Mike Tyson: 5 Reasons He Belongs in Boxing's Hall of Fame

Iron Mike Tyson is a Hall of Famer. Unsure how to explain that to the grandkids one day? Contrary to popular belief, it shouldn’t be difficult.

Get this part out in the open right away: Sure, the self-proclaimed “Baddest Man on the Planet” (not the 2011 version who teared up at his induction speech at the International Boxing Hall of Fame [IBHOF] last month) has had his share of problems in the past.

Yes, he did rape a beauty contestant. Yes, he did sample Evander Holyfield’s ear in the middle of a fight. Yes, he did say that he wanted to eat an opponent’s kid and, yes, he did say he hoped to stomp on the testicles of a reporter’s child. Yes, his public marriage to actress Robin Givens was a train wreck, magnified by a TV interview with Barbara Walter in which his wife indicated she was afraid he would do her physical harm. Yes, he had many automobile wrecks as well, not to mention numerous drug, alcohol, financial and legal problems. And, yes, in the event you didn’t catch it earlier, he was convicted of rape and sent to prison.

But as a boxer, he was one of the best of all time, finishing his 20-year professional career with a 50-6 record  (44 knockouts). And, despite his many transgressions both in and out of the ring, he deserves to be enshrined in Canastota, N.Y., alongside the icons of the sport—in spite of what many say.

And here's why:

1. His place in history. When Iron Mike won the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was the youngest ever to do so at 20 years, four months and 22 days old. He was just a baby and, yet, he was the undisputed champ, the only one to simultaneously hold and individually unify the WBA, WBA and IBF crowns.
2. His knockout ability. Not only did Tyson have outstanding hand speed, accuracy and timing, he was an excellent defensive fighter, who used his mentor Cus D’Amato’s “peek-a-boo” style to perfection. He could bob and weave his way through his opponent’s punches, cut off the ring and unleash his own attack. But it was his power that turned heads. Literally. His trademark left hook, right uppercut combination was nearly indefensible, and his 19 consecutive knockouts at the start of his career (12 in the first round) was awe-inspiring.
3. His ability to win before the first bell. Call it the fear factor. Tyson brought it to every bout throughout much of his career, and the mere mortals scheduled to fight him couldn’t deal with it. As he would pace the ring before the opening bell, in his black trunks and black shoes (with no socks), white terrycloth towel sitting on his shoulders instead of a robe, his opponents had, in most cases, already lost.
4. His weight class. Let’s face it. If Tyson were a bantamweight, he’d be regarded as another flash in the pan who had the talent but not the discipline to see it through into the record books. But he was a heavyweight; as Mickey told Rocky, the owner of the greatest title in the history of the world. Knock out a bantamweight, and you get the win. Knock out heavyweight after heavyweight, and you get immortality.
5. His cultural impact. Like Muhammad Ali before him, Tyson was bigger than the sport. But it wasn’t because he was a social lightning rod or polarizing figure, challenging the status quo. It was because of how good he was in the ring and the way in which he demonstrated that prowess. His combination of guaranteed ferocity and efficiency made us all crave for his next fight. He was a bona fide original, a violent man-child from out of reform school who loved tending to his pigeons. There was no one like him before, and I don’t imagine there will be ever be another like him again.

As a point of reference, none of this has anything to do with Pete Rose and his rightful (or not) place in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. We’re talking about boxing, not baseball. Different type of contestant playing a different sport with different rules. And, for that reason, Canastota is not Cooperstown.

A Hall of Shame, as some would say? I think not. The IBHOF is home to the best that ever laced them up. Iron Mike Tyson belongs among them.