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'Iron' Mike Tyson was one of the most, if not the most, feared punchers in the history of heavyweight boxing.
In his prime, 'The Baddest Man on the Planet' petrified his opponents with his incredible power, relentless pressure, terrifying speed, and unorthodox peek-a-boo defense. Standing only at 5'8 and possessing a reach of a mere 71 inches, 'Kid Dynamite' exploded onto the heavyweight boxing scene during the '80s as a brutal enigma.
With a ferocious style and propensity for scoring stellar knockouts against larger opponents, Tyson became not only a boxing superstar, but a pop-culture icon.
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For this list, let's take a look at some of his greatest victories in the ring.
#5. Mike Tyson vs. Trevor Berbick
Mike Tyson vs. Trevor Berbick, simply put, was a slaughter.
At just 20 years of age, Tyson conquered the reigning WBC Heavyweight Champion in a mere two rounds.
The New York native entered the bout with a perfect 27-0 record. Even without a title around his waist, the world was already in awe of the young Brooklyn sensation. In the absence of Muhammad Ali, heavyweight boxing was desperately searching for a new star to carry the sport forward.
In 1986, that star had finally arrived.
Berbick, who is over six feet tall and twelve years older than Tyson, was given no room or time to use his reach advantage or veteran experience. From the opening bell, the champion was put on the backfoot and forced to endure powerful barrages from the relentless challenger.
Near the end of the first round, Tyson landed a devastating four-punch combination that sent the champion wobbling across the ring. In the second and final round, the writing was on the wall. Compared to the champion, the Brooklyn fighter was simply in a different stratosphere.
After Berbick suffered two brutal knockdowns, and a completely lost expression washed over his face, legendary referee Mills Lane stopped the fight, making Tyson the youngest heavyweight champion in history.
#4. Mike Tyson vs. Tony Tucker
After defeating Berbick, Tyson took the world by storm. He quickly won the WBA Heavyweight Title by beating James 'Bonecrusher' Smith via unanimous decision. He then defended his unified titles by knocking out Pinklon Thomas.
A year after capturing the WBC and WBA Heavyweight Championships, Mike Tyson went after another titleholder in the division: Tony 'TNT' Tucker.
Tucker was undefeated and coming off a knockout victory over James 'Buster' Douglas. The impressive win awarded 'TNT' with the IBF Championship and set up a high-profile showdown with boxing's newest and hottest star.
The fight took place on August 1st, 1987 in Las Vegas. Like most of Tyson's opponents, Tucker enjoyed a significant height and reach advantage. Standing at 6'5 and wielding an enormous reach of 82 inches, 'TNT' had the tools to potentially frustrate his aggressive and shorter foe.
'TNT' was able to find success early, landing a crisp left uppercut in the first round and making rounds two and three fairly competitive. However, by the middle rounds, Tyson was landing significant power punches. In an effort to halt his opponent's effective aggression, Tucker turned large portions of the championship bout into a grappling fest.
The fight ended with a unanimous decision for 'Iron' Mike. While not considered to be the most thrilling of fights, the unification bout helped showcase some of Tyson's often unseen qualities. He proved once again that he had the stamina to go the distance and that he was more than a one-punch knockout artist who needed to end fights early.
Reportedly entering the fight with an injured hand, Tucker, to his credit, proved his championship grit by becoming one of the few men able to go the distance against a prime 'Iron' Mike.
#3. Mike Tyson vs. Tyrell Biggs
On October 16th, 1987, 'Iron' Mike Tyson defended his three heavyweight titles against undefeated Olympic Gold Medalist Tyrell Biggs.
The bout was somewhat personal for the young Tyson. According to Tyson, Biggs had insulted him during their amateur days, taunting the New Yorker for not making the Olympic team. During the leadup to their fight as professionals, Biggs continued on this theme, insinuating to the press that he still viewed Tyson as a rookie amateur and boldly claiming the champion had never seen a fighter like him.
Biggs was confident in his mobility and believed he possessed better overall boxing ability than Tyson. The gold medalist's confidence, however, would prove to not be enough when the opening bell rang.
Biggs, like a great many Mike Tyson opponents, attempted to establish his jab early on. While he succeeded in landing some sharp lefts, it wasn't enough to keep 'The Baddest Man on the Planet' at bay. Tyson landed a powerful hook in round two that opened a cut on Biggs' lip. From then on, the gold medalist produced little to no offense and failed to stop Tyson's ferocious attacks.
In the seventh round, 'Iron' Mike knocked his opponent down with a left hook. Barely beating the count, Biggs was forced to endure another onslaught at the hands of the fighter he had earlier dismissed. Tyson quickly scored another knockdown, forcing a TKO stoppage.
#2. Mike Tyson vs. Larry Holmes
Mike Tyson vs. Larry Holmes took place January 22nd, 1988.
There was a high level of intrigue prior to the bout. Many fans did not have faith a 38 year-old Holmes, who was coming out of a two-year retirement, could pose a serious threat to the young and dominant Mike Tyson. However, there was also genuine excitement surrounding the fight as Holmes was still a popular name. Many fight fans also enjoyed comparing the fighting style of 'The Easton Assassin' to that of Muhammad Ali.
This led to the casual and fantastical idea that if Tyson could do well against Holmes, he might've been able to do well against a prime Ali. Interestingly enough, Tyson has confirmed that he had long wanted to beat 'The Easton Assassin' due to Holmes having defeated an old Ali back in 1980.
The bout against Holmes did not last long. It took 'Iron' Mike only four rounds to destroy the former champion. Holmes, known for his famous left jab, had difficulties keeping his aggressive and younger foe at bay. Tyson, throwing every punch with furious intent, knocked Holmes down three times in the fourth round before referee Joe Cortez finally stopped the fight.
While many of Tyson's detractors will bring up the fact that Holmes was past his prime and came into the fight too heavy, it should be noted that 'The Easton Assassin' had never been beaten in such dominant fashion before.
Two years prior to his fight with Tyson, Holmes had lost two close decisions to Michael Spinks. Later, in 1992, he would battle reigning champion Evander Holyfield. While Holyfield won a clear unanimous decision, Holmes was never close to being knocked down.
Mike Tyson's victory over Holmes further enhanced his menacing aura. It was also a clear sign that the time of the old guard was over, and that there was a new heavyweight king.
#1. Mike Tyson vs. Michael Spinks
For much of Mike Tyson's early heavyweight reign, there was a nagging cloud that hung above his spectacular accomplishments. While it is true that he held the three major heavyweight titles by 1988, he did not hold the coveted Ring Magazine Title and had never defeated Michael Spinks, who many considered to be the "lineal" champion.
In 1985, Spinks, in a massive upset, had beat the undefeated lineal champion, Larry Holmes for the IBF and Ring Magazine Titles. He would go on to beat 'The Easton Assassin' in a rematch. However, in 1987, Spinks would drop his IBF Championship in order to secure a lucrative fight with Gerry Cooney.
This series of events led to Tyson capturing his third heavyweight title. However, it also gave ammunition to his detractors. How could 'Kid Dynamite' call himself the heavyweight king when he never beat the man who beat the man?
By 1988, Mike Tyson was irritated beyond belief by constantly being asked when he would fight 'Jinx' Spinks. After lengthy and tough negoations, Tyson and Spinks finally met in the ring on June 27th, 1988 in a fight billed as 'Once and For All'.
While Tyson was the favorite heading into the bout, there were some iconic names in the sport of boxing, like Muhammad Ali, Bert Sugar, and Teddy Atlas, who gave Spinks a serious chance of winning. 'Jinx', after all, was an awkward opponent who managed to bewilder and defeat heavyweight great Larry Holmes.
Tyson was young, strong, and powerful, but would he be able to stop the veteran Spinks from sticking, moving, and cruising to a decision victory?
The answer turned out to be an emphatic and brutal yes.
In one single round, with countless celebrities in attendance, from Sean Penn and Jack Nicholson to Chuck Norris and Oprah Winfrey, Mike Tyson knocked out Michael Spinks.
From the opening bell, Mike Tyson swarmed 'Jinx'. Spinks was forced against the ropes early on. A hook-uppercut combination from Tyson forced 'Jinx' to take a knee. Getting up at the count of four, Spinks attempted to throw a right hand at his charging foe. However, he was met with another powerful combination that sent him to the canvas once more.
This time, Spinks failed to get up. This gave Mike Tyson the knockout win, making 'The Baddest Man on the Planet' the undisputed and lineal champion, and arguably awarding Tyson with his most iconic and significant victory.
