There have been many speculations surrounding the iconic tribal ink. Mike’s former trainer Jeff Fenech told Fox Sports that the boxer got the tattoo because he did not want to fight Clifford Etienne at the time.
He’s done several face tattoos — a practice that he considers to be increasingly common. « I’ve tattooed very cute designs, like butterflies and above all flowers, generally in the area of the sideburns, next to the ear. At the moment, only for guys, » he says. From his perspective, any stigma attached to facial tattoos is an outdated concept. The real commitment lies in what the tattoo itself symbolizes. « A swastika tattoo would undoubtedly have consequences no matter where you get it. But a flower, for example, denotes sensitivity. It also depends on how you approach your life, or site in yahoo.com what circles you move. I’ve seen people in Europe working with tattoos on their faces in all kinds of jobs. »
The Mike Tyson tattoo has been the subject of fascination for media and commentators who have offered various interpretations and analyses of its meaning. Tyson’s tattoo has been featured in countless articles, interviews and discussions.
Tyson got his face tattoo from artist S. Victor Whitmill of Las Vegas, Nevada, shortly before Tyson’s 2003 fight with Clifford Etienne (which would be his 50th and last victory), having previously suggested that he would get a face tattoo if he won Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson. Tyson had originally wanted hearts (which he « just thought … were cool » ), but, according to Tyson, Whitmill refused and worked for a few days on a new design. Whitmill proposed a tribal design inspired by tā moko, a Māori tattoo style. The design is not based on any specific moko and was created directly on Tyson’s face. Tyson saw the tattoo as representing the Māori, whom he described as a « warrior tribe », and approved of the design, which consists of monochrome spiral shapes above and below his left eye. According to Tyson, it was his idea to use two curved figures rather than one.
In his 2013 autobiography Undisputed Truth, Tyson admitted to using the urine of his then wife Monica Turner to pass doping tests. He was married to Turner from 1997 to 2003. He also used his infant’s urine for the same purpose.
Pero el de su exposa no es la única cara que tiene dibujada en su cuerpo el laureado boxeador. En su brazo derecho figura el presidente Mao Zedong, con el que se sintió identificado durante su paso por la cárcel en los años 90 tras ser declarado culpable de abuso sexual a una joven de 18 años. El púgil comenzó a leer con voracidad y uno de los libros que más le marcaron fue el del dirigente chino, por lo que decidió tatuárselo en su bíceps para que le acompañara para siempre justo encima de un gran dragón que en la misma cultura china tiene grandes significados relacionados con la fuerza, con la buena suerte y con la protección.
In addition to his legal troubles, Tyson has also experienced several financial setbacks throughout his career. In the early 2000s, he filed for bankruptcy, citing a range of financial obligations, including lawsuits and unpaid taxes. Despite his financial troubles, Tyson has managed to bounce back, with successful business ventures and entertainment endeavors contributing to his net worth.
The boxing star also admitted to being wasted when he got the tattoo on the same podcast. « I think I was on cocaine at the time, » he said « I am drinking and I was fucking wanted to get a badass tattoo. Some mean shit on my face. » Well, he certainly achieved his goal.
For years, the Barcelona-based artist had a rose tattooed on his right temple: « Yes, yes, it was super normal, my grandmother has a couple of friends with their faces tattooed. » It’s still weird to have a tattoo on your face… but it’s also undeniable that, in recent years, this practice has ceased to be the exclusive property of the world of trap and urban music.
Mike Tyson’s « warrior » tattoo was inked by Las Vegas tattooist S. Victor Whitmill in 2003. From the time of Tyson’s firstpublic appearance with the tattoo, Maori activists and scholars were critical of it as a cultural appropriation of ta moko. Tyson’s tattoo is monochrome, curvilinear, features two spiral shapes, and was placed around his left eye. Whitmill has described the « flow »: of Maori art as a design influence, and he created it after showing Tyson pictures of Maori moko. In Maori culture, facial moko is a privilege reserved for respected cultural insiders, and it represents and embodies the wearer’s sacred genealogy and social status. Appropriating an individual’s moko is profoundly offensive and akin to identity theft.
« Some people from other countries and continents already want the show and we didn’t even have it yet, » he said. « So we have to see how it goes. I have to look at my wife to see how my schedule is, and I would like for it to come to New York. But we’re gonna get a test try here. »