How Cus DβAmato Transformed Mike Tyson Into A Boxing World Champion
Guest post byΒ EvolveΒ MMA, Asiaβs premier championship brand for martial arts. It has the most number of World Champions on the planet. Named as the #1 ranked martial arts organization in Asia by CNN, Yahoo! Sports, FOX Sports,Β EvolveΒ MMA is the top ratedΒ boxing gym in Singapore.
LegendaryΒ boxingΒ trainer, the late Cus DβAmato and heavyweight boxing legendΒ βIronβ Mike TysonΒ exemplified the incredible relationship between a fighter and his coach. They are an indelible representation of a bond that is forged only through the trials of combat in the ring.
DβAmato believed in Tyson the moment he laid his eyes on him, even when no one else would. He saw potential in a troubled teenager, and knew that with the proper guidance, Tyson could become a world champion.
In many ways, DβAmato saved Tyson from a life of crime and gave him an opportunity to build a bright future for himself.
βHe has the ability. He has the potential. Most of all, he has the desire. He really wants to be a champion,β said DβAmato.
Of course, Tyson went on to become the youngest heavyweight boxing world champion of all time, a record which remains unbroken to this day. His distinct fury in the ring, honed and polished under the technical guidance of DβAmato, will forever live on in memory, long after both men have left this world.
We celebrate the unbreakable bond between DβAmato and Tyson, and discover how the legendary coach was able to turn his beloved pupil into a cultural phenomenon.
Today, Evolve Daily shares how Cus DβAmato transformed Mike Tyson from troubled youth to heavyweight boxing world champion.
1) DβAmato Was All About The Rough Life
DβAmato was raised in an Italian-American household, in the rough inner-city neighborhoods of the Bronx in New York. He grew up learning how to fend for himself, and often got into fistfights on the streets. DβAmato was all about that rough life, so it came as no surprise that when he met Tyson, he knew exactly how to approach the troubled teen.
Tyson also fought on the streets. He was a very ill-tempered kid with a short fuse. Due to poverty and the lack of opportunity as a racial minority, Tyson resorted to a life of crime. He stole and robbed, and was often in and out of juvenile detention and corrections facilities.
DβAmato knew exactly how to rein Tyson in, and taught him how to translate that inner rage into his favor. He directed Tysonβs aggression toward boxing, told the young firecracker that he had a future in pugilism, and was able to successfully channel βIronβ Mikeβs energy into training. The two worked together every single day in the gym.
Because DβAmato knew boxing was just as much a mental game as it was physical, he had Tyson study up on old boxing videos and read books in between training sessions. This helped calm Tysonβs mind and trained him to think.
2) DβAmato Gave Tyson Shelter And Guidance
After a friend of DβAmato introduced a young Tyson to the boxing coach, the pair were almost instantly on the same wavelength. From that point on, DβAmato and Tyson were inseparable. DβAmato took the kid under his wing, bringing Tyson into his own home, providing him food and shelter. He practically raised Tyson from the age of 13.
Tyson had so much potential at such a young age. He was a physical specimen, with latent power in both fists. But growing up in poverty in Brooklyn, Tyson was exposed to the harsh realities of life very early.
He was an angry young boy who was easily offended by anyone and everyone. His demeanor only improved under DβAmatoβs guidance. Tyson never knew his biological father, so when he came into the DβAmato household, he often referred to DβAmato as his βwhite father.β
By taking Tyson into his own home to live with him, and basically provide and care for him, DβAmato earned Tysonβs trust. DβAmato raised Tyson as if he was his own flesh and blood.
3) DβAmato Taught Tyson His Unique Technique And Boxing Philosophy
DβAmato was a fistic genius. Apart from Tyson, DβAmato was also credited for having trained former world champion and Olympic gold medallist Floyd Patterson, as well as Puerto Rican world boxing champion JosΓ© Torres.
DβAmatoβs boxing philosophy banked heavily on utilizing speed and leverage in order to deal maximum damage. Tysonβs trademark peek-a-boo style of boxing, where the gloves hover right above both cheekbones and the head moves laterally, is a product of DβAmatoβs genius.
This style had his fighters remain active on the feet, using momentum to swing from side to side like a pendulum, and was very unique and hard to decipher. The very distinct movement took advantage of various explosive slopes and dives, putting kinetic weight behind every punch. The most powerful punches from this style were hooks and uppercuts, which Tyson became known for.
Perhaps the most important lesson DβAmato taught Tyson, however, was that only obsession could lead to immense success. DβAmato instilled in Tyson an insane work ethic, and he always outperformed his opponents in the gym.
4) He believed In Tyson When No One Else Would
Perhaps most important of all, DβAmato showed confidence in Tyson, and this really captured his heart.
Tyson spent years of his early life without a father figure to lean on. Before he met DβAmato, Tyson was doomed to a life of failure. But DβAmato saw something in Tyson, something special.
DβAmato always believed in his fighters, and worked creatively to build confidence in them to become world champions. He instilled the champion philosophy into his wards, and Tyson was no different.
This sort of guidance was essential in Tysonβs upbringing. He could have easily gone the other way, down a road that would have led him to a grim future. But DβAmatoβs influence ensured Tyson was set on the right path, and after a stellar amateur career, Tyson turned professional and overpowered everyone he was in the ring with. The rest is history.
Of course, Tysonβs demons came back to haunt him, and he couldnβt really shake them off. It seemed trouble followed Tyson wherever he went. But without DβAmato coming into his life, it could have been so much worse.
The relationship between a fighter and his coach is one of the most important. Tyson and DβAmato are certainly proof of that.