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“I Was Very Close but I Knew Not to Get Too Close” – Mike Tyson Details His Relationship With Cus D’Amato

Published 04/26/2021, 6:30 AM EDT

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‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ Mike Tyson predominantly ruled the old boxing era. He was a flamboyant knockout artist of the game who battered his opponents with ease. A major chunk of Tyson’s boxing success is given to his coach, Cus D’Amato. In his fresh Hotboxin podcast, Cheech Marin asked Tyson about his relationship with D’Amato.

‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ said, “Very close. Very close. I was very close, but I knew not to get too close.”

He continued, “He drank. But an extreme disciplinary. He’d go on fasting for 30 days just for the hell of it, to see if he’s strong.”

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Tyson met Cus D’Amato at a very young age. Back then, he never realized that this man would change his life altogether. Under him, ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ uncovered his best self and set a firm foundation for his rise to the top.

He employed all of D’Amato’s teachings in the finest way and became the world champion as a 20-year-old. This was just the beginning. ‘Iron’ Mike improved with time, claimed more titles, and inspired a generation of upcoming pugilists.

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Mike Tyson – destined for greatness

In 1985, as he made his first walk to the ring, nobody expected Tyson to trace such a long pathway in the sport of boxing. He had his last professional fight almost two decades later in 2005 and walked away with a 50-6 record. His concluding years in the sport weren’t that promising, but that didn’t see ‘Iron’ Mike fade into oblivion.

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Even today, 16 years after hanging up his gloves, he looks for multiple ways to stay relevant to the sport. That said, no one from the old boxing era makes it to the headlines the way ‘Iron’ Mike does.

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Mike Tyson is one of the most prominent names around, and it’s clear that he will always be grateful to Cus D’Amato, despite claiming that he knew not to get too close.

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Written by:

Prathamesh Singh Chauhan

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Prathamesh Singh Chauhan is a Boxing Author at EssentiallySports. He is a graduate from the International Institute of Sports Management who combines his love for sports, particularly combat sports, and his flair for writing and analysis to help him in his day-to-day work. He has prior professional experience with sporting organizations such as Star Sports, Khelo India, and NBA.
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