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‘Don’t You Put Your Hands on Her’: Mike Tyson Credits Grandmother for ‘Knockout Gene’ Before Narrating Appalling Incident in ‘Undisputed Truth’

Published 12/29/2022, 8:00 PM EST

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Mike Tyson’s life has been nothing short of an emotional roller coaster. Even before he became well-known in the boxing community, he had already experienced a lot in life that is still vivid in his memory. He has mentioned several incidents about his past in his book ‘Undisputed truth’. Look at one such instance where his grandmother took a brave yet unexpected action.

‘Iron Mike’ was raised in a violent part of New York. As a result, he was exposed to criminal activity at a very young age. When he was a child, his grandmother Bertha used to work at the home of a couple.

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The man that Bertha used to work for used to frequently abuse his wife. Tyson wrote in his book, “Bertha didn’t like it. And she was a big woman.” 

Tyson further wrote, “’Don’t you put your hands on her,’ she told him. He took it as a joke, and she threw a punch and knocked him on his as*. The next day he saw Bertha and said, ‘Well, how are you doing, Miss Price?’ He stopped hitting on his wife and became a different man.” 

“I may have gotten the family knockout gene from my grandma,” Tyson added. 

How did Mike Tyson find his calling? – A look into Tyson’s childhood 

Mike’s father abandoned his family when Mike was only 2 years old. Lorna, Tyson’s mother, was left to take care of the entire family, which also included Tyson’s brother and a sister. The former world champion’s longtime affinity with pigeons is certainly known to his fans. On a certain day, a bully snatched Tyson’s pet pigeon and killed it with his bare hands. Devastated, Tyson attacked the aggressor right away. That was the first time he threw a punch. 

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Tyson used to get into street fights a lot because of the undesirable area he grew up in. He began boxing in his later years as a way to channel his need to fight. In his early boxing days, Tyson found a mentor in Cus D’Amato.

D’Amato played a crucial role in Tyson’s development as a fighter. ‘Iron Mike’ often speaks about D’Amato highly in interviews and podcasts. Even at his height, he indulged in drug addiction and excessive partying, which ultimately contributed to his bankruptcy.

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However, Tyson bounced back like a true champion in the later years and now leads a rather peaceful and normal life. 

WATCH THIS STORY: The person who scares Iron Mike to this day

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Written by:

Shashank Wankhede

775Articles

One take at a time

Shashank Wankhede is a Boxing writer at EssentiallySports. When it comes to boxing, the blockbuster film 'Rocky' sparked his interest in the sport. He holds Muhammad Ali in great regard and is a sincere admirer of his narrative, struggle, and accomplishments.
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Edited by:

Shibu Immanuel