Three Decades After Cus D’Amato’s Death, Mike Tyson Makes Troubling Confessions

Mike Tyson had a twenty-year-long career in the sport. He made his pro debut in the year 1985 and retired after his fight with Kevin McBride in 2005. While he actively took part in the sport, Mike Tyson went up against the likes of James Tillis, Mitch Green, Tony Tucker, and Larry Holmes. ‘The Baddest Man on the Earth’ offered some unforgettable moments in pro boxing. There are so many fights that Tyson won by the end of the very first round. He was indomitable and highly feared. However, there was one person Tyson would not dare to go in the ring with.

He was none other than his mentor, Cus D’Amato. Tyson was petrified to be alone with D’Amato when the latter broke down Tyson’s performance in the ring. Decades after D’Amato passed away, Tyson in his book titled Iron Ambition: My Life with Cus D’Amato (2017) said, “I was petrified when I was alone with him. If he called me – ‘Mike, I need to talk to you’ – I didn’t feel good going over to him. That’s when he’d start giving me his detailed criticisms of my fights.”

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Having knocked out his opponents in a blink of an eye, Tyson would celebrate. The crowd would cheer for him and ‘Iron’, encouraged by the crowd, would let go of his emotion like no other. However, here is what would happen after the fights would be over, according to Mike.

Mike Tyson talks about his interactions with Cus D’Amato after his fights

Although, for the ordinary eyes, Tyson would put on a spectacle in the ring, D’Amato would find his faults. No matter how quick or powerfully Tyson ended his fights, there would always be room for D’Amato to something say. In Mike’s own words, “People see the public celebrations of my sensational knockouts, but they don’t hear Cus talking to me alone after the fight. He’d make me feel like s***, play with my emotions. He would put things in your head all day.”

However, thanks to D’Amato’s critical take on Mike’s performance in the ring that he is what he is today for his fans. Do you think Mike would have been half the person he is today without Cus D’Amato’s influence in his life? Let us know in the comments.

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