Iron Mike had an illustrious, yet controversial career, during which, he won 50 out of 58 fights and 44 of those victories came via knockout.Tyson was an intimidating figure in the ring from a very young age and a lot of his intimidation could be deemed to come from the sheer size of his neck!
At the age of 18, he had a 20-inch neck, which is quite astounding, and the images are truly mind-blowing.
Tyson was well known for his neck and he trained accordingly to strengthen that part of his body.
He used to do the front neck bridge as a training exercise, which consists of rocking your neck back-and-forth in order to strength the muscles.
While this looks dangerous and painful, if done properly, it can not only make your neck stronger. but can also reduce the chances of a concussion. Something that is clearly highly important when it comes to heavyweight boxing.
Tyson’s calisthenic workout routine saw him do neck bridges for as long as 30 minutes, and having a strong neck is vital for boxers as it can lessen whiplash and keep them from falling for a long period.
The ‘neck bridge’ is quite a tedious task and there is always a risk of an injury while attempting it. However, Tyson perfected it and this exercise played a role in him being so dominant in his prime.
Current heavyweight Anthony Joshua also did this ahead of his fight against Alexander Povetkin, but it was nowhere near as intense as Tyson.
YouTube star KSI also did similar neck exercises in his recent open workout to prepare to face Joe Fournier, taking inspiration from the former undisputed champion.
Many come and go and try but there hasn’t anyone quite like ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson.
Mike Tyson remains in training
Iron Mike retired from boxing in 2005, but has still been a part of exhibition fights, taking on Roy Jones Jr back in November 2020.
Tyson still trains regularly and fans will be hoping to see him back in the ring for another exhibition fight soon.
Despite having been heavily linked with a clash against Jake Paul, the boxing legend appeared to rule out a return.
But he recently did discuss the financial incentive it would take for him to return, insisting he could be pushed to make a comeback again particularly if a trilogy fight with Evander Holyfield crops up.
