Mike Tyson was a fighter.
Michael Gerard Tyson ( [ ˈtaɪsən ] born June 30 , 1966 ) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2005 . Sky Sports rated him as `` the scariest boxer ever , '' and described him as `` perhaps the most ferocious fighter to step into a professional ring . '' Professional boxing , or prizefighting , emerged in the early twentieth century as boxing gradually attained legitimacy and became a regulated , sanctioned sport . Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse which is divided between the boxers as determined by contract .