Mike Tyson

Born 1966 · American boxer · undisputed heavyweight champion, 1987–1990

Michael Gerard Tyson was born in Brooklyn in 1966 and won a version of the heavyweight title in November 1986 at twenty years and four months — the youngest heavyweight champion in history — before reigning as undisputed champion from 1987 to 1990. Raised on public assistance in Brownsville and shaped by trainer Cus D’Amato, he arrived at enormous wealth almost overnight and talked about it, in interviews, with a bluntness few athletes match. He earned more than $300 million across his career and filed for bankruptcy in August 2003 with roughly $23 million in debt — which is why lines like this one keep resurfacing.

Traced to source

7 quotes we’ve traced to Mike Tyson

“Everybody has plans until they get hit for the first time”

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“I probably have a 20,000-word vocabulary. I'll match my wits with anyone on literature, science and the arts”

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“I'm the best ever. I'm the most brutal and vicious, and most ruthless champion there's ever been. There's no one that can stop me. Lennox is a conqueror? No, I'm Alexander! He's no Alexander. I'm the best ever. There's never been anybody 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 that 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!”

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“Real freedom is having nothing. I was freer when I didn't have a cent”

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“Social media made y'all way too comfortable with disrespecting people and not getting punched in the face for it”

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“These books ain't window dressing. I think Machiavelli's the most sophisticated writer outside of Shakespeare”

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“Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth”

Attributed

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