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Mike Tyson makes it to Hall of Fame
June 17, 2011
Sporting legend Mike Tyson has been included into International Boxing Hall of Fame at a grand ceremony in Canastota, New York.
Once castigated as the “baddest man on earth,” Tyson fumbled for words and broke down in tears while accepting the honour.
"Rocky" movie series mega star Sylvester Stallone was also among the Hall of Fame inductees along with Mexican champion Julio Cesar Chavez, Russian-born junior welterweight Kostya Tszyu, Mexican trainer Ignacio "Nacho" Beristain and referee Joe Cortez.
Tyson, 44, finished with a 50-6-0-2 record, winning 44 of those fights by knockout. The heavyweight was the youngest boxer to hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles at the same time and the only heavyweight to unify those titles individually before losing those titles to Buster Douglas in a massive 1990 upset.
After serving three years in prison for sexual assault, Tyson engaged in a series of comeback fights, most notably two fights against Evander Holyfield, one of which ended after Tyson bit Holyfield's ear. It was only one in a series of missteps out of the ring for Tyson, whose public fall from grace was as epic as his initial rise to stardom was. He retired from boxing in 2006.
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