Mike Tyson went to prison primarily because of a 1992 rape conviction. He was found guilty of raping an 18-year-old contestant, Desiree Washington, at the Miss Black America pageant in Indianapolis. Tyson was sentenced to six years in prison and served just under three years, being released in 1995 for good behavior. This conviction significantly impacted his boxing career and public image. Additionally, he faced other legal troubles, including a 1999 assault case involving a road rage incident that led to a misdemeanor assault conviction and a jail sentence, but the main reason for his imprisonment was the rape conviction in 1992.