Zhilei Zhang was born and raised in Zhoukou, a bustling city in the Henan province of China. Growing up, Zhilei was surrounded by a close-knit community and a loving family. His parents worked hard to provide for their children, instilling in Zhilei a strong work ethic and a determination to succeed. From a young age, Zhilei showed a keen interest in learning and education, excelling in his studies and always striving to do his best. Despite facing challenges and obstacles along the way, Zhilei remained focused on his goals and never wavered in his pursuit of a better future. His early life in Zhoukou laid the foundation for the successful career and bright future that lay ahead for Zhilei Zhang.
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.
Tyson married actress Robin Givens on February 7, 1988, at Holy Angels Catholic Church during a traditional ceremony in Chicago. Givens was known at the time for her role on the sitcom Head of the Class. Tyson’s marriage to Givens was especially tumultuous, with allegations of violence, spousal abuse, and mental instability on Tyson’s part.
Expectations for Tyson were extremely high, and he was the favorite to win the heavyweight unification series, a tournament designed to establish an undisputed heavyweight champion. Tyson defended his title against James Smith on March 7, 1987, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He won by unanimous decision and added Smith’s World Boxing Association (WBA) title to his existing belt. “Tyson-mania” in the media was becoming rampant.
Tyson’s first nationally televised bout took place on February 16, 1986, at Houston Field House in Troy, New York, against journeyman heavyweight Jesse Ferguson, and was carried by ABC Sports. Tyson knocked down Ferguson with an uppercut in the fifth round that broke Ferguson’s nose. During the sixth round, Ferguson began to hold and clinch Tyson in an apparent attempt to avoid further punishment. After admonishing Ferguson several times to obey his commands to box, the referee finally stopped the fight near the middle of the sixth round. The fight was initially ruled a win for Tyson by disqualification (DQ) of his opponent. The ruling was “adjusted” to a win by technical knockout (TKO) after Tyson’s corner protested that a DQ win would end Tyson’s string of knockout victories, and that a knockout would have been the inevitable result.
Know of boxing’s consensus favorite heavyweight and youngest champ Mike Tyson? Sure you do. Do you know that he is facing a 9-1 (6KOs) YouTuber boxer next? You just might. Did you know he has 44 career knockouts till now? Or that he once bit a peer’s ear off during a bout? That is a famed affair. What about his iconic face tattoo? Of all the above, that stands out as his selling point.
“Parker averaged 22 punches thrown per round over rounds 1-6, while Zhang averaged 26. Over rounds 7-12, Parker averaged 30 punches thrown per round, while Zhang decelerated to 19.5 punches thrown per round.
Zhang strikes again and Parker is now noticeably bleeding. Zhang looks like he hasn’t broken a sweat. Parker searching for some offense and lands a nice hook. Nice one-two from Parker but gets a warning about a low blow. Right hand from Parker sends Zhang off balance. Best attacking round from the challenger here, but not sure he wants to exchange with the 291-pound Zhang.
During this time, Tyson came to the attention of gaming company Nintendo. After witnessing one of Tyson’s fights, Nintendo of America president Minoru Arakawa was impressed by the fighter’s “power and skill”, prompting him to suggest Tyson be included in the upcoming Nintendo Entertainment System port of the Punch-Out!! arcade game. In 1987, Nintendo released Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!, which was well received and sold more than a million copies.
Zhilei weighs around 250 pounds and stands at 6 feet, 6 inches, towering over most of his opponents. Still, it’s not just his stature that commands attention but also his phenomenal athleticism and punching power, which have earned him accolades in the super featherweight boxing weight division world.
In 2023, an unnamed woman filed a $5 million lawsuit against Tyson, accusing him of raping her in his limousine in the early 90s. She accused Tyson of kissing her several times before pulling off her pants and raping her, despite repeatedly telling him to stop. The woman claims to have experienced “guilt, loss of self-esteem, shame, embarrassment, sadness, anger, depression, anxiety, violent tendencies, drug and alcohol addiction and confusion”, as well as inability “to maintain and/or develop healthy relationships with men or other people in general”.
Als Tyson 15 Jahre alt war, kam es zu einem folgenschweren Streit mit seinem Trainer Teddy Atlas: Nachdem Atlas zugetragen worden war, dass Tyson eine Nichte von ihm belästigt hätte, nahm er eine Pistole und drohte ihm mit dem Tod. Tyson rannte daraufhin verstört nach Hause und erzählte die Geschehnisse D’Amato. Daraufhin wurde Atlas entlassen – Tyson hingegen musste, zumindest für einige Tage, in die Besserungsanstalt zurückkehren.
