MIKE TYSON rose to fame for his boxing skills – but is now instantly recognisable because of his large face tattoo.
The star, who is set to return to the ring in a fight with Jake Paul, has revealed in the past what his iconic tattoo means to him, but what does it represent?
Mike Tyson got his iconic face tattoo when he had his fight with Clifford Etienne.
He got the ink in 2003 after his 50th victory.
During an interview in 2012, Mike explained what the meaning behind his face tattoo is.
He said: “I just thought it was a cool tattoo. I was going to get a bunch of hearts and stuff. That would have been really stupid. I was going to be the man of hearts, baby. I was very close. Victor Perez, the tattoo artist, said, I ain’t doing that. I can’t do that.
“I said, ‘what do you think I should get?’ Because I was confused. Victor Perez is a good guy and said, ‘come back in a couple of days. I’m going to try and write up some stuff.’
“I waited around, and two days later, he called and said, ‘Mike, I’ve got some tribal stuff.’ I said, ‘Woah, put another one over there.’ I was like, ‘this is cool; I like this.’ So he did it.”
The tattoo takes inspiration from the traditional Maori tribe from New Zealand.
Tyson’s tattoo covers the left side of his face and features tribal symbols.
It is also thought to represent strength, courage, and resilience.
Mike has some other tattoos as well as his face ink.
He has the face of the Chinese leader Mao Zedong on his right arm as well as the portrait of Argentina Marxist Che Guevara on his ribcage.
On Mike’s left forearm there is a tattoo of his ex-wife Monica Turner.
The pair got married on April 19, 1997 but they legally separated on January 14, 2003.
Monica had filed for divorce from Mike in January 2002, claiming that Mike had committed adultery during their five-year marriage.
On his right shoulder, Tyson has Arthur Ashe who was a popular tennis champion, also known for being the founder of the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the defeat of AIDS.
