scored against Holmes in his seventy-five-fight ca-
reer.
Tyson continued to score dramatic victories dur-
ing the remainder of 1988, defeating Tony Tubbs by
a second-round TKO in Tokyo in March and knock-
ing out Michael Spinks, the man who had taken the
title from Larry Holmes earlier in the decade, in the
first round in June. By 1989, however, problems had
surfaced in both Tyson’s career and his personal
life. Late in 1988, he fired Rooney and without his
guidance became increasingly reckless and undisci-
plined in the ring. He looked sloppy in defeating
British heavyweight Frank Bruno in February of
1989, although he managed to defeat Carl Williams
with a first-round knockout in July. During this time,
he also came under the control of controversial box-
ing promoter Don King, whose role in Tyson’s ca-
reer seemed more exploitative than attuned to the
boxer’s best interests. Finally, Tyson’s brief (1988-
1989) marriage to actress Robin Givens ended in a
highly publicized divorce, amid accusations of physi-
cal abuse and marital infidelity.Impact In the years that followed, Tyson’s personal
life would continue its decline, including a three-
year prison term for rape in the early 1990’s, and his
invincibility in the ring would fade, but during the
second half of the 1980’s, he was unquestionably one
of the best-known and most dynamic figures in the
world of professional sports.Further Reading
Heller, Peter.Bad Intentions: The Mike Tyson Stor y.
New York: New American Library, 1989.
O’Connor, Daniel, ed.Iron Mike: A Mike Tyson Reader.
New York: Thunder’s Mouth Press, 2002.
Scott WrightSee also African Americans; Boxing; Holmes,
Larry; Sports.996 Tyson, Mike The Eighties in America