The historical figure I chose to make a bust of is Mike Tyson. He is still living, but I believe his legacy will live on well after he is gone. I chose Tyson because I like his boxing style, and also because I have heard about his personal troubles since I was a child. I do not admire Tyson as a person, but I do admire the way in which he boxed earlier in his career. Tyson has extreme flaws in his history and his personality (going to prison for rape, biting Evander Holyfield’s ear off), but people he thought he could trust ended up exploiting his talents in the ring. I see Tyson as a troubled soul with a work ethic that outclasses most people, who has made far too many poor decisions throughout his life. Tyson has an enigmatic persona and has influenced many people throughout his life.
Mike Tyson is best known for being one of the greatest boxers of all time. He is also well known for his controversial behavior outside the ring. I was very surprised to find out that Tyson had been arrested 38 times by the time he was 13 years old. Since he was a child, Tyson had a ferocious personality and did not back down from anyone. He was especially sensitive to people making fun of his high voice and lisp. This speech pattern has remained with him throughout his life, and is quite uncharacteristic of an undisputed heavyweight champion boxer. Tyson grew up in rough neighborhoods in Brooklyn and had an incredibly intimidating style of boxing. He was one of the hardest hitting boxers of all time. A tumultuous career and personal life left Tyson bankrupt in 2003, despite the millions of dollars he made during his career.
I want to convey the ferocity Mike Tyson exudes, as well as his vulnerability. He was one of the most feared fighters in his time, and even today seems capable of going berserk at any moment. At the same time, however Mike Tyson has a softer side to him. His father abandoned him when he was young and his promoter, Don King, exploited him. I would like to show the duality of Tyson’s personality. It is fascinating to me that a volatile man with such a dominating physical presence can be so vulnerable at the same time.