Cus D'Amato's gymPremium cottonBlackS to 4XL
The essentials: at Catskill, in upstate New York, Cus D'Amato trained the teenager who had just come out of juvenile detention and became his legal guardian — he died in 1985, a year before the world title. This tee carries the name of that gym: MIKE TYSON · CATSKILL BOXING CLUB · NEW YORK, in white lettering with stars. Premium cotton 180 gsm, crew neck, heat transfer print. Black, 7 sizes S to 4XL, €29, free shipping.
Every other Tyson tee shows the champion. This one names the place where he was built.
The gym above the police station
Catskill is a small town in upstate New York, two hours from Brooklyn. That is where Cus D'Amato, the trainer who had already taken Floyd Patterson to the world title, kept his gym.
Tyson arrived at thirteen, sent up from a juvenile detention centre. D'Amato trained him, housed him, and eventually became his legal guardian after his mother died. It was D'Amato who taught him the peek-a-boo — high guard, hands against the face, upper body never still — the style that made Tyson so hard to hit at 1.78 m / 5 ft 10 in.
D'Amato died in November 1985. A year later, almost to the day, Tyson became world champion at twenty. He never saw it.
What it looks like on
Typography only, in white, laid out in a circular composition centred on the chest.
Four stars open at the top. Below them, MIKE TYSON in large arched capitals. At the centre, Catskill Boxing Club in handwritten script over two lines, flanked by two small stars — the only script element in the artwork. Then NEW YORK in upright capitals, and three stars to close.
This is the vocabulary of club team shirts: arc, script, stars. No portrait, no date, no title.
Premium cotton, crew neck, short sleeves, straight cut. Plain back.
Your size
European cut — take your usual size, with no adjustment. Seven sizes, S to 4XL, all at the same price. Chest runs from about 96 cm / 38 in on a S to 132 cm / 52 in on a 4XL.
Technical specification
Technical specifications
Also worth a look
Frequently asked questions
What is the Catskill Boxing Club?
Cus D'Amato's gym in Catskill, upstate New York. It is where Mike Tyson was trained from the age of thirteen, after his time in juvenile detention.
Who was Cus D'Amato?
The trainer who built Mike Tyson, having already taken Floyd Patterson to the heavyweight title. He took Tyson in at thirteen, housed him, and became his legal guardian after his mother died. He died in November 1985, a year before his fighter took the belt.
What is the peek-a-boo style?
The technique D'Amato taught: high guard, hands against the face, upper body constantly moving. It lets a fighter close distance without being hit — decisive for Tyson, who stood 1.78 m / 5 ft 10 in, short for a heavyweight.
Where is Catskill?
In upstate New York, roughly two hours from Brooklyn. It is a small town with nothing in common with the streets Tyson grew up on — the change of scene was part of the method.
Does it come in big sizes?
Yes, up to 4XL: S, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL and 4XL, all at the same price. Most boxing tees on the market stop at XXL.
Which size should I take?
Standard European cut: take your usual size. Chest runs from about 96 cm / 38 in on a S to 132 cm / 52 in on a 4XL.
