As a kid at New York’s Tryon School for Boys, a juvenile home, Mike Tyson met legendary former boxer Bobby Stewart, which sparked his desire to become a pro boxer. However, Stewart was initially unsure if Tyson had the necessary work ethic to succeed. Nevertheless, he introduced Tyson to renowned trainer Cus D’Amato, who played a crucial role in Tyson’s development.
Tyson stepped into the ring with Stewart before he had fully honed his fighting skills, but was outsmarted by the veteran boxer. Despite Tyson throwing many punches, Stewart waited for the right moment to strike and landed a brutal body shot that left Tyson reeling. Tyson later recalled throwing up everything he had eaten for the last two years after being hit.
Despite Tyson’s raw skills, Stewart was impressed by his talent. During a sparring session when Tyson was only 13 years old, he hit Stewart with a jab that almost knocked him down, breaking his nose and blackening his eyes. Seven years later, Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history at just 20 years old by defeating Trevor Berbick in Las Vegas.
Recounting the incident in his autobiography, Tyson, now 56, wrote: “I threw up everything I had eaten for the last two years. “What the f*** was that? I was thinking.
“Luckily, I had the next week off from Tryon, because my nose was broken, my eyes were all black.”
