Iron Mike, the king of knockouts, is arguably one of the greatest boxers of all time. His speed and power ensured that Tyson’s fights were always a lot of fun. Today, when we look at his career, it is difficult to find a match, and we will be disappointed. Of the 58 fights, however, some are more memorable than others. Here are some of Mike Tyson’s Most Memorable Fights, as well as some of our favorite knockouts.
Second fight against Evander Holyfield
Even those who are not boxing fans know all about the fight between Tyson and Holyfield II. The first fight between Tyson and Holyfield ended with Evander Holyfield’s victory. The fight sparked a lot of controversy surrounding the fact that Mike Tyson’s Memorable Fights was headbutted by Holyfield multiple times during the fight. The referee ruled the headbutt was accidental, but Mike Tyson and his team believe they were intentional. During the rematch, Mike Tyson decided to take revenge on his opponent. He bit his ear twice, the second time leading to his disqualification. Tyson bit off part of Evander’s ear. Later found that piece of Holyfield’s ear on the ring floor, ouch. The incident made it one of the most memorable moments in boxing history.
The Night of Bruce Seldon Fight
Mike Tyson defeated champion Bruce Seldon in the first round. After the match, Seldon received a lot of bad press for giving in to his opponent too easily. What made this September night history, however, was something else. September 7, 1996 was the night one of the best selling music artists 2Pac was killed. Tupac Shakur was at Tyson’s fight that night and was killed in a drive-by shooting while driving away from the event.
Mike Tyson Vs. Buster Douglas
The Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas fight is one of the most memorable moments in boxing history. It was the undisputed champion – Mike Tyson’s first loss in the ring after 37 wins. Douglas was a real loser in the fight but managed to knock out Iron Mike after 10 long rounds of boxing. The fight was one of boxing’s biggest upsets.
Mike Tyson Vs. Michael Spinks
It took Mike Tyson just 91 seconds to knock out Michael Spinks, which is impressive. The win earned Tyson the title of straight-line champion, and the fight included one of Mike Tyson’s greatest KOs. The fight broke the clean record of Lean Spinks’ brother (31-0). The shock on the opponent’s face after Tyson KO is worth revisiting.
Mike Tyson Vs. Jose Ribalta
The whole fight is worth watching. Ribalta towers over Mike Tyson, a huge height difference. Ribalta was one of the tallest boxers of the time, while Tyson was actually considered short compared to the average contender. The huge difference in height makes for a spectacular sight. Jose is 1.96 meters (6 feet 4 inches) and Mike is only 1.78 meters (5 feet 10 inches). Ribalta’s range posed a real challenge to Iron Mike, but like David beat Goliath, Tyson came out victorious in his fight with Ribalta.
Mike Tyson Vs. Andrew Golota
In 2000, Mike Tyson clashed with Andrew Golota. After three rounds, the injured Golota was unable to continue fighting. Tyson exhausted him, despite the height difference and Tyson was no longer in his prime. Fans were delighted by Tyson’s victory, but the bout was later ruled a no-match after Mike Tyson’s post-match drug test detected marijuana in his system. I recommend watching the whole fight to see how direct and quick Tyson is, even at the end of his career.
Against Lennox Lewis
Mike Tyson’s bout with Lennox Lewis was the second time Tyson has been knocked out. The match was the highest-grossing pay-per-view event at the time. The fight became particularly infamous for what Tyson said at the start of the fight: “I want your heart, I want to eat your baby”. As gruesome as that may have been, it didn’t deter Lewis from taking up the challenge and beating Mike Tyson in the eighth round. The fight was emblematic of a new era in boxing history. Tyson, who didn’t eat Lewis’ baby, congratulated his opponent with all due respect after the bout.
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