Mike Tyson returns home to honor the man who changed his life: "He taught me that my mind was bigger than the universe"

Mike Tyson met Cus D'Amato in 1980, in Catskill, New York, when he was just 13 years old. The veteran trainer's gym, who guided the career of champion Floyd Patterson, was taken by Irishman Bobby Stewart, one of the therapists at the

Elmwood Penitentiary, who also taught boxing to inmates who asked for it. Thanks to Stewart, 'Iron Mike' began to discipline himself and from there he became D'Amato's pupil, at first part-time as his outings from Elmwood were controlled.

The relationship between the two grew closer and, when Tyson was 16, Cus and his wife Camille became his legal guardians. The fighter stayed with them at their home in Catskill and the legendary trainer began to mold the future champion both mentally and athletically. D'Amato achieved his goal, although

he died before Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in history. During his lifetime, Cus managed to keep 'Iron Mike' away from the clutches of promoters such as Don King
but, as happened with Patterson, whom he lost when he stood up to the International Boxing Club run by gangster Frankie Carbo, Tyson would end up being handled by someone who did not look after his welfare.
Today marks the 40th anniversary of D'Amato's death and last Saturday Mike returned to the gym where he learned to box to pay tribute to his mentor. The Cus D'Amato KO
is now a non-profit boxing gym. Upper Main Street was closed for the former world champion to address those present. "Bobby took me to meet Cus and I immediately started to think something was wrong because he was talking about me wanting myself,"
Tyson said. "I thought Cus was just a weird old man. But every week I went to the club, and then I started going a couple of times a week and started doing really well," continued the fighter who grew up in the New York neighborhood of Brownsville.

I thought something was wrong because Cus was talking about me loving myself
Mike Tyson

Through tears, Mike also confessed: "When I met Cus, my self-esteem was so low that it practically didn't exist. The only thing I knew was the streets and that all my friends had died from drugs

. In my mind, there was no way I was going to be or do anything different from those guys. But Cus kept saying those things and after a while it all sank in
, and that's why we're here today. I can tell you that if I hadn't met Bobby Stewart and Cus, I would have gone down the same path as all my friends"
.

"Cus D'Amato, that peculiar guy, turned me into the most famous person in the world. He taught me that my mind was bigger than the universe," summed up 'Iron Mike', who added: "If someone had tried to tell me that before, I might have shot or stabbed him.

Loving myself was the hardest thing I could imagine, knowing that I had stolen and hurt people. Cus was a serious guy, very disciplined, but everything he said started to make sense and what he said started to come true and that made me want to make him happy."

The boxer did clarify what the path was: "The way to make him happy was to knock people out. He was ruthless and cruel in boxing. He knew how to hit eye sockets and cheekbones, and he taught me. That was his job: to create boxers. Mine was to knock everyone out, but there was something else. I learned to survive. I learned to love myself. If I could, anyone can."

Red Wings are winning on the road, and it's all that matters

The Detroit Red Wings’ first month of the 2025-26 season has been much better than most would have anticipated. The Wings have a share of first place in the Atlantic Division and look poised to remain there, at least for the time being.

Yes, it’s only been a month. But the early returns are encouraging. The team is scoring, the defense is good, and the goaltending is meh.

So, plenty to be hopeful about, right? Well, yes and no.

Yes, the Red Wings have a young club that looks like it’s the real deal. There’s plenty of reason for optimism well beyond this season.

But does that mean Red Wings fans should be salivating at the thought of the Stanley Cup returning to Motown?

That’s where the “no” comes into view. The Red Wings ended a successful week, beating the Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, and St. Louis Blues. But the problem, as The Athletic’s Max Bultman pointed out in a Nov. 3 piece, the victories aren’t as encouraging as they seem:

“And though their wins over the last week haven’t exactly come over a murderer’s row in terms of competition — between St. Louis, Los Angeles, and San Jose, only the Los Angeles Kings are above .500 — there’s something to be said for taking care of business away from home, and across time zones.”

The Red Wings had to go the extra mile to beat the Sharks and Kings. That situation prompted Bultman to add the following thought:

“Now, should the Red Wings have needed shootouts to beat the Kings and Sharks, considering they led both games in the final minutes? Probably not. And that’s something to keep an eye on, as this young team will need to be able to slam the door.”

That comment underscores a critical point. The Red Wings, despite shortcomings, are doing what ultimately matters: Win games. But there’s one thing the club must figure out when it counts most.

Red Wings must lock games down the stretch

Bultman’s point comes on the heels of a tough win against the Sharks on Sunday night. The Red Wings led the game 2-1 in the third following Moritz Seider’s first goal of the season. However, Sam Dickinson got his first tally to tie the game with about three minutes to go.

The situation forced the game into overtime, with the shootout being needed to settle the score. So, a win is a win, right? Well, the Red Wings were able to get away with one just because it was against the Sharks.

But if we’re talking about top-flight teams like the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, or Carolina Hurricanes, blowing third-period leads could be catastrophic.

So, should Red Wings fans fear what lies ahead? Hardly. Fans have to keep in mind that this is a young team. That situation means the club must grow into the roles that lead to holding leads in tough games.

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