Pro boxing in China, long outlawed during Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution, experienced a brief renaissance (or a “Rebellion” as a New Yorker profile termed it) in 2013 when two-time gold medalist Zou Shiming signed with Top Rank and kicked off a series of Vegas-style boxing events in Macau. Zhang’s own introduction to the sport began many years earlier, when he watched the first meeting between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield in 1996.
After being paroled from prison, Tyson easily won his comeback bouts against Peter McNeeley and Buster Mathis Jr. Tyson’s first comeback fight was marketed as “He’s back!” and 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. The 89-second fight elicited criticism that Tyson’s management lined up “tomato cans” to ensure easy victories for his return. TV Guide included the Tyson–McNeeley fight in their list of the 50 Greatest TV Sports Moments of All Time in 1998.
Deontay Wilder et Zhilei Zhang s’affrontent dans la catégorie des poids lourds à la Kingdom Arena de Riyad, en Arabie saoudite. L’événement principal met en vedette ces deux boxeurs de premier plan, ce qui a un impact significatif sur la carrière des deux combattants.
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, ” admitted to using today and stated he is an addict and has a problem.” 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.
Tyson intimidated fighters with his strength, combined with outstanding hand speed, accuracy, coordination and timing. Tyson also possessed notable defensive abilities, holding his hands high in the peek-a-boo style taught by his mentor Cus D’Amato to slip under and weave around his opponent’s punches while timing his own. 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. 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.
To 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. Tyson, without headgear at 5 ft 10 in and 216 pounds, was in quality shape, but far from his prime against Sanders, at 6 ft 6 in 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”. After the bout was poorly received by fans the remainder of the tour was canceled.
He said: “Well, first and foremost, I’m a little nervous. I can’t lie. The thing is, it’s not about getting it right or wrong. It’s about getting it true. And so as just for me as an actor, what I look to do, we know that there are aspects of Don King that is a showman, that he is a character and someone say a caricature in some standpoints and that’s all there.
On March 6, 1985, Mike Tyson captivated the world’s attention for the first time. Then, the 18-year-old boxer made his pro-boxing debut in a match against Hector Mercedes — and defeated Mercedes in a first-round technical knockout.
It’s not a problem for Tyson that many see in yahoo.com him as forever young and hold on to this image of him. Yet he knows what kind of person he was back then—ruthless, dangerous, angry. And now as a father and role model for his children, he hates what he was.
COPPER BOX, LONDON — Zhilei Zhang shook up the heavyweight division with a huge upset victory over Joe Joyce, stopping the previously undefeated Briton in the sixth round before a stunned London crowd.
On February 10, 1992, an Indianapolis jury of eight men and two women found Tyson guilty of raping 18-year-old Desiree Washington, an honors student from Rhode Island whom he’d met while she was competing in the Miss Black America beauty pageant the previous July. Tyson was sentenced to six years in prison. He was paroled after serving three years in the Indiana Youth Center prison.
