Redemption song

Tyson should, in fact, have quit the ring years ago. In 1992, he was awarded a prison sentence of six years for sexually assaulting a woman. After serving three years, he was let out presumably because of ‘‘good behaviour’’ during his incarceration, but possibly because there were powerful lobbies working for his release and return to professional boxing thanks to his amazing draw in the ring and capacity to mint millions.

However, within a short time, Tyson was in deep, deep trouble again, when during his bout with Evander Holyfield in June 1997, he bit his opponent’s ear — not once, but twice.

The image of the man spitting out his mouthpiece and lunging at Holyfield, as if to tear his ear off will surely rank as one of the ugliest images of professional boxing ever.

What made Tyson behave as he did? A childhood spent on Brooklyn’s streets — at 10 he was one of the youngest members of a notorious gang — doesn’t quite make a gentleman. Perhaps the sharp mood swings, lack of trust, complete inability to handle stress and bouts of uncontrollable aggression was a legacy of that early history. But it was this savagery, this ability to draw blood and pulverise the opponent, barely contained within the ropes that outlined the ring, that the minders of the game were looking for in champions.

In many ways, Mike Tyson was a victim of the very aggression that won him so much glory and brought him so much shame.