Mike Tyson is considered one of the most feared punchers in heavyweight history, having carried an 88% KO ratio and reigned as undisputed champion of the division from 1987 to 1990. ‘Iron’ is also one of the most recognisable faces in the world from his time in boxing, and headlined some of the biggest events during his era which left him ranked as one of the greatest boxers of all-time.
Tyson generated huge audiences and a global fanbase during his prime at heavyweight, with some of the bills that he topped ranking as some of the leading-selling pay-per-views of all-time in the history of the sport. Despite having financial problems throughout his career, which were caused largely by promotional issues, Tyson has since reached new heights with a successful podcast, cannabis business and even an exhibition fight generating him huge revenue to the present day.
Mike Tyson reigned as an undisputed heavyweight champion in his prime
Tyson started out with a phenomenal amateur career winning gold medals at the Youth Olympic games in 1981 and 1982, before he turned over as a professional at the incredible age of 19 in 1985. He went on to win 26 of his first 28 fights by stoppage, showing his destructive power, which led to his opportunity to become world champion against Trevor Berbick at just 20-years-old.
It was a phenomenal event which saw unprecedented levels of interest on his shoulder, and a second round KO saw him become the youngest heavyweight world champion in history. Record-breaking fights and events became the norm for Tyson as his career went on, taking on the likes of Frank Bruno, Lennox Lewis and many more which sees him ranked by many as one of the greatest heavyweights of all-time.
The ex-heavyweight champion has a net worth of $10 million
Unfortunately, Tyson lost a large portion of his boxing wealth and filed for bankruptcy in 2003 with talkSPORT reporting that he was around $23 million in debt. He has since recovered to much more financial stability and now according to Celebrity Net Worth, Tyson is worth around $10 million which is largely down to his recent boxing exhibition and his return to prominence with his podcast and cannabis businesses.
Tyson’s mammoth earnings from his boxing career could have even reached in excess of $500 million according to a report from The Sun, but his net worth is worth a fraction. This is largely down to the extravagant and expensive lifestyle that he lived during the hayday of his career, in addition to the mismanagement of his finances from boxing.
Mike Tyson in boxing – record and fights
Professional fights: 56, Record: 50-6 (44 KOs), KO ratio: 88%
Mike Tyson put together an incredible undefeated record of 37-0 in the early stages of his career fighting 15 times a year before taking on Trevor Berbick and setting that incredible championship record. He immediately unified in a clash with James Smith, picking up the WBA strap before taking on Tony Tucker and winning by decision to add the IBF belt to his collection. The big fights started to come for Tyson, who defeated incredible legend Larry Holmes by KO as he got to fight one of the greats in the sport.
Three more wins came against Michael Spinks, Frank Bruno and Carl Williams before one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight history took place when he was stopped by heavy underdog Buster Douglas. He recovered for several fights restoring momentum before beating Frank Bruno to become a two-time champion in 1996. Then came his two epic fights with Evander Holyfield, where he was eventually disqualified for the infamous ear-bite which saw his profile propelled to new heights but not in a positive light.
A trilogy never happened, although the pair continue to consider it now after their retirement, but Tyson went on to have one mega-fight before the end of his career taking on Lennox Lewis in one of the biggest events in modern history. The press conference was one of the most chaotic ever, and he lost in dramatic fashion. After three more fights, including two more losses, Tyson hung up his gloves after losing to Kevin McBride in 2005.
Total fight earnings and purses
Mike Tyson boxing earnings: $375 million (£295 million), Highest purse: $35 million (Lennox Lewis, 2002)
Tyson’s incredible purses throughout his career were a key sign of his rise to stardom and pay-per-view draw, given some of his events rank in the leading events of all-time behind a paywall. Iron’s top-ten purses start at a mammoth $27 million which came for one of his final fights in 2004 against Danny Williams. His earliest mega-money payday came against Donovan Ruddock in 1991 during his multiple showdowns with his rival.
The heavyweight legend earned $60 million combined from his two contests against Evander Holyfield, and it remains to be seen if an exhibition contest could see them earn very similar if it is agreed. His huge showdown against Frank Bruno brought a mamoth $35 million in a contest which clearly captured the audiences of the UK and US, while his other four high purses were towards the twilight of his career.
He earned a combined $60 million for his contests against Kevin McBride and Julius Francis. The latter has since risen to fame for knocking out a punter during his work as a security guard. However, the biggest payday came for his huge encounter with Lennox Lewis, during which he was expected to have pocketed a huge $35 million despite succumbing to a fellow great on the night in Memphis. Unfortunately, he was deceived of much of his earnings during his career due to mismanagement and regular disputes.
Mike Tyson projects and endorsements
Mike Tyson generates revenue from his podcast and exhibition fight
Tyson had some of the biggest endorsements possible during the prime of his boxing career including huge sponsorship deals with Pepsi, EA Sports, Nintendo and more. However, this was all very hard to build back up given his reputation outside the ring, and he lost a great deal of his funding from external deals. Things look very different for Tyson in the modern day as he has his own podcast HotBoxin’ which provides a big source of revenue.
The boxing legend now has a series of his own cannabis ranches, a business which he earns from heavily in the present day, in addition to launching his own edible “Mike Bites” alongside his previous rival Evander Holyfield. He regularly appears in TV shows and series, while also having gained some other sponsorship deals including Black Energy and Smart Cups.
The 57-year-old has also since had a significant portion of revenue arrive into his accounts after reportedly earning $10 million for his exhibition contest with Roy Jones Jr. He has since spoken of his intent to potentially appear in the ring again, including in a fight against Jake Paul for which he could be paid around $100 million.
