A Chance Meeting in Catskill
Mike Tyson met trainer Cus D’Amato in Catskill, New York, at age thirteen.
Bobby Stewart, an Irish coach working at Elmwood penitentiary, introduced them.
Stewart taught boxing to inmates who asked for lessons.
Stewart noticed Tyson’s raw potential and brought him to D’Amato’s gym.
Tyson first trained part-time while still under Elmwood’s movement restrictions.
D’Amato then accepted Tyson as a pupil and began shaping him immediately.
Guardianship, Training and Early Protection
When Tyson turned sixteen, Cus and Camille D’Amato became his legal guardians.
He moved into their Catskill home and lived with them full time.
D’Amato focused on molding Tyson’s mind and athletic ability every day.
The trainer shielded Tyson from exploitative promoters for as long as he could.
D’Amato’s influence mirrored his earlier work with champion Floyd Patterson.
The coach died before Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion.
Later, money and promoters eventually controlled Tyson’s career despite D’Amato’s efforts.
Tribute, Tears and Tough Lessons
Last Saturday Tyson returned to the gym to honour his late mentor.
The former champion spoke outside the KO gym, now run as a nonprofit. Upper Main Street closed so Tyson could address the gathered crowd. He credited Bobby Stewart for first bringing him to Cus’s attention. Tyson recalled how he initially thought D’Amato seemed strange and intense.
He said repeated gym visits gradually changed his outlook and discipline. Tyson described his early self-worth as almost non-existent on the streets.
He watched friends die from drugs and expected the same fate. D’Amato kept repeating lessons until Tyson finally believed them. That belief prompted Tyson to choose a different path in life.
He told listeners he would have followed his friends otherwise. Tyson said D’Amato taught him self-respect and expanded his mind. He admitted loving himself felt impossible after hurting and stealing from others.
Tyson called his coach serious and fiercely disciplined in his methods. D’Amato taught precise, ruthless punching, targeting socket and cheekbone areas. His mission prioritized creating fighters; Tyson’s mission became knocking rivals out. Beyond punching technique, Tyson learned to survive and to accept himself. He believes anyone can follow that journey if they commit and change.
