On December 29, 2006, Tyson was arrested in Scottsdale, Arizona, on suspicion of DUI and felony drug possession; he nearly crashed into a police SUV shortly after leaving a nightclub. According to a police probable-cause statement, filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, ” admitted to using today and stated he is an addict and has a problem.” Tyson pleaded not guilty on January 22, 2007, in Maricopa County Superior Court to felony drug possession and paraphernalia possession counts and two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence of drugs. On February 8 he checked himself into an inpatient treatment program for “various addictions” while awaiting trial on the drug charges.
Zhilei Zhang (Chinese: 张志磊; pinyin: Zhāng Zhìlěi; born May 2, 1983) is a Chinese professional boxer. He held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) interim heavyweight title between 2023 and March 2024. As of June 2024, Zhang is ranked as the world’s fifth-best active heavyweight by The Ring magazine.
As challenger, Joyce walked to the ring first. His music began with Jeff Buckley’s ‘Hallelujah’ and soon turned into a vastly different vibe – a rap song with the chorus “You don’t want to war with big Juggernaut”.
Both heavyweights are reeling from upset decision losses to Joseph Parker in Riyadh. Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs) was routed by Parker in December; Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs) floored Parker twice in March but was still defeated.
It seems that some get into professional sports and entertainment for the applause, while others for the money. But presumably, there are a good number of folks, like Mike Tyson, who love the craft and competition of it all. Tyson once tweeted about his early career and said that money wasn’t his motivator, but that changed eventually.
OH! Wilder does! He comes to life and starts throwing and Zhang is not prepared! He reacts poorly and covers up until a clinch. Not much landed, but the sheer effort surprised Zhang. Zhang gets back into it though and lands a left hook. And Wilder starts to retreat again.
On November 22, 1986, he took out Trevor Berbick in two rounds, box winning the World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight title. Tyson destroyed Berbick. As one of the judges, District Attorney Lane, told Sports Illustrated, “If I had let the fight continue, if I let him get hit with more of those terrible punches, it would have been criminal.” A year after D’Amato’s death, Tyson had fulfilled his dream and become the youngest heavyweight champion in history. It was a sweet moment, but the confused state of modern boxing meant his title was incomplete. In addition to the WBC, there was also a WBA (World Boxing Association) and IBF (International Boxing Federation) champion.
Zhang faced former WBC champion Deontay Wilder on 1 June 2024. He secured victory in the fifth round after landing a counter right hook that left Wilder reeling. With Wilder defenseless, Zhang rushed in and delivered the knockout.
Tyson retired from professional boxing in 2005 due to a combination of physical decline, mental and emotional challenges, and financial troubles. After a series of losses that highlighted his decreasing ability to compete at a top level, Tyson acknowledged that he no longer had the heart to fight. His physical capabilities had diminished with age, and he struggled with motivation and focus, which were compounded by significant financial difficulties. These factors led him to conclude his boxing career after a defeat to Kevin McBride.
They appeared to be in different weight classes Saturday, too, as Zhang outweighed Wilder by 68.2 pounds — at 282.8 compared with Wilder’s 214.6. There is no weight limit in boxing’s heavyweight division.
Over the next six years, before declaring bankruptcy in 2003, Tyson squandered away hundreds of millions of dollars. According to The New York Times, the former champion spent upwards of $173,000 on a gold chain lined with 80 carats in diamonds, simply because he saw it in a Las Vegas jewelry store. This was the norm. He also never paid for it. Many stores assumed Tyson would be good for the money, simply because he was Tyson. That was, of course, until there was no money. Mordechi Yerrushalmi told The New York Times:
Médaillé d’argent aux Jeux olympiques de Pékin en 2008 dans la catégorie super-lourds , il remporte la médaille de bronze aux championnats du monde à Chicago en 2007 et à Milan en 2009 ainsi que la médaille d’argent aux championnats d’Asie à Oulan-Bator en 2007 et celle de bronze à Puerto Princesa en 2004.
During his year away from the sport, Tyson made some changes. After earning an estimated $200 million in the ring, he found that he was cash poor and $13 million in debt from back taxes. He pointed the finger at King and the two parted ways in a flurry of lawsuits. He married again, this time to a pediatrician. His training regimen became steadier and he returned to the ring again making mountains of cash against opponents who offered little opposition.