Mike Tyson had a difficult childhood growing up and fighting began at an early age for the once-heavyweight champion of the world. One of his earliest fights had him throwing up so much that felt like he’d vomited ‘two years’ worth of food.
Boxer Bobby Stewart met Mike Tyson when they were in New York’s juvenile home Tryon School for Boys as a kid, and Tyson shared with Stewart his desire to become a professional boxer.
Bobby Steward recognized ‘Iron’ Mike’s talent
Stewart did not believe that Mike Tyson had the work ethic that a professional boxer needed, however, he recognized the talent that Iron Mike had and introduced him to his new mentor and who made Mike change his ways for some time, Cus D’Amato.
At the beginning of Stewart-Tyson training sessions, Tyson recalls how he felt after the veteran Stewart threw a punch at him.
In Mike Tyson’s autobiography, Tyson wrote: “I threw up everything I had eaten for the last two years, what the f*** was that? I was thinking.” As he threw a fit that ended in Stewart teaching him a lesson on how not to box, Mike came at him with everything he had, however, he aimed recklessly and did not land any punches, meanwhile, Stewart punched him right on the spot.
While there were other incidents, Steward remembers that when Mike was just 13 years-old, he punched the living daylights off of him. “Mike and I were sparring one time. He hit me with a jab that almost knocked me down.