Mike Tyson has attracted a lot of attention the past few weeks because of his plan to take part in exhibitions at 53.
Of course, one reason people today remain fascinated with Iron Mike is that he was once a legitimately great boxer. How great? Well, he was the youngest ever to win the heavyweight title, at 20, and had two reigns as heavyweight champion.
He beat a lot of good fighters along the way, most of them by knockout. Here are 10 of the fights that helped define him.
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MARVIS FRAZIER
Date / site: July 26, 1986 / Civic Center, Glen Falls, N.Y.
Division: Heavyweight
Records: Tyson 24-0, Frazier 16-1
At stake: Nothing
Result: Tyson KO 1
Background: The limited Frazier was never destined to give Tyson significant resistance but he had a big name and a legend in his corner, dad Joe Frazier, which added intrigue to the matchup. And Frazier actually had some decent victories on his ledger, over James Tillis and Bonecrusher Smith, for example. There seemed to be some hope. Then the opening bell rang. Tyson landed a right uppercut seconds into the fight, followed by another uppercut and then a right and a left that left Frazier slumped in a corner. Referee Joe Cortez started his count but, after taking a good look at the motionless fighter, he waved off the fight. The end came after 30 seconds of action, the quickest knockout of Tyson’s career and one of the best examples of the destructive power that so captivated the world. “I’m confident I can beat any fighter in the world,” he said immediately after the knockout. He was right.