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Topics: Mike Tyson, Boxing, Boxing News, United States
Jack Kenmare
Topics: Mike Tyson, Boxing, Boxing News, United States
Mike Tyson's dream to represent Team USA at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles was taken away from him at the final hurdle.
At the age of 20, 'Iron Mike' became the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history. He would go on to become one of the most dominant fighters of all time during his prime years.
But in the summer of 1984 – having already won gold at the Junior Olympics in 1981 and 1982 – the teenager from Brooklyn suffered arguably the most heartbreaking defeat of his career. Or was it?
On August 6, 1984, Mike Tyson lost in the final of the Olympic trials to Henry Tillman at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
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Tilman, who beat Tyson twice in the space of a year, would go on to win Olympic gold on home soil, beating Canada's Willie DeWit in the heavyweight final.
Tyson, meanwhile, was in a state of disbelief after losing on points to Tillman.
"When they announced the decision, I couldn't believe they gave it to Tillman. The whole amateur boxing establishment hated me." he said.
"They didn't like my cocky Brownsville attitude. I was behaving myself but you could still see that New York swagger coming out."
Steve Lott, who was part of Tyson's team during his amateur days, gave a different take on the defeat.
“Mike handled that loss fine,” Lott told Boxrec, four decades later. “In my opinion it was a blessing in disguise. Mike had very little ring experience.
"I think it was beneficial to Mike to develop slowly upstate New York the way he did. Had he won the Olympic heavyweight division he would have been under a massive spotlight and thrust on live TV in his first pro fight like the other 1984 Olympians (Tyrell Biggs, Pernell Whitaker, Mark Breland and Evander Holyfield).
"With TV opponents getting tougher than the ones he fought upstate he was able to mature slowly.”
Tyson, of course, would go on to establish himself as one of the all-time greats. His career record of 50 wins, six losses and two no-contests prove his dominance.
As for Tillman, his transition into the professional game was far-from-perfect.
He suffered defeats to Bert Cooper and Evander Holyfield before a devastating first-round knockout defeat to, you guessed it, Mike Tyson.
Still, securing Olympic gold will forever be a special moment for the former heavyweight.
"Winning the Olympic gold medal at home was so special," Tillman told USA Boxing. "My mother and father were there with a lot of my South Central friends. That really made it over the top special.
"I was the most unlikely to make it, but my mother and father kept me grounded."