Professional connoisseurs of the worlds oldest sport welcome an American cultural icon into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
By Adoria Doucette
Greek boxers - 520-510 B.C.E. © The Trustees of the BritishMuseum
Power Source is proud to salute an iconic cultural figure and dear friend. While other 20 year olds were completing their collegiate studies, Michael Gerard Tyson was crowned heavyweight champion of the world, the youngest in the modern history of the sport. As a centimillionarie at this young age, Mr. Tyson gained much attention for mistakes that many 20 something’s make, but what will endure throughout the ages is his absolute dominance of a sport that dates back since the beginning of human history.
Boxing Four Thousand Years Ago: Two Mesopotamian boxers, c. 2000 B.C.E. from Eshnunna, (Modern-day Tell Asram, Iraq). Credit: Erich Lessing / Art Resource, NY
On Sunday June 12, 2011 Mr. Tyson was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame for his professional mastery and the legacy that he created through his legendary strength and power which literally left tens of millions of spectators in awe. From the time he was 12 years old Mr. Tyson sought the glory that comes with being a champion boxer. The ensuing fame and media scrutiny that came along with accomplishing this goal led Mr. Tyson to pursue a habit and private devotion that many mega celebrities embrace in solitude beyond the spotlight of their public persona: reading.
As he travelled the world, Mr. Tyson became a voluminous reader, seeking and attaining knowledge on subjects that most would never attribute to the entertainment persona of the “Iron Mike” that the world is familiar with through the media. As he delved into the history of the world, the role that the sport of boxing has played in early civilizations gave Mr. Tyson a further appreciation for the fine art of his craft and emboldened his desire to become the best of the modern age. As the decades turn into centuries, the legend of Mike Tyson’s professional accomplishments will always be remembered as our cultures most influential symbol of the oldest sport in the world.
In a recent interview with Graham Bensinger, Tyson reflected on the lessons that he has learned from his life experiences and private study, Tyson remarked: “Life is a thinking mans game”.
- Two African boxers 2nd to 1st century B.C.E. © The Trustees of the British Museum
A mosiac showcasing boxers Entellus and Dares - who took place in an epic boxing match in Virgils epic latin poem The Aeneid written betwen 29 - 19 B.C.E.
Michael Gerard Tyson - 2011 International Boxing Hall of Fame Inductee
