The myth of Mike Tyson is owed to these epic, insane, shocking moments. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most unforgettable parts of Mike Tyson’s life and career.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most unforgettable
00:10parts of Mike Tyson's life and career.
00:19Number 10.
00:20Fighting Jake Paul
00:21Back in 2018, when controversial YouTuber Jake Paul started boxing, we all shared a
00:32bit of a laugh.
00:34But his career has become far more successful than anyone could have anticipated.
00:39And now, he's fighting freaking Mike Tyson in front of 100,000 people.
00:46Yes, Tyson is obviously well past his prime at 58, but this is about spectacle and entertainment
00:54more than anything else.
00:56And it's fantastic to see the legendary boxer climbing back into the ring.
01:00The fight is to consist of 8 two-minute rounds and is set to be broadcast live on Netflix
01:05in November 2024.
01:08Even at this stage of his life, Tyson is still finding new ways to entertain and remain relevant
01:14to younger generations.
01:25Number 9.
01:26Going to Prison
01:32If there's one thing that stains an otherwise stellar reputation, it's Tyson's criminal
01:38record.
01:39In July of 1991, Tyson was accused of sexually assaulting Desiree Washington in an Indianapolis
01:46hotel room.
01:47Washington pressed charges and Tyson was famously convicted in 1992, being sentenced to 6 years
01:53in prison.
01:54Even though there was a change of champion this year in boxing, the biggest story by
01:59far did not take place in the ring.
02:01It took place in a courthouse in downtown Indianapolis.
02:04He served less than three.
02:07Tyson's imprisonment significantly damaged his public image, as he went from one of the
02:11most feared and admired athletes in the world, maybe even in history, to a highly polarizing
02:18figure.
02:19His prison sentence also took away three of his prime fighting years, allowing other athletes
02:24to steal the spotlight.
02:26He was never quite the same after this.
02:35Number 8.
02:36Tyson's Street Fight With Mitch Green
02:45On May 20th, 1986, Tyson defeated Mitch Green via unanimous decision.
02:50Fast forward two years to August 23rd, 1988, when Green confronted Tyson outside of Dapper
02:56Dan's Boutique, a popular clothing store in Harlem.
03:00What happens next is hard to say, but words are exchanged and the verbal fury soon turns
03:07physical.
03:08According to Green, he was sucker-punched by Tyson.
03:11According to Tyson, he was defending himself from Green.
03:14Regardless, a brawl erupted in the street and Tyson left his opponent mangled with a
03:19swollen eye and a broken nose.
03:29In fact, the beating was so severe that Tyson actually thought he had killed Green and the
03:34fight solidified his near-mythical reputation as an unbeatable fighter.
03:44Number 7.
03:45Becoming the Youngest Heavyweight Champion Ever
03:54History was made inside the Las Vegas Hilton on the evening of November 22nd, 1986.
04:00It was Judgment Day.
04:02The Judgment Day, that's just what it was called.
04:05And Mike Tyson was facing WBC Heavyweight Champion Trevor Burbick.
04:10Tyson dominated from the outset, establishing himself as the aggressor and hitting Burbick
04:15with the flurry of punches that sent him reeling.
04:26It was obvious from the very first round that Burbick was in trouble and he went down
04:32twice in the second.
04:33He desperately tried to stand but could only stumble, causing referee Mills Lane to call
04:38a TKO.
04:40And that's how Mike Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history.
04:44A record that still stands at 20 years, 4 months.
05:00Number 6.
05:01Becoming the Undisputed Champion
05:12The win against Burbick was just one part of a larger story, that of unifying all three
05:18major heavyweight belts.
05:20By the 1980s, there were three different champions in three different organizations, confusing
05:25fans and diluting the legitimacy of the belt holders.
05:30Enter legendary promoter Don King, who crafted the Heavyweight Unification Series, which
05:35was designed to unify all three belts and officially name an undisputed champion.
05:41We'll let you guess who won.
05:43After beating Burbick for the WBC title, Tyson then defeated James Smith and took his WBA
05:49belt.
05:50And then, on August 1st, 1987, Tyson defeated Tony Tucker via unanimous decision, winning
05:56the IBF belt and becoming the first boxer to hold all three at once.
06:08Number 5.
06:09The Spinks Fight Once and for all, was the most anticipated
06:21fight of its day.
06:22A dramatic showdown between two undefeated titans, Mike Tyson and lineal champion Michael
06:29Spinks.
06:30Thousands of people paid top dollar to crowd convention hall in Atlantic City, and the
06:34fight was over in 90 seconds.
06:43Ah, the unpredictable beauty of boxing.
06:47Yep, Tyson dropped Spinks twice in the span of 15 seconds, and that's including the
06:53ref count.
06:54The first was a wicked body shot that took Spinks to his knees.
06:58He quickly recovered, only for Tyson to immediately down him again with a powerful right hand.
07:04Spinks was sent to La La Land, and Tyson was cemented as the most feared and dominant
07:10fighter of his era.
07:21Number 4.
07:22Getting the Face Tattoo Mike Tyson simply dominates the cultural conversation.
07:36If it's not boxing, it's owning one of the most distinctive and recognizable tattoos
07:42in history.
07:43Tyson originally wanted to get hearts on his face, but tattoo artist S. Victor Whitmill
07:48shut that down.
07:50Instead going for the tribal design inspired by Maori practice of Taumoko.
07:59While Tyson faced some criticism for cultural appropriation, the tattoo was instantly iconic
08:04and became a defining aspect of his public character.
08:08Its warrior distinction was further solidified following his fight with Clifford Etienne,
08:13whom Tyson knocked out in just 50 seconds.
08:23Number 3.
08:25Fighting Lennox Lewis at a Press Conference By 2002, Mike Tyson was well past his prime,
08:37but he was still winning fights and making headlines.
08:40One of the most infamous moments of his career came on January 22nd during a press conference
08:46to announce an upcoming fight with Lennox Lewis.
08:49Tyson approached Lewis on the stage of the Hudson Theater and threw a punch at one of
08:54Lewis' bodyguards, resulting in an enormous brawl.
09:04WBC president Jose Suleiman was knocked out after hitting his head on a table and later
09:10sued Tyson for $56 million.
09:13Tyson also admitted to biting Lewis' leg during the scuffle and later paid him over
09:17$300,000 in damages.
09:20And all this happened before his profanity-laced tirade aimed towards the crowd.
09:25Yeah, it was a whole thing.
09:35Number 2.
09:36Getting Knocked Out By Buster Douglas If you want a real-life Rocky, watch the fight
09:49between Tyson and Buster Douglas.
09:52The two were scheduled to fight on February 11th, 1990, with Douglas being the 42-1 underdog
09:58against the undefeated Tyson.
10:00This was widely expected to be another routine win for the champ, with reporters openly joking
10:05about Douglas' chances and Tyson partying the night before the fight, but the bout was
10:14unexpectedly competitive, with Tyson struggling to deal with Douglas' range and composure.
10:20And then came the 10th round, when Douglas knocked Tyson down for the first time in his
10:25career, and he stayed down.
10:27It was Tyson's first professional loss, and it shattered the myth of his invulnerability.
10:33Tyson himself later quipped, my career has been over since 1990.
10:58Number 1.
10:59The Ear Bite There are certain moments in sporting history
11:09that transcend the game itself, moments that become pop culture icons, widely known even
11:15to those who don't follow the sport in question.
11:19This is certainly the case with the infamous ear bite.
11:23It occurred on June 28th, 1997, when Tyson was fighting Evander Holyfield.
11:35Tyson was getting battered and, after growing increasingly frustrated, decided to take a
11:40chunk out of Holyfield's ear.
11:42But wait, there's more.
11:44After getting a stern warning, he did it again.
11:47Tyson was swiftly disqualified, making this the first time in 56 years that a title fight
11:53ended in a disqualification.
11:55That's certainly one way to leave a legacy.
12:07What do you make of the legendary boxer?
12:10Let us know in the comments below.