Mike Tyson endured a tumultuous childhood(Image: Getty Images for Netflix)

Mike Tyson confronted by man he robbed - and his reaction speaks volumes

12 Nov 2024, 09:28 by Patrick Austen-Hardy, Harry Brent · Wales Online

Mike Tyson showed his softer side during a peculiar encounter in New York City.

While filming for Netflix before his much-anticipated return to the ring against Jake Paul this Friday, Tyson was approached by a local who claimed he had been robbed by the boxing legend as a child. Tyson, 58, has made no secret about his rough past.

He once claimed that he was arrested 38 times by the age of 13. When he was reunited with a person who claimed to be one of his victims, the knockout artist reacted warmly to him.

The man approached Tyson and said: "You robbed me when I was eight years old on Amboy and Pitkin."

Tyson embraced the man and asked: "I robbed you?" He then turned to the film crew and remarked: "Now he's blaming me for robbing him...Yeah, at Woolworth's. We took our pictures in there. I'm sorry."

The former heavyweight champion of the world is no stranger to adversity. Raised in Brownsville, Brooklyn, one of New York's most deprived neighbourhoods, and abandoned by his father and a tumultuous relationship with his mother, led to a far from stable childhood.

Tyson initially looked baffled when the fan met him(Image: Netflix)

Tyson's journey from juvenile detention centres in New York to the pinnacle of boxing is a tale of transformation. It was within these confines that Tyson discovered his passion for boxing.

A counsellor at one of the detention centres, Bobby Stewart, recognised Tyson's raw talent when he was just 14 and introduced him to Cus D'Amato. D'Amato not only took on the role of Tyson's boxing manager but also became his adoptive father following the death of Tyson's mother.

Tyson spoke about D'Amato's impact on his life in a previous interview. He said: "When I met Cus D'Amato, I knew I was gonna be champ of the world when I was 14. He knew how to stimulate my mind. 'You could be the champion of the world at 18, 19, but you don't even believe it.' And then I was like, 'Really, you think so?' He said, 'I put my life on it'."

Tyson and the fan shared a warm moment together(Image: Netflix)

D'Amato's death came in 1985, shortly after Tyson began his professional career. By then, Tyson, known as 'Iron Mike', had already achieved an impressive run of 11 straight wins, with eight being first-round knockouts.

In 1986, Tyson captured the heavyweight championship title and went on to make history in 1987 by becoming the first heavyweight boxer to hold the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles simultaneously. He maintained an undefeated streak until a shock loss to Buster Douglas in 1990.

Tyson regained the heavyweight title in 1996 but was dethroned by Evander Holyfield later that year. He retired from professional boxing in 2005, boasting a record of 50 victories, including 44 knockouts, out of 56 bouts.

Mike Tyson and Jake Paul will face off in Texas this week(Image: Getty Images)

Post-retirement, Tyson has stepped back into the ring for exhibition matches in 2006 and 2020. His face-off with Paul at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, will be streamed live on Netflix.

The match, classified as a heavyweight contest, was originally scheduled for July but was postponed after Tyson suffered an ulcer flare-up during a flight.

Paul, who is more than three decades Tyson's junior, has claimed 10 wins from his 11 professional matches, with his only defeat against Tommy Fury - brother of Tyson Fury - coming in 2023.