The Career
Michael Gerard Tyson was born in Brooklyn, New York, on June 30, 1966. He grew up in the poor neighborhood of Brownsville, amidst family hardships, juvenile arrests, and street life. His life changed when he met Cus D'Amato, a legendary boxing trainer who took him under his wing and became his legal guardian after the death of Tyson's mother in 1982. He made his professional debut on March 6, 1985, against Hector Mercedes, winning by first-round KO. He racked up 26 consecutive victories before his world title shot. On November 22, 1986, at only 20 years old, he knocked out Trevor Berbick in the second round to win the WBC heavyweight title, becoming the youngest champion in history—a record that still stands. In 1987, he added the WBA title by beating Bonecrusher Smith and unified the IBF by defeating Tony Tucker, becoming the first unified heavyweight champion of the modern era. On June 27, 1988, he destroyed Michael Spinks in 91 seconds in Atlantic City, the pinnacle of his career. On February 11, 1990, he suffered a stunning upset defeat against Buster Douglas in Tokyo via tenth-round KO, one of the greatest upsets in sports history. In 1992, he was convicted of rape and served three years in prison. He returned to boxing in 1995, briefly reclaiming the WBC and WBA titles in 1996 before losing them to Evander Holyfield. In June 1997, the famous match against Holyfield took place, during which he bit his opponent's ear and was disqualified. He ended his career in 2005. On November 15, 2024, he returned to the ring at 58 years old against Jake Paul at AT&T Stadium in Arlington: he lost on points after 8 rounds, but the Netflix event reached 108 million viewers, the most-streamed event in history. He finished with 50 wins (44 KOs) and 6 losses. In 2011, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Why collect a Mike Tyson autograph
An original Mike Tyson autograph is among the most iconic and sought-after items in global sports collecting. "Iron Mike" is considered one of the most powerful and devastating boxers in the history of the sport, celebrated as "The Baddest Man on the Planet" and still the record holder as the youngest heavyweight world champion ever. His signature is particularly valuable on black and red professional Everlast gloves, on iconic photographs from the 1986-1990 era featuring the WBC-WBA-IBF world championship belt, on posters from his legendary matches against Spinks, Holyfield, and Douglas, and on memorabilia related to his November 15, 2024, return to the ring against Jake Paul at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Its collectible value is further bolstered by Tyson's induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011, his status as a global pop culture icon—across films, cameos, Netflix documentaries, and autobiographical series—and the media prominence he regained after the exhibition against Paul, which brought "Iron Mike" back into the global spotlight nearly twenty years after his retirement.
Original Mike Tyson autographs at MTM Memorabilia
MTM Memorabilia is the benchmark in Italy for high-level collecting. Every original Mike Tyson autograph available at MTM is selected by our experts based on rigorous criteria of provenance and authenticity. Each autographed piece is always accompanied by a free MTM Letter of Authenticity (LOA), a document issued by our experts declaring the origin and veracity of the autograph based on our direct knowledge. Depending on the type and value of the item, MTM autographs may be accompanied by additional internationally recognized third-party certifications—including COAs issued by entities such as PSA, JSA, Beckett, Epperson, Autograph COA, or Associazione Autografia—included in the price or available for separate purchase. Each product page precisely indicates the certification available for that specific piece.