Mike Tyson has spoken in detail about his late mother, Lorna, her history as a sex worker, and the circumstances surrounding her death in a new Netflix documentary. The former undisputed world heavyweight champion described growing up in poverty in Brownsville, Brooklyn, where he witnessed violent scenes at home.
Mother's work and violent home life
In the four-part docuseries TYSON, which airs on October 13, the 60-year-old said: "My mother was a sex worker, a prostitute, whatever you call it." When asked if he ever witnessed his mother's work, he replied: "Yeah. Absolutely, yeah, I seen that. I saw it first-hand. I was in the bed with her. Yeah."
Tyson also described his mother's violent behaviour and the abuse she endured. He said: "I've seen a lot of vicious fighting... I remember my mother fighting with her boyfriend. I saw him beat her. He knocked her teeth out, then I saw him scald her with some boiling hot water. My mother was very violent. She hit me with anything - extension cord, a liquor bottle, anything."
Father figure and rise to boxing
When asked about his father, Tyson answered "a pimp" in immediate, calm tones. Reports indicate his biological father is Purcell Tyson, a former taxi driver, but the man referenced appears to be Jimmy Kirkpatrick, who died in 1992 while Tyson was in prison. Tyson added: "A pimp who was a trick. He was more of a trick than a pimp. My mother used him. My mother treated him horrible, too."
Tyson came to know his first true father figure after being sent to Tryon School for Boys, a juvenile detention centre. There, guard Bobby Stewart spotted him as a boxing prospect and introduced him to famed coach and promoter Cus D'Amato, who identified Tyson as a future world heavyweight champion after just two rounds of sparring.
Mother's death before seeing him fight
Lorna reluctantly signed off on Tyson joining D'Amato's camp in Catskill. When Tyson returned to visit her during a break, she reacted to his new confidence, saying: "There's always someone better." Tyson recalled replying: "Yes, exactly, Ma. I'm the guy you're talking about that's always better than the other guy. That's me. I'm the guy you're talking about right here, Ma." He added: "She didn't like me no more after that. She thought something was wrong. Didn't understand where all this confidence, all this zest came from."
Lorna died in 1982, the same year Tyson won his second straight heavyweight title at the Junior Olympics, following a battle against cancer. Tyson said: "My mother never got to see me fight. She was very sick. I would go to the hospital and see my mother. She was doing bad. She wasn't gonna last long. Cancer, cirrhosis of the liver. She was just really bad. It was just hard, because I was talking to her and the next thing you know - boom, she's dead."
Following her death, D'Amato became Tyson's official, legal guardian. Tyson lived with D'Amato and his partner, Camille, and has spoken regularly over the years about viewing Cus as his father figure.
