"I thought it was so hot," he explained, adding: "I would be in these dens, these clubs and strip places sometimes and all the girls said ‘oh you are very exotic’…. They said I looked like some tribesman or s**t."

In 2003, Mike Tyson made headlines when he got a tattoo on his face. The tattoo, which covers the left side of his face, features a tribal design that extends from his temple to his cheek. While tattoos had been gaining popularity at the time, particularly among athletes and musicians, Tyson’s decision to get such a prominent tattoo on his face was seen as particularly bold and controversial.

Warner Brothers in its brief also invoked the "fair use" defense for "Hangover Part II," namely the right to parody what has become a well-known tattoo since it first appeared on Mr. Tyson’s face in February 2003.

In one of the interviews, Tyson explained why the portrait of this particular political figure appeared on his stomach: "Che Guevara is an incredible person. He did so much, sacrificed everything for the benefit of other people with mike tyson tattoo."

Copyright and trademark law can be hard to understand intuitively — for example, the idea that you can "own" a photograph or a letter, but not own the right to reproduce its content. The example of a tattoo, where "ownership" means having it become part of your body, actually does little to clear up the matter.

On March 6, 1985, Tyson made his professional boxing debut in Albany, New York, against Hector Mercedes. The 18-year-old knocked Mercedes out in one round. Tyson’s strength, quick fists, and notable defensive abilities intimidated his opponents, who were often afraid to hit the fighter. This gave Tyson the uncanny ability to level his opponents in only one round, and earned him the nickname "Iron Mike."

Throughout history, tattoos have been used to signify belonging and identity, and the tradition continues to this day. For many people, tattoos like Tyson’s can hold deeply personal and meaningful significance. Whether it’s a representation of cultural heritage or a reflection of one’s individual experiences and beliefs, tattoos serve as powerful reminders of our unique identities and the stories that make us who we are.

S. Victor Whitmill, the tattoo artist who created and tattooed Mike Tyson’s facial tribal tattoo, filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. for copyright infringement on April 28, 2011. Whitmill claims that the facial tattoo appearing on Ed Helms’s character Stu Price in The Hangover Part II infringes on Whitmill’s rights to the tattoo that he created for Tyson. See the side by side image on the TMZ website.

On April 29, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations confirmed it approved the fighters' request, and the bout will be a sanctioned, professional fight. The bout will consist of 8 2-minute rounds with 14-ounce gloves.

Jake Paul replied, "I’m not gonna get the Tyson one, but Tyson, like, got his legendary tattoo; he just…" Lil Pump insisted; probably Paul needs it since he’s like one of the ‘faces of boxing’. The Ohioan YouTuber-turned-boxer then shared, "So I’m just like, F*ck it, like, why not just do it because Tyson did it? It’s a story behind Tyson’s face tat is, it was like Wednesday of his fight week, and he just got it, and he showed up to the presser the next day with the face tat and he didn;t tell anybody. So I’m thinking about doing that in honor…"

On July 30, 2004, Tyson had a match against British boxer Danny Williams in another comeback fight, and this time, staged in Louisville, Kentucky. Tyson dominated the opening two rounds. The third round was even, with Williams getting in some clean blows and also a few illegal ones, for which he was penalized. In the fourth round, Tyson was unexpectedly knocked out. After the fight, it was revealed that Tyson was trying to fight on one leg, having torn a ligament in his other knee in the first round. This was Tyson's fifth career defeat. He underwent surgery for the ligament four days after the fight. His manager, Shelly Finkel, claimed that Tyson was unable to throw significant right-hand punches since he had a knee injury.

On April 20, 2022, on a JetBlue flight from San Francisco to Florida, Tyson repeatedly punched a male passenger who was harassing him, including throwing water on Tyson; he did not face criminal charges.

Tyson’s pro career was interrupted by three years in prison after he was sentenced for rape. He returned to the ring but wasn’t the same. He had 14 fights after his release from prison and went 9-5. During that stretch, he endured consecutive losses to Evander Holyfield. He ended his career, losing three out of four fights, falling to Lennox Lewis, Danny Williams, and Kevin McBride.

Tyson, a former heavyweight boxing champion, has shared that the inspiration behind his distinctive face tattoo was drawn from his interest in Maori and Polynesian tribal art. These types of tattoos have long held deep significance related to strength, courage, and warrior mentality within the cultures they originated from.