Constantine "Cus" D'Amato was the boxing manager and trainer who became Tyson's legal guardian when his mother died from cancer in 1982 when he was 16. After landing in juvie, Tyson caught the attention of Stewart, who then introduced him to D'Amato after recognizing his talent. D'Amato died of pneumonia in 1985 when Tyson was 19 and a few months away from winning his first heavyweight title in 1986.
Tyson credits his father figure and mentor for all the success he has achieved in his life, and often gets emotional when discussing the impact he had on his life. "This is the moment I waited for all my life since I started boxing," Tyson said after his WBC match against Trevor Berbick, according to "The Undisputed Truth." I'd like to dedicate my fight to my great guardian Cus D'Amato. I'm sure he's up there, and he's looking down, and he's talking to all the great fighters, and he's saying his boy did it. I thought he was a crazy white dude … he was a genius. Everything he said would happen happened."
