in prison along with four years of probation.[77]He was assigned to the Indiana Youth Center (now the Plainfield Correctional Facility) in April 1992,[78]and he was released in March 1995 after serving less than three years of the sentence.[79]It has been widely reported that while in prison, he converted to Islam and adopted the Muslim name Malik Abdulaziz[80](though some sources report the adoption of a different Islamic name, Malik Shabazz).[81]However, Tyson has stated that he converted to Islam before entering prison, but made no efforts to correct the misinformation in the media.[82]Due to his conviction, Tyson is required to register as a Tier II sex offender under federal law.[83][84][85]ComebackMain articles: Mike Tyson vs. Peter McNeeley, Mike Tyson vs. Buster Mathis Jr., Frank Bruno vs. Mike Tyson II, and Bruce Seldon vs. Mike TysonAfter being paroled from prison, Tyson easily won his comeback bouts against Peter McNeeley and Buster Mathis Jr.. Tyson's first comeback fight grossed more than US$96 million worldwide, including a United States record $63 million for PPV television. The viewing of the fight was purchased by 1.52 million homes, setting both PPV viewership and revenue records.[86]The 89-second fight elicited criticism that Tyson's management lined up "tomato cans" to ensure easy victories for his return.[87]TV Guide included the Tyson–McNeeley fight in their list of the 50 Greatest TV Sports Moments of All Time in 1998.[88]Tyson regained one belt by easily winning the WBC title against Frank Bruno in March 1996. It was the second fight between the two, and Tyson knocked out Bruno in the third round.[89]In 1996, Lennox Lewis turned down a $13.5 million guarantee to fight Tyson. This would've been Lewis's highest fight purse to date. Lewis then accepted $4 million from Don King to step aside and allow Tyson to fight Bruce Seldon for an expected $30 million instead with the intention that if Tyson defeated Seldon, he would fight Lewis next.[90]Tyson added the WBA belt by defeating champion Seldon in the first round in September that year. Seldon was severely criticized and mocked in the popular press for seemingly collapsing to innocuous punches from Tyson.[91]Tyson–Holyfield fightsTyson vs. Holyfield IMain article: Mike Tyson vs. Evander HolyfieldTyson attempted to defend the WBA title against Evander Holyfield, who was in the fourth fight of his own comeback. Holyfield had retired in 1994 following the loss of his championship to Michael Moorer. It was said that Don King and others saw former champion Holyfield, who was 34 at the time of the fight and a huge underdog, as a washed-up fighter.[92]On November 9, 1996, in Las Vegas, Nevada, Tyson faced Holyfield in a title bout dubbed "Finally". In a surprising turn of events, Holyfield, who was given virtually no chance to win by numerous commentators,[93]defeated Tyson by TKO when referee Mitch Halpern stopped the bout in round eleven.[94]Holyfield became the second boxer to win a heavyweight championship belt three times. Holyfield's victory was marred by allegations from Tyson's camp of Holyfield's frequent headbutts[95]during the bout. Although the headbutts were ruled accidental by the referee,[95]they would become a point of contention in the subsequent rematch.[96]Tyson vs. Holyfield II and aftermathMain article: Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson IITyson and Holyfield fought again on June 28, 1997. Originally, Halpern was supposed to be the referee, but after Tyson's camp protested, Halpern stepped aside in favor of Mills Lane.[97]The highly anticipated rematch was dubbed The Sound and the Fury, and it was held at the Las Vegas MGM Grand Garden Arena, site of the first bout. It was a lucrative event, drawing even more attention than the first bout and grossing $100 million. Tyson received $30 million and Holyfield $35 million, the highest paid professional boxing purses until 2007.[98][99]The fight was purchased by 1.99 million households, setting a pay-per-view buy rate record that stood until May 5, 2007, being surpassed by Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr.[99][100]Soon to become one of the most controversial events in modern sports,[101]the fight was stopped at the end of the third round, with Tyson disqualified[102]for biting Holyfield on both ears. The first time Tyson bit him, the match was temporarily stopped. Referee Mills Lane deducted two points from Tyson and the fight resumed. However, after the match resumed, Tyson bit him again, resulting in his disqualification, and Holyfield won the match. The first bite was severe enough to remove a piece of Holyfield's right ear, which was found on the ring floor after the fight.[103]Tyson later stated that his actions were retaliation for Holyfield repeatedly headbutting him without penalty.[96]In the confusion that followed the ending of the bout and announcement of the decision, a near riot occurred in the arena and several people were injured.[104]Tyson Holyfield II was the first heavyweight title fight in over 50 years to end in a disqualification.[105]As a subsequent fallout from the incident, US$3 million was immediately withheld from Tyson's $30-million purse by the Nevada state boxing commission (the most it could legally hold back at the time).[106]Two days after the fight, Tyson issued a statement,[107]apologizing to Holyfield for his actions and asked not to be banned for life over the incident.[108]Tyson was roundly condemned in the news media but was not without defenders. Novelist and commentator Katherine Dunn wrote a column that criticized Holyfield's sportsmanship in the controversial bout and charged the news media with being biased against Tyson.[109]On July 9, 1997, Tyson's boxing license was rescinded by the Nevada State Athletic Commission in a unanimous voice vote; he was also fined US$3 million and ordered to pay the legal costs of the hearing.[110]As most state athletic commissions honor sanctions imposed by other states, this effectively made Tyson unable to box in the United States. The revocation was not permanent, as the commission voted 4–1 to restore Tyson's boxing license on October 18, 1998.[111]During his time away from boxing in 1998, Tyson made a guest appearance at WrestleMania XIV as an enforcer for the main event match between Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin. During this time, Tyson was also an unofficial member of Michaels's stable, D-Generation X. Tyson was paid $3 million for being guest enforcer of the match at WrestleMania XIV.[112]1999–2005Main articles: Mike Tyson vs. Francois Botha and Mike Tyson vs. Andrew Golota"I'm the best ever. I'm the most brutal and vicious, the most ruthless champion there has ever been. There's no one can stop me. Lennox is a conqueror? No! I'm Alexander! He's no Alexander! I'm the best ever. There's never been anyone as ruthless. I'm Sonny Liston. I'm Jack Dempsey. There's no one like me. I'm from their cloth. There is no one who can match me. My style is impetuous, my defense is impregnable, and I'm just ferocious. I want your heart! I want to eat his children! Praise be to Allah!"—Tyson's post-fight interview after knocking out Lou Savarese 38 seconds into the bout in June 2000.[113]In January 1999, Tyson returned to the ring for a match against the South African Francois Botha. This match also ended in controversy. While Botha initially controlled the fight, Tyson allegedly attempted to break Botha's arms during a tie-up and both boxers were cautioned by the referee in the ill-tempered bout. Botha was ahead on points on all scorecards and was confident enough to mock Tyson as the fight continued. Nonetheless, Tyson landed a straight right hand in the fifth round that knocked out Botha.[114]Critics noticed Tyson stopped using the bob and weave defense altogether following this return.[115]Legal problems arose with Tyson once again. On February 5, 1999, Tyson was sentenced to a year's imprisonment, fined $5,000, and ordered to serve two years probation along with undergoing 200 hours of community service for assaulting two motorists after a traffic accident on August 31, 1998.[116]He served nine months of that sentence. After his release, he fought Orlin Norris on October 23, 1999. Tyson knocked down Norris with a left hook thrown after the bell sounded to end the first round. Norris injured his knee when he went down and said that he was unable to continue. Consequently, the bout was ruled a no contest.[117]In 2000, Tyson had three fights. The first match in January was staged at the MEN Arena in Manchester, England against Julius Francis. Following controversy as to whether Tyson was allowed into the country, he took four minutes to knock out Francis, ending the bout in the second round.[118]He also fought Lou Savarese in June 2000 in Glasgow, winning in the first round; the fight lasted only 38 seconds. Tyson continued punching after the referee had stopped the fight, knocking the referee to the floor as he tried to separate the boxers.[119]In October, Tyson fought the similarly controversial Andrew Golota,[120]winning in round three after Gołota was unable to continue due to a broken cheekbone, concussion, and neck injury.[121]The result was later changed to no contest after Tyson refused to take a pre-fight drug test and then tested positive for marijuana in a post-fight urine test.[122]Tyson fought only once in 2001, beating Brian Nielsen in Copenhagen by TKO in the seventh round.[123]Lewis vs. TysonMain article: Lennox Lewis vs. Mike TysonTyson once again had the opportunity to fight for a heavyweight championship in 2002. Lennox Lewis held the WBC, IBF, IBO and Lineal titles at the time. As promising fighters, Tyson and Lewis had sparred at a training camp in a meeting arranged by Cus D'Amato in 1984.[124]Tyson sought to fight Lewis in Nevada for a more lucrative box-office venue, but the Nevada Boxing Commission refused him a license to box as he was facing possible sexual assault charges at the time.[125]Two years prior to the bout, Tyson had made several inflammatory remarks to Lewis in an interview following the Savarese fight. The remarks included the statement "I want your heart, I want to eat your children."[126]On January 22, 2002, the two boxers and their entourages were involved in a brawl at a New York press conference to publicize the planned event.[127]A few weeks later, the Nevada State Athletic Commission refused to grant Tyson a license for the fight, and the promoters had to make alternative arrangements. After multiple states balked at granting Tyson a license, the fight eventually occurred on June 8 at the Pyramid Arena in Memphis, Tennessee. Lewis dominated the fight and knocked out Tyson with a right hand in the eighth round. Tyson was respectful after the fight and praised Lewis on his victory.[128]This fight was the highest-grossing event in pay-per-view history at that time, generating $106.9 million from 1.95 million buys in the US.[99][100]Later career, bankruptcy, and retirementTyson at the Boxing Hall of Fame, 2013In another Memphis fight on February 22, 2003, Tyson beat fringe contender Clifford Etienne 49 seconds into round one. The pre-fight was marred by rumors of Tyson's lack of fitness. Some said that he took time out from training to party in Las Vegas and get a new facial tattoo.[129]This eventually proved to be Tyson's final professional victory in the ring.In August 2003, after years of financial struggles, Tyson finally filed for bankruptcy.[130][131][132]On August 13, 2003, Tyson entered the ring for a face-to-face confrontation against K-1 fighting phenom, Bob Sapp, immediately after Sapp's win against Kimo Leopoldo in Las Vegas. K-1 signed Tyson to a contract with the hopes of making a fight happen between the two, but Tyson's felony history made it impossible for him to obtain a visa to enter Japan, where the fight would have been most profitable. Alternative locations were discussed, but the fight ultimately failed to happen.[133]On July 30, 2004, Tyson had a match against British boxer Danny Williams in another comeback fight, and this time, staged in Louisville, Kentucky. Tyson dominated the opening two rounds. The third round was even, with Williams getting in some clean blows and also a few illegal ones, for which he was penalized. In the fourth round, Tyson was unexpectedly knocked out. After the fight, it was revealed that Tyson was trying to fight on one leg, having torn a ligament in his other knee in the first round. This was Tyson's fifth career defeat.[134]He underwent surgery for the ligament four days after the fight. His manager, Shelly Finkel, claimed that Tyson was unable to throw meaningful right-hand punches since he had a knee injury.[135]On June 11, 2005, Tyson stunned the boxing world by quitting before the start of the seventh round in a close bout against journeyman Kevin McBride. In the 2008 documentary Tyson, he stated that he fought McBride for a payday, that he did not anticipate winning, that he was in poor physical condition and fed up with taking boxing seriously. After losing three of his last four fights, Tyson said he would quit boxing because he felt he had lost his passion for the sport.[136]In 2000 Tyson fired everyone working for him and enlisted new accountants, who prepared a statement showing he started the year $3.3 million in debt but earned $65.7 million.[137]In August 2007, Tyson pleaded guilty to drug possession and driving under the influence in an Arizona court, which stemmed from an arrest in December where authorities said Tyson, who has a long history of legal problems, admitted to using cocaine that day and to being addicted to the drug.[138]Exhibition fightsMike Tyson's World TourTo help pay off his debts, Tyson announced he would be doing a series of exhibition bouts, calling it Tyson's World Tour. For his first bout, Tyson returned to the ring in 2006 for a four-round exhibition against journeyman heavyweight Corey Sanders in Youngstown, Ohio.[139]Tyson, without headgear at 5 ft 10.5 in and 216 pounds, was in quality shape, but far from his prime against Sanders, at 6 ft 6 in[140]who wore headgear. Tyson appeared to be "holding back" in the exhibition to prevent an early end to the "show". "If I don't get out of this financial quagmire there's a possibility I may have to be a punching bag for somebody. The money I make isn't going to help my bills from a tremendous standpoint, but I'm going to feel better about myself. I'm not going to be depressed", explained Tyson about the reasons for his "comeback".[141]After the bout was poorly received by fans the remainder of the tour was cancelled.[142]Tyson vs. JonesMain article: Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr.It was announced in July 2020 that Tyson had signed a contract to face former four-division world champion, Roy Jones Jr., in an eight-round exhibition fight. Mixed martial arts coach Rafael Cordeiro was selected to be Tyson's trainer and cornerman.[143][144]The bout—officially sanctioned by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC)—was initially scheduled to take place on September 12 at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California,[145]however, the date was pushed back to November 28 in order to maximize revenue for the event. The fight went the full 8 rounds, and was declared a draw.[146]The fight was a split draw and the three judges scored the fight as follows: Chad Dawson (76–76 draw), Christy Martin (79–73 for Tyson), and Vinny Pazienza (76–80 for Jones).[147]LegacyTyson was The Ring magazine's Fighter of the Year in 1986 and 1988.[148]A 1998 ranking of "The Greatest Heavyweights of All-Time" by The Ring magazine placed Tyson at No.14 on the list.[149]Despite criticism of facing underwhelming competition during his run as champion, Tyson's knockout power and intimidation factor made him the sport's most dynamic box-office draw.[150]According to Douglas Quenqua of The New York Times, "The [1990s] began with Mike Tyson, considered by many to be the last great heavyweight champion, losing his title to the little-known Buster Douglas. Seven years later, Mr. Tyson bit Evander Holyfield's ear in a heavyweight champion bout—hardly a proud moment for the sport."[151]He is remembered for his attire of black trunks, black shoes with no socks, and a plain white towel fit around his neck in place of a traditional robe, as well as his habit of rapidly pacing the ring before the start of a fight.[150][152]At his peak, Tyson rarely took a step back and had never been knocked down or seriously challenged.[152]According to Martial Arts World Report, it gave Tyson an Honorable Mention in its Ten Greatest Heavyweights of All Time rather than a ranking because longevity is a factor and the peak period of Tyson's career lasted only about 5 years.[153]BoxRec currently ranks Tyson at No. 75 among the greatest pound-for-pound boxers of all time with 370.9 points.[154]In The Ring magazine's list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years, released in 2002, Tyson was ranked at No. 72.[155]He is ranked No. 16 on The Ring magazine's 2003 list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.[156][157]Tyson has defeated 11 boxers for the world heavyweight title, the seventh-most in history.On June 12, 2011, Tyson was inducted to the International Boxing Hall of Fame alongside legendary Mexican champion Julio César Chávez, light welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu, and actor/screenwriter Sylvester Stallone.[158]In 2011, Bleacher Report omitted Tyson from its list of top 10 heavyweights, saying that that "Mike Tyson is not a top 10 heavyweight. He killed the fighters he was supposed to beat, but when he fought another elite fighter, he always lost. I'm not talking about some of those B-level fighters he took a belt from. I'm talking about the handful of good boxers he fought throughout his career."[159]In 2013, Tyson was inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame and headlined the induction ceremony.[160][161]Tyson was inducted into the Southern Nevada Hall of Fame in 2015 along with four other inductees with ties to Southern Nevada.[162][163]Tyson reflected on his strongest opponents in ten categories for a 2014 interview with The Ring magazine, including best jab, best defense, fastest hands, fastest feet, best chin, smartest, strongest, best puncher, best boxer, and best overall.[164]In 2017, The Ring magazine ranked Tyson as No. 9 of 20 heavyweight champions based on a poll of panelists that included trainers, matchmakers, media, historians, and boxers, including:[165]Trainers: Teddy Atlas, Pat Burns, Virgil Hunter, and Don TurnerMatchmakers: Eric Bottjer, Don Chargin, Don Elbaum, Bobby Goodman, Ron Katz, Mike Marchionte, Russell Peltz, and Bruce Trampler.Media: Al Bernstein, Ron Borges, Gareth A Davies, Norm Frauenheim, Jerry Izenberg, Harold Lederman, Paulie Malignaggi, Dan Rafael, and Michael RosenthalHistorians: Craig Hamilton, Steve Lott, Don McRae, Bob Mee, Clay Moyle, Adam Pollack, and Randy RobertsBoxers: Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson participated in the poll, but neither fighter ranked himself. Instead, a weighted average from the other panelists was assigned to their respective slots on their ballots.In 2020, Bill Caplan of The Ring magazine listed Tyson as No. 17 of the 20 greatest heavyweights of all time.[166]Tyson spoke with The Ring magazine in 2020 about his six greatest victories, which included knockouts of Trevor Berbick, Pinklon Thomas, Tony Tucker, Tyrell Biggs, Larry Holmes, and Michael Spinks.[167]In 2020, CBS Sports boxing experts Brian Campbell and Brent Brookhouse ranked the top 10 heavyweights of the last 50 years and Tyson was ranked No. 7.[168]Life after boxingTyson in 2006In an interview with USA Today published on June 3, 2005, Tyson said, "My whole life has been a waste – I've been a failure." He continued: "I just want to escape. I'm really embarrassed with myself and my life. I want to be a missionary. I think I could do that while keeping my dignity without letting people know they chased me out of the country. I want to get this part of my life over as soon as possible. In this country nothing good is going to come of me. People put me so high; I wanted to tear that image down."[169]Tyson began to spend much of his time tending to his 350 pigeons in Paradise Valley, an upscale enclave near Phoenix, Arizona.[170]Tyson has stayed in the limelight by promoting various websites and companies.[171]In the past Tyson had shunned endorsements, accusing other athletes of putting on a false front to obtain them.[172]Tyson has held entertainment boxing shows at a casino in Las Vegas[173]and started a tour of exhibition bouts to pay off his numerous debts.[174]On December 29, 2006, Tyson was arrested in Scottsdale, Arizona, on suspicion of DUI and felony drug possession; he nearly crashed into a police SUV shortly after leaving a nightclub. According to a police probable-cause statement, filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, "[Tyson] admitted to using [drugs] today and stated he is an addict and has a problem."[175]Tyson pleaded not guilty on January 22, 2007, in Maricopa County Superior Court to felony drug possession and paraphernalia possession counts and two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence of drugs. On February 8 he checked himself into an inpatient treatment program for "various addictions" while awaiting trial on the drug charges.[176]On September 24, 2007, Tyson pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine and driving under the influence. He was convicted of these charges in November 2007 and sentenced to 24 hours in jail. After his release, he was ordered to serve three years probation and undergo 360 hours community service. Prosecutors had requested a year-long jail sentence, but the judge praised Tyson for seeking help with his drug problems.[177]On November 11, 2009, Tyson was arrested after getting into a scuffle at Los Angeles International airport with a photographer.[178]No charges were filed.Tyson has taken acting roles in movies and television, most famously playing a fictionalized version of himself in the 2009 film The Hangover.In September 2011, Tyson gave an interview in which he made comments about former Alaska governor Sarah Palin including crude and violent descriptions of interracial sex. These comments were reprinted on The Daily Caller website. Journalist Greta van Susteren criticized Tyson and The Daily Caller over the comments, which she described as "smut" and "violence against women".[179]After debuting a one-man show in Las Vegas, Tyson collaborated with film director Spike Lee and brought the show to Broadway in August 2012.[180][181]In February 2013, Tyson took his one-man show Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth on a 36-city, three-month national tour. Tyson talks about his personal and professional life on stage.[182]The one-man show was aired on HBO on November 16, 2013.In October 2012, Tyson launched the Mike Tyson Cares Foundation.[183]The mission of the Mike Tyson Cares Foundation is to "give kids a fighting chance" by providing innovative centers that provide for the comprehensive needs of kids from broken homes.In August 2013, Tyson teamed up with Acquinity Sports to form Iron Mike Productions, a boxing promotions company.In September 2013, Tyson was featured on a six-episode television series on Fox Sports 1 that documented his personal and private life entitled Being: Mike Tyson.[184][185]Tyson in February 2013In November 2013, Tyson's Undisputed Truth was published, which appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list.[186]At the Golden Podium Awards Ceremony, Tyson received the SPORTEL Special Prize for the best autobiography.[187]In May 2017, Tyson published his second book, Iron Ambition,[188]which details his time with trainer and surrogate father Cus D'Amato.He hosts the podcast Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson.[189]In February 2018, Tyson attended the international mixed martial arts (MMA) tournament in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk. Tyson said: "as I have travelled all over the country of Russia I have realised that the people are very sensitive and kind. But most Americans do not have any experience of that."[190]On May 12, 2020, Tyson posted a video on his Instagram of him training again. At the end of the video, Tyson hinted at a return to boxing by saying, "I'm back".[191]On May 23, 2020, at All Elite Wrestling's Double or Nothing, Tyson helped Cody defeat Lance Archer alongside Jake Roberts and presented him the inaugural AEW TNT Championship. Tyson alongside Henry Cejudo, Rashad Evans, and Vitor Belfort appeared on the May 27 episode of AEW Dynamite facing off against Chris Jericho and his stable The Inner Circle.[192]Tiki Lau released a dance music single, Mike Tyson in October 2020 which includes vocals from Tyson.[193]Personal lifeThe gates of Tyson's mansion in Southington, Ohio, which he purchased and lived in during the 1980s.[194]Tyson resides in Seven Hills, Nevada.[195]He has been married three times, and has seven children, one deceased, with three women; in addition to his biological children, Tyson includes his second wife's oldest daughter as one of his own.[196]His first marriage was to actress Robin Givens from February 7, 1988, to February 14, 1989.[52]Givens was known at the time for her role on the sitcom Head of the Class. Tyson's marriage to Givens was especially tumultuous, with allegations of violence, spousal abuse, and mental instability on Tyson's part.[197]Matters came to a head when Tyson and Givens gave a joint interview with Barbara Walters on the ABC TV newsmagazine show 20/20 in September 1988, in which Givens described life with Tyson as "torture, pure hell, worse than anything I could possibly imagine."[198]Givens also described Tyson as "manic depressive" on national television while Tyson looked on with an intent and calm expression.[197]A month later, Givens announced that she was seeking a divorce from the allegedly abusive Tyson.[197]According to the book Fire and Fear: The Inside Story of Mike Tyson, Tyson admitted that he punched Givens and stated, "that was the best punch I've ever thrown in my entire life."[199]Tyson claimed that book was "filled with inaccuracies."[200]They had no children but she reported having had a miscarriage; Tyson claimed that she was never pregnant and only used that to get him to marry her.[197][201]During their marriage, the couple lived in a mansion in Bernardsville, New Jersey.[202][203]His second marriage was to Monica Turner from April 19, 1997, to January 14, 2003.[204]At the time of the divorce filing, Turner worked as a pediatric resident at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C.[205]She is the sister of Michael Steele, the former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland and former Republican National Committee Chairman.[206]Turner filed for divorce from Tyson in January 2002, claiming that he committed adultery during their five-year marriage, an act that "has neither been forgiven nor condoned."[205]The couple had two children; son Amir and daughter Rayna.On May 25, 2009, Tyson's four-year-old daughter Exodus was found by her seven-year-old brother Miguel unconscious and tangled in a cord, dangling from an exercise treadmill. The child's mother untangled her, administered CPR and called for medical attention. Tyson, who was in Las Vegas at the time of the incident, traveled back to Phoenix to be with her. She died of her injuries on May 26, 2009.[207][208]Eleven days after his daughter's death, Tyson wed for the third time, to longtime girlfriend Lakiha "Kiki" Spicer, age 32, exchanging vows on Saturday, June 6, 2009, in a short, private ceremony at the La Bella Wedding Chapel at the Las Vegas Hilton.[209]They have two children; daughter Milan and son Morocco.[196]Tyson has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.[210]In March 2011, Tyson appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to discuss his new Animal Planet reality series Taking on Tyson. In the interview with DeGeneres, Tyson discussed some of the ways he had improved his life in the past two years, including sober living and a vegan diet.[211]However, in August 2013 he admitted publicly that he had lied about his sobriety and was on the verge of death from alcoholism.[212]In December 2013, during an interview with Fox News, Tyson talked about his progress with sobriety and how being in the company of good people has made him want to be a better and more humble person. Tyson also talked about religion and said that he is very grateful to be a Muslim and that he needs Allah.[213]He also revealed that he is no longer vegan, stating, "I was a vegan for four years but not anymore. I eat chicken every now and then. I should be a vegan. [No red meat] at all, no way! I would be very sick if I ate red meat. That's probably why I was so crazy before."[213]In 2013, Tyson stated "the more I look at churches and mosques, the more I see the devil".[214]In 2015, Tyson announced that he was supporting Donald Trump's presidential candidacy.[215]In popular cultureFurther information: Mike Tyson in popular cultureAt the height of his fame and career in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, Tyson was one of the most recognized sports personalities in the world. In addition to his many sporting accomplishments, his outrageous and controversial behavior in the ring and in his private life has kept him in the public eye and in the courtroom.[216]As such, Tyson has been the subject of myriad popular media including movies, television, books and music. He has also been featured in video games and as a subject of parody or satire. Tyson became involved in professional wrestling and has made many cameo appearances in film and television.The film Tyson was released in 1995 and was directed by Uli Edel. It explores the life of Mike Tyson, from the death of his guardian and trainer Cus D'Amato to his rape conviction. Tyson is played by Michael Jai White.Published in 2007, author Joe Layden's book The Last Great Fight: The Extraordinary Tale of Two Men and How One Fight Changed Their Lives Forever, chronicled the lives of Tyson and Douglas before and after their heavyweight championship fight.In 2008, the documentary Tyson premiered at the annual Cannes Film Festival in France.He is the titular character in Mike Tyson Mysteries, which started airing on October 27, 2014, on Adult Swim. In the animated series, Tyson voices a fictionalized version of himself, solving mysteries in the style of Scooby-Doo.[217][218][219]In early March 2015, Tyson appeared on the track "Iconic" on Madonna's album Rebel Heart. Tyson says some lines at the beginning of the song.[220]In late March 2015, Ip Man 3 was announced. With Donnie Yen reprising his role as the titular character, Bruce Lee's martial arts master, Ip Man, while Mike Tyson has been confirmed to join the cast.[221]Principal photography began on March 25, 2015, and was premiered in Hong Kong on December 16, 2015.In January 2017, Tyson launched his YouTube channel with Shots Studios, a comedy video and comedy music production company with young digital stars like Lele Pons and Rudy Mancuso. Tyson's channel includes parody music videos and comedy sketches.[222][223]In October 2017, Tyson was announced as the new face of Australian car servicing franchise Ultra Tune. He has taken over from Jean-Claude van Damme in fronting television commercials for the brand, and the first advert is due to air in January 2018 during the Australian Open.[224][225]A joint Mainland China-Hong Kong-directed film on female friendship titled Girls 2: Girls vs Gangsters (Vietnamese: Girls 2: Những Cô Gái và Găng Tơ) that was shot earlier from July–August 2016 at several locations around Vietnam was released in March 2018, featuring Tyson as "Dragon".[226][227]