Mike Tyson has had many indelible moments in the ring, most good and some bad.
That’s what made Iron Mike arguably the greatest boxing figure since The Greatest, Muhammad Ali. The fact that the public remains fascinated with him three decades beyond his peak is evidence of that.
Tyson returns to the ring on Saturday for a pay-per-view exhibition with fellow quinquagenarian at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Will the “fight” be just a nice, nostalgic sparring session, as officials hope it will be? Or will Tyson give us another memorable moment? With him, one never knows.
And speaking of nostalgia, we thought we’d look back on some his past moments inside the ring. Here are his three greatest moments … and his three worst.
BEST
YOUNGEST HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION
Nov. 22, 1986, Las Vegas: It was more a coronation than a competitive fight. Tyson, a huge puncher, had rolled over one heavyweight after another to earn a shot at the title held by the mediocre Trevor Berbick. So it was no surprise when the fight ended up being one of the most one-sided title transitions ever. Berbick decided from the beginning that he was going to stand and fight with Tyson. Bad idea. By the end of Round 1, Tyson began to land big shots and Berbick started to fall apart. The overmatched champion managed to get up from a knockdown early early in Round 2 but it was clear that his reign was about to end. Tyson landed a big left to Berbick’s temple and he went down again, this time losing his equilibrium. He got up, fell down, got up again, fell again before finally staggering to his feet. However, referee Mills Lane had seen enough. Tyson, only 20, had become the youngest heavyweight champion in history.
Quote: “I’m the youngest heavyweight champion of the world and I’m going to be the oldest,” Tyson said.
***
GREATEST PERFORMANCE
June 27, 1988, Atlantic City, N.J.: One of the advantages Tyson had over many of his opponents was their fear. They’ve essentially lost before the opening bell. That might’ve been the mind set of the undefeated Michael Spinks, who was a great light heavyweight but only a good – and small – heavyweight. The 1976 Olympic gold medalist’s fears became reality quickly. He tried to jab and move or hold to keep Tyson under control but nothing worked. About a minute into the opening round Spinks, already overwhelmed, took a knee after absorbing a number of punishing blows. He got up – with a look of resignation on his face — and continued only to take one of the biggest shots of Tyson’s career, a right hand that put Spinks flat on his back and removed him from his senses. The “fight” lasted only 91 seconds. Many believe that Tyson was at his very best this unforgettable night.
Quote: “Boxing is the best job in the world to let off steam, and people are in trouble Tyson wants to let off steam,” Spinks said.
***
CHAMPION AGAIN
March 16, 1996, Las Vegas: Tyson had been through a lot since his incredible run to the championship in the ’80s, most notably suffering an epic upset loss to Buster Douglas in 1990 and being convicted of rape two years later. He spent 3½ years in prison, after which it was unclear whether he could still fight. Turns out he could, at least well enough to handle his comeback opponents. He defeated journeyman Peter McNeeley by disqualification in his first fight in more than four years and then stopped Buster Mathis Jr. to earn a shot at the world title held by Frank Bruno. Bruno, who had been stopped by Tyson in 1989, evidently knew what was coming. He must’ve crossed himself a hundred times as he made his ring walk, evidently hoping for divine protection. Well, he lived to talk about it but things didn’t go well. Tyson unloaded a barrage of big shots in Round 3 that prompted referee Richard Steele to stop the fight. Tyson was champion again.
Quote: “He was right on me like a harbor shark,” Bruno said.
***
WORST
THE UPSET
Feb. 11, 1990, Tokyo: We can say in retrospect that we should’ve seen something like this coming. Tyson was still undefeated but had become complacent, even stale. He didn’t fight with the quite the same passion that lifted him to the championship in the first place. And Buster Douglas, while a 42-1 underdog, was both capable and inspired, having just endured the passing of his beloved mother. It was a perfect storm and Tyson got caught in it. Douglas, the bigger man, withstood Tyson’s early attack and seemed to land more and more telling blows as the fight progressed to take control. It seemed as if the champion would overcome the challenge when he put Douglas down in Round 8 but the challenger survived. Two rounds later Douglas landed a historic right uppercut followed by a left-right-left that ended the surrealistic encounter. Tyson, only 23 years old, would never be the same.
Quote: “It was a phenomenal moment in my life. To have done that is still amazing to me,” Douglas said 30 years later.
***
THE KNOCKOUT
Nov. 9, 1996, Las Vegas: Tyson had picked up where he left off when he went to prison by regaining two heavyweight titles. Next up: Evander Holyfield, the seemingly faded former heavyweight champion who opened as a 25-1 underdog. Holyfield had been stopped by Riddick Bowe two fights earlier – his first stoppage loss — and looked listless in a victory over blown up cruiserweight Bobby Czyz in his previous fight. Plus, he supposedly had had a problem with his heart. How could he possibly compete with Tyson? Welllllllllll. Holyfield, a small, but durable heavyweight, bullied the bully. He was able to handle everything Tyson threw at him and, using angles and clever footwork, he stunned everyone watching by returning fire with breathtaking ferocity. Tyson had been worn down when, with seconds to go in Round 10, he was hurt badly by a big right hand. Holyfield finished the job in Round 11, landing a number of hard punches that forced referee Mitch Halpern to save Tyson from more punishment. Holyfield had done the unthinkable.
Quote: “I can’t believe what I’m seeing. It’s the most unbelievable thing that I’ve ever been privileged to witness,” commentator Bobby Czyz.
***
THE EAR BITE
June 28, 1997, Las Vegas: Tyson was still resentful of Holyfield because of what he perceived to be his dirty tactics in their first fight, principally repeated head butts. So when Holyfield butted him a few times early in the second fight – at least according to him – his blood began to boil, which led to one of the most infamous deeds in boxing history. The fighters were in a clinch when Tyson, apparently frustrated, gnawed off a portion Holyfield’s right ear with about 40 seconds remaining in Round 3. Mills Lane took two points from Tyson and allowed the fight to continue. Then, moments after the fight resumed, Tyson bit him again. This time, Lane DQ’d Tyson, which sparked a minor melee in the ring. Tyson would insist that he acted out because of his frustration with his rival’s tactics. Many believe that Tyson simply wanted a way out of a fight he was destined to lose and found it. Either way, it was an ugly night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Quote: “Regardless of what I did, he’s been headbutting me for two fights,” Tyson said. “I addressed it in the ring. Look at me (pointing to a cut above his eye), I gotta go home to my kid who’s gonna be scared of me. Look at me, man.”
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