Throughout his career, Tyson has generated both admiration and controversy. His tattoo reflects this duality, representing his fierce determination and the personal challenges he has overcome. Tyson continues to evolve, and his tattoo remains a testament to his resilient spirit and impact on the world.
Mike Tyson is all set to go up against Jake Paul on July 20, 2024. However, the one question that’s perhaps lingering in everyone’s mind is ‘why’? Why is a legend like Tyson going up against Paul, who has only fought 10 times in his four division boxing champions career?
In addition to making a tremendous impact on the world of boxing, Tyson also made an impression on tattooing. In 2003, Tyson got his now-infamous tribal face tattoo, which he got to represent his status as a warrior. In 2011, “The Hangover Part II” directly copied Tyson’s tattoo, which led his artist S. Victor Whitmill to file a copyright lawsuit against Warner Bros. Two months later, Warner Bros. settled the lawsuit, although the terms of the settlement were not disclosed to the public. This inspired other artists to file copyright lawsuits against media companies that replicated their tattoos, as seen most recently between tattooers and NBA video games.
The Mike Tyson tattoo face is a complex pattern that covers part of his face. This unique design incorporates flowing lines and curls that provide an asymmetrical and dynamic pattern that gives Tyson an even more menacing and mysterious look. Inspired by supporting Maori and Samoan motifs, the pattern symbolizes strength, spirituality and individuality. The black lines, clearly contrasting with his skin color, make the tattoo striking and noticeable, drawing attention to Tyson both in and out of the ring for his features. This bold design has become part of his personality, emphasizing his unique style and deep inner changes.
In 2003, as TalkSport reminds us, Tyson stepped into the ring with his freshly inscribed ink and knocked out Clifford Etienne in 49 seconds. This would be Tyson’s last career victory, a mere week after getting his first tattoo. His trainer, Jeff Fenech, who’d been training Tyson for eight weeks leading up to the fight, called shenanigans. He said that Iron Mike was sabotaging the fight, essentially, because it “wasn’t healthy” to have a boxing match where Tyson’s face would get punched days after getting a tattoo on it. Fenech also thought Tyson got the tattoo because he didn’t want the fight in the first place. A week before the bout, Fenech walked, and Tyson went on to win in the first round. Two years later in 2005, Tyson retired after back-to-back losses.
Following his undisputed championship win, Tyson’s troubles grew. He left his manager Bill Cayton and fired longtime trainer Kevin Rooney, who helped build his career following D’amato’s death. The issues he faced in his personal Life affected him in reality as he couldn’t train well.
Michael Gerard Tyson was born in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, New York City, on June 30, 1966. He has an older brother named Rodney (born c. 1961) and had an older sister named Denise, who died of a heart attack at age 24 in February 1990. Tyson’s mother, born in Charlottesville, Virginia, was described as a promiscuous woman who might have been a prostitute. Tyson’s biological father is listed as “Purcell Tyson”, a “humble cab driver” (who was from Jamaica) on his birth certificate, but the man Tyson had known as his father was a pimp named Jimmy Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick was from Grier Town, North Carolina (a predominantly black neighborhood that was annexed by the city of Charlotte), 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. Kirkpatrick died in 1992.
FILE – Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson stands on the field before an NFL football game between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, in Las Vegas. Mike Tyson will present three winners a custom championship belt Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, at the PFL vs. Bellator: Champs card in Saudi Arabia. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
Tyson’s respect for Zedong came while in prison where he read several books about the leader. It was while inside that Tyson decided to get a portrait tattoo of Zedong, with his name “Mao” tattooed underneath. In 2006 Tyson visited the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, with the Chicago Tribune reporting Tyson said, “Standing in front of Chairman Mao’s remains, I felt really insignificant. To have the chance to visit the memorial hall is a great honor for me.”