NO. 9 MIKE TYSON
Record: 50-6 (44 KOs)
Years active: 1985-91; ’95-2005
Title reigns: Two (1986-90; ’96)
Among his victims: Tony Tucker, Larry Holmes, Michael Spinks, Frank Bruno (twice), Donovan Ruddock (twice),
Background: No one captured the imagination of the public quite the way the young Tyson did. Iron Mike, fast, fierce and oh-so-powerful, bowled over one terrified opponent after another on national TV early in his career and punctuated the run by knocking out Trevor Berbick in 1986 to become the youngest ever to win the heavyweight championship at 20. He was revealed to be human four years later when Buster Douglas set the standard for upsets, stopping the unstoppable Tyson – who was only 23 – in the 10th round to become titleholder. Tyson was never the same. He was convicted of rape in 1992 and spent three years in prison, after which he returned to boxing and regained a major title by stopping Frank Bruno in 1996. Two fights later he was the victim of another historic upset, as Evander Holyfield – who actually was the better fighter – knocked out Tyson in 11 rounds. The rematch would be the setting of one the ugliest moments in sports. Holyfield was ahead on all cards when Tyson, frustrated by what he perceived to be his rival’s dirty tactics, gnawed off a portion of Holyfield’s ear and was soon suspended. He would fight for several more years – including a much-hyped, but non-competitive bout with Lennox Lewis – before walking away in 2005. Gone but never to be forgotten.