As a boxing town, Las Vegas served as the site of some of the greatest triumphs of Mike Tyson’s legendary career. That’s part of why Tyson, now 55, has made Las Vegas his home. And that’s also why Sin City has honored Tyson as a staple of their culture and community.
The former heavyweight champion was honored Thursday night with the unveiling of a new statue at Resorts World in Las Vegas. The statue stands at 10 feet tall and is situated outside of Mulberry Street Pizzeria.
Tyson, one of the most iconic boxers of all-time, reigned as the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world from 1987 to 1990.
“Mulberry Street Pizzeria owner and founder Richie Palmer is an avid boxing fan and felt that Tyson represents a prominent time in the sports world as well as Las Vegas,” read a news release by Mulberry Street Pizzeria. “He thought that it was time Tyson deserved to be honored with his own statue, which is something that the Resorts World team agreed with, so they worked together to make this happen.”
Las Vegas was the site of some of Tyson’s most memorable moments in the ring, including an infamous 1997 fight where he was disqualified after biting off part of Evander Holyfield’s ear.
Well beyond Sin City, Tyson’s career as a boxer has already been widely recognized. He has been inducted into both the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame.
