It is often undiscussed the amount of pressure that comes with being a world-class boxer. As fighters rise to victory through their boxing prowess, they also inherit the limelight. Of course, the admiration of fans gives them the satisfaction of their career. But the media scrutiny and the invasion of privacy that comes with it limits them to live their life. Mike Tyson is one such personality who for a long time has been on the receiving end of this brunt.
The media on regular counts has been unkind to the privacy of his family. Further, it seemingly limits the quality time that they wish to spend with each other. One would imagine that the retired-Heavyweight boxer might have gotten used to this media frenzy. But that’s far from the reality. He has on multiple occasions expressed his frustration with not being able to spend his time in isolation of the media attention.
The media clamping on Mike Tyson and his wife’s vacations
In a conversation with UFC President, Dana White, ‘Iron Mike’ spoke briefly about the time he spent in Europe with his wife Lakiha Spicer. The couple would have hoped to spend some of the best moments vacationing in the tourist hub of the world, but their plans were disrupted by an intense media frenzy. In an episode of HotBoxin with Mike Tyson, the boxing legend spoke about how his wife had to spend time in their hotel room rather than venture out.
Dana White acknowledged the worsening intrusion of media these days. He said, ” It has to be. I can’t even imagine. I experience this much of that. You’re the most recognizable fu*king guy I’ve heard.” Mike Tyson explained his experience by saying, ” They Won’t let you eat because all the restaurants there are outdoors and it’s just like boom.” Imagine being in Paris and not getting to taste the most delectable cuisine in the proper Parisian way.
The UFC president also elaborated on the massive fan following that the boxing legend has amassed in the European subcontinent. He spoke about how Iron Mike is one of the most known boxing personalities. They spoke about how European fans waited desperately to just take a picture with Mike Tyson. And the entire fiasco around it sounds so surreal. Such is the aura of Tyson.
It cannot be denied that his personality is one that demands public attention. White mentioned that when the boxer enters a room, he certainly creates an environment that is heavily in his control. He said, “I’ve been friends with you for over 20 years and I still… when you walk into room people you are an iconic human being uh you know? Forget about sports, just in pop culture period you are an iconic human being.”
As we inch into a future where the sport of boxing becomes heavily accessible through social media, the media scrutiny of these sportspersons increases too. However, it is only Mike Tyson who can hold such power over his fans. All of this admiration stems from the way he has conducted himself over the years.