Mike Tyson is definitely one of the greatest heavyweight boxers ever and one of the most famous athletes to walk on the planet.
Right from the beginning of his professional career in 1985, Tyson was already a fast and ferocious fighter, feared even by the most accomplished heavyweight boxers at the time.
In his professional debut in 1985, he knocked out Hector Mercedes in the very first round and that was just the beginning.
Tyson would go on to defeat several boxers, becoming the youngest heavyweight Champion in 1986 after knocking out Trevor Berbick to win the WBA heavyweight title.
He remained unbeaten until 1990 when he had his first career loss to Buster Douglas in Tokyo, Japan. After that loss, Mike Tyson’s career was never the same again.
He comeback in the early 90s, winning again with a series of KOs before losing in the mid-90s with the infamous Evander Holyfield fights.
To this day, Mike Tyson remains one of the greatest and most famous boxers of all time.
But what made him famous wasn’t just his ability in the ring. Mike Tyson was the definition of a fearless fighter and bad boy.
He had a couple of nicknames in his career that are still well known all over the world. Below we’ll look at some of Mike Tyson’s nicknames and how they came about.
Top 4 Mike Tyson Nicknames
Kid Dynamite
When Tyson was still an amateur boxer, he’d already been making waves as a brutal puncher in the ring.
In 1984, at the age of 19, he appeared on the front cover of Sports Illustrated magazine with the moniker “Kid Dynamite.”
This nickname came about when the magazine described him as being so good that he punched like he had dynamite in his fists hence the name, Kid Dynamite.
At this time in his career, the young Mike Tyson was still mentored by his mentor, Cuss D’Amato. Tyson was going to bring fire to the heavyweight division and become one of the greatest of all time.
Iron Mike
“Iron Mike” is the nickname that really stuck with Mike Tyson. This nickname really defined him well.
Compared to other heavyweight boxers at the time, Tyson was short, stocky, muscular, fearless, fast, extremely skilled, and had incredible punching power in both hands.
To this day, when you talk of Iron Mike, everybody thinks of a young powerful, hard-hitting boxer in the 80s who was so exciting to watch.
Between 1985 and 1990, Tyson won all fights except two, with a knockout. What was even more exciting was that most of these KOs came in the first three rounds of the right.
Yes, Tyson didn’t waste time in the ring.
The Baddest Man on the Planet
“The Baddest Man on the Planet” was more of a reference to the crazy Tyson of the 90s.
After the rape allegations which saw Tyson locked up in jail in the early 90s, Mike Tyson returned to the ring in the mid-90s and had one of the biggest boxing matches of all-time against the legendary Evander Holyfield.
At this time in his career, he still had the strength and skill in the ring, but his legal and financial troubles were catching up with him.
We can say Tyson’s persona as the baddest man on the planet was solidified after biting Holyfield’s ear and even better when he made this speech after defeating Lou Savarese in one round at Hampden Park in 2000.
“I’m the best ever. I’m the most brutal, vicious, and most ruthless champion there’s ever been. There’s no one can stop me! Lennox (Lewis) is a conqueror? No. I’m Alexander. He’s no Alexander. I’m the best ever. There’s never been anybody as ruthless. I’m Sonny Liston. I’m Jack Dempsey. There’s no one like me. I’m from their cloth. There’s no one that can match me. My style is impetuous. My defense is impregnable. And I’m just ferocious. I want your heart. I want to eat his children! Praise be to Allah!”
Mike Tyson
Uncle Mike
Tyson retired from boxing in 2005 after losing to Kevin McBride. Since then, he’s grown older and more mature with time. The Mike Tyson of today is way different from the same Tyson of the 90s.
He apologized to Evander Holyfield in 2006 on the Oprah Winfrey show and has gone on to start his own podcast called “HotBoxin’ with Mike Tyson” where he interviews athletes and celebrities.
Recently, he’s started his own cannabis business and even invests in NFTs. It’s only fitting for him to be called “Uncle Mike” for the old wise man that he’s become.
However, of all Mike Tyson nicknames, the one that really sticks out and describes him best is none other than “Iron Mike.”
Related: Check out 60 of the Most Famous Mike Tyson Quotes>>>
