Boxing stars owe a lot to their mentors, who helped mold their raw talent and transform them into world-beaters. Mike Tyson was a troubled youth, who became the youngest heavyweight champion. He rose because of the guidance he received from Constantine ‘Cus’ D’Amato. 

The veteran boxing trainer saw Tyson win his first 10 fights before passing away in November 1985. ‘Iron Mike’ opined that his career would have been different if ‘Cus’ was around.

He said, “Really different. It wasn’t meant for that to be. I had to figure that stuff out cause he couldn’t protect me my whole life.”

Tyson shared an interesting anecdote about his first mentor. He claimed D’Amato loved to fight so much that he would create an enemy just to fulfill his desire to fight. However, Mike Tyson got along well with his trainer as he listened. 

‘Iron Mike’ said, “I would just listen, Cus was a hard guy to get along with. Cus was just enemy prone, if he didn’t have an enemy he would create one. One of those guys. He loved fighting, he wants to fight. If he doesn’t fight he doesn’t want to live.”

Tyson owes his phenomenal ascent to ‘Cus.’ Moreover, he detailed the level of trust that had formed between the duo. Like the ideal master and pupil, ‘Iron Mike’ hung onto every piece of advice. 

The 54-year-old said, “I listened to everything he said… He loved people who listened to him. Everything he told me to do, I would do. If he told me to kill somebody, I would kill somebody.”

Mike Tyson wishes ‘Cus’ D’Amato could have seen him succeed

Following D’Amato’s demise, Tyson continued to rise in the boxing world. He also explored his wild side and bit Evander Holyfield’s ear, threatened to eat Lennox Lewis’ children, and got into a press conference brawl. 

Apart from his in-ring antics, ‘Iron Mike‘ had a colorful history with the law. However, he fought back, battled his demons, and became a successful person. 

Even today, 15 years after his retirement, he revealed that he constantly has his first mentor in his thoughts. He said, “Absolutely, I think about him all the time. I wish he could have seen my kids… How I did what I did.”

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The humility and gratitude are telling, and it shows how Tyson has not forgotten the guiding light from his days of struggle. One can be sure that ‘Cus’ knew that his protege would rise. He probably envisioned Mike’s success even before his first professional fight.