Everyone knows of Mike Tyson’s iconic face tattoo, but the boxing legend's former trainer has remarkably revealed that the former heavyweight champion had got the tribal tattoo to avoid further fights.
The American was initially scheduled to lock gloves with compatriot Clifford Etienne in Feburary 2003, which was only eight months following his defeat to Lennox Lewis.
Despite a proper full-on build up to the bout, Tyson had decided to get the tattoo inked on the left-side of his face in Las Vegas only days before he entered the ring with Etienne – following that, 'Iron Mike' withdrew from the bout.
Nevertheless, the fight did end eventually up going ahead as planned with Tyson having replacement trainer Freddie Roach in his corner – but that didn’t matter though, as Tyson quickly disposed of Etienne within 49 seconds of the first round in Memphis, Tennesse.
However, his former trainer Jeff Fenech has gone on to reveal how he was left in tears as he flew home after finding out the heavyweight didn’t want to step in the ring.
"My first impression was that I've never had a tattoo in my life, but I thought we are fighting in a week and when you get a tattoo you can't fight because they scab up and it wouldn't be healthy to do that," he said, as per Daily Mail.
We sat down and spoke and he didn't really want to fight and he wasn't prepared to and that was one of the reasons he got the tattoo.
"After a good hour talk I was in tears when I left the house that night. I went and stayed in a hotel because I was pretty despondent.
"I was away from home for eight weeks in Vegas getting him ready for the fight and I stayed in a hotel and got on the first flight back to my family because that was my priority.
"A week later he fought and knocked out Clifford in one round and I was upset. I was happy for Mike that he won, but I was also upset that I had trained him for eight weeks and I wasn't a part of that win."
The Tennesse clash with Etienne turned out to be the very last professional victory in the storied career of Mike Tyson, who went on to fall to the swords of Danny Williams and Kenny McBride in his next and last two fights to put a full stop on an iconic boxing career.