Sparringspartners of Mike Tyson?
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Caractacus
- Middleweight
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Re: Sparringspartners of Mike Tyson?
looks like they may be preparing for fight with Larry Holmes fight, the way the sparring partners are doing.
Re: Sparringspartners of Mike Tyson?
Caractacus wrote: ↑26 Apr 2024, 14:37 looks like they may be preparing for fight with Larry Holmes fight, the way the sparring partners are doing.
First sparring partner looks like Garing Lane; the second sparring partner, Mike Jameson.
Re: Sparringspartners of Mike Tyson?
I don't think Dorcy Gaymon has been mentioned. He was a cruiserweight who sparred Tyson for the Holmes fight. Sadly, Dorcy is in a bad way today but he still likes to talk about his fighting days.
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Caractacus
- Middleweight
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Re: Sparringspartners of Mike Tyson?
according to Mike Tyson's book IRON AMBITION,(2017)bennie wrote: ↑09 Apr 2024, 12:45 Bruno never trained at the Cus D'Amato gym in Catskill but at Grossinger's training camp about 75 miles away, a training camp made famous by Rocky Marciano in the 1950s. Frank sparred James Tillis and Jeff Sims in a 10-day stint at Grossinger's, before making his way to Chicago for a fight with Mike Jameson. Bruno had Sims on the deck and later fought Tillis for real.
Tyson had only 5 amateur fights when Cus D'Amato had him spar with Bruno.
They even had to get him out of school that day (made up an excuse)
so Tyson could spar with Bruno at the Catskill Boxing club gym before he left.
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Caractacus
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Re: Sparringspartners of Mike Tyson?
Bruno came to Chicago and trained at the U.S. arena on division street right before that fight against Jameson. Sparred with Tillis that day too. I was working out when he came in. Borrowed my speed bag. Extremely polite, nice fella. Cus throwing mike in there with him at that point was pretty brave. This would’ve been 82 or 83.Caractacus wrote: ↑25 May 2024, 16:15according to Mike Tyson's book IRON AMBITION,(2017)bennie wrote: ↑09 Apr 2024, 12:45 Bruno never trained at the Cus D'Amato gym in Catskill but at Grossinger's training camp about 75 miles away, a training camp made famous by Rocky Marciano in the 1950s. Frank sparred James Tillis and Jeff Sims in a 10-day stint at Grossinger's, before making his way to Chicago for a fight with Mike Jameson. Bruno had Sims on the deck and later fought Tillis for real.
Tyson had only 5 amateur fights when Cus D'Amato had him spar with Bruno.
They even had to get him out of school that day (made up an excuse)
so Tyson could spar with Bruno at the Catskill Boxing club gym before he left.
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Caractacus
- Middleweight
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Re: Sparringspartners of Mike Tyson?
Cus D'Amato also wanted Tyson (still an amateur)to go to Larry Holmes training camp,
and spar with Holmes. But Larry Holmes told them "I don't train with amateurs"
( or words to that effect)
and spar with Holmes. But Larry Holmes told them "I don't train with amateurs"
( or words to that effect)
Re: Sparringspartners of Mike Tyson?
A lot of pros don’t.Caractacus wrote: ↑29 Jun 2024, 17:16 Cus D'Amato also wanted Tyson (still an amateur)to go to Larry Holmes training camp,
and spar with Holmes. But Larry Holmes told them "I don't train with amateurs"
( or words to that effect)
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Controversial
- Heavyweight

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Re: Sparringspartners of Mike Tyson?
Which is an odd thing to say because Holmes was sparring Ali before he turned proCaractacus wrote: ↑29 Jun 2024, 17:16 Cus D'Amato also wanted Tyson (still an amateur)to go to Larry Holmes training camp,
and spar with Holmes. But Larry Holmes told them "I don't train with amateurs"
( or words to that effect)
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keithmoonhangover
- Cruiserweight
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Re: Sparringspartners of Mike Tyson?
I'm sure most of you already know this, but when Roberto Duran had fallen on hard times financially, Tyson hired him as a sparring partner. Tyson never had any intention of sparring Duran and only did it so Duran would get some much needed money.
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Caractacus
- Middleweight
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Caractacus
- Middleweight
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Re: Sparringspartners of Mike Tyson?
-1987-
Dion Burgess ,Tyrone Armstrong and Mike Jamison among others here
Dion Burgess ,Tyrone Armstrong and Mike Jamison among others here
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Caractacus
- Middleweight
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Re: Sparringspartners of Mike Tyson?
it has been said that Tyson and Bruno had sparred 4 or 5 times together.Caractacus wrote: ↑25 May 2024, 16:15according to Mike Tyson's book IRON AMBITION,(2017)bennie wrote: ↑09 Apr 2024, 12:45 Bruno never trained at the Cus D'Amato gym in Catskill but at Grossinger's training camp about 75 miles away, a training camp made famous by Rocky Marciano in the 1950s. Frank sparred James Tillis and Jeff Sims in a 10-day stint at Grossinger's, before making his way to Chicago for a fight with Mike Jameson. Bruno had Sims on the deck and later fought Tillis for real.
Tyson had only 5 amateur fights when Cus D'Amato had him spar with Bruno.
They even had to get him out of school that day (made up an excuse)
so Tyson could spar with Bruno at the Catskill Boxing club gym before he left.
At Catskill and Grossinger's.
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Caractacus
- Middleweight
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Re: Sparringspartners of Mike Tyson?
Mike Tyson had also sparred with Tyrell Briggs during the 1984 Olympic Trials.
( the OLympic commitie should have had them actually have a bout to determine who would
represent the USA Super-Heavyweight DIVISION.
( the OLympic commitie should have had them actually have a bout to determine who would
represent the USA Super-Heavyweight DIVISION.
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Caractacus
- Middleweight
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Caractacus
- Middleweight
- Posts: 18605
- Joined: 13 Jun 2014, 16:47
Re: Sparringspartners of Mike Tyson?
Charles Thurman (amatueur)
Muhammad Hussein
Otis Bates
https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/537
Ernie Barr
https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/2798
Enok (Hawaiian HW)
David "Bigfoot" Johnson
Walter Santemore
https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/2642
In around 1986/87
Mike Tyson went thru 24 sparring partners in 17 months.
Muhammad Hussein
Otis Bates
https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/537
Ernie Barr
https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/2798
Enok (Hawaiian HW)
David "Bigfoot" Johnson
Walter Santemore
https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/2642
In around 1986/87
Mike Tyson went thru 24 sparring partners in 17 months.
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vatech1983
- Heavyweight

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Re: Sparringspartners of Mike Tyson?
Carl Williams sparred with Tyson also, some video is on the internet.............
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Caractacus
- Middleweight
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Re: Sparringspartners of Mike Tyson?
I had read in Lou Duva's autobiography(2016), that he said
that when Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield were both at the
Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs in 1984 (with the Olympic Trials just a few weeks away)
Coach Pat Nappi had asked if anyone wanted to spar with Tyson and and Evander Holyfield was there and agreed,
the session went only one round, when the coach stopped it because it was getting out of hand.
(I don't think that Mike Tyson had ever mentioned this in his books)
Lou Duva also mentioned an incident at the Rec center at the Training camp, where
Tyson would not let anyone else play pool and was brandishing a pool cue and waving it around,
Evander Holyfield was there too and picked up his own pool cue and walked toward Tyson,
and there was a stare-down for a few moments and apparently Tyson then put his pool cue aside.
(page 146)
Mike Tyson did not appear to mention this in his own book either.
that when Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield were both at the
Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs in 1984 (with the Olympic Trials just a few weeks away)
Coach Pat Nappi had asked if anyone wanted to spar with Tyson and and Evander Holyfield was there and agreed,
the session went only one round, when the coach stopped it because it was getting out of hand.
(I don't think that Mike Tyson had ever mentioned this in his books)
Lou Duva also mentioned an incident at the Rec center at the Training camp, where
Tyson would not let anyone else play pool and was brandishing a pool cue and waving it around,
Evander Holyfield was there too and picked up his own pool cue and walked toward Tyson,
and there was a stare-down for a few moments and apparently Tyson then put his pool cue aside.
(page 146)
Mike Tyson did not appear to mention this in his own book either.
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Caractacus
- Middleweight
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- Joined: 13 Jun 2014, 16:47
Re: Sparringspartners of Mike Tyson?
check this article out here (they must have used the same source)
https://talksport.com/boxing/816952/mik ... -sparring/
https://talksport.com/boxing/816952/mik ... -sparring/