Boxing legend Mike Tyson is set to step in the ring again on Saturday night for an exhibition match with Roy Jones Jr. at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
The 54-year-old was the biggest box office draw in the 1990s and retired from the sport in 2005, before having an exhibition match the following years.
Roy Jones Jr. is three years Tyson’s junior but only retired from in-ring action in early 2018, with a 66-9 record.
Both boxers have held numerous world titles over the years, with Tyson boxing in the heavyweight division and Jones Jr. working his weight up from super middleweight to heavyweight during his career.
Prior to the fight, here are Mike Tyson’s top 10 knockouts from his heyday:
10. Reggie Gross (13 June 1986)
A few days short of his 20th birthday, Mike Tyson was 21-0 heading into Madison Square Garden, New York when he faced a Reggie Gross, who only had a 17-4 record, and not fought anyone of note up to this point in his career.
With just 2:36 into the first round the bout was over as Gross could not stay up after a couple of close range punches from Mike Tyson. Seconds earlier, Kid Dynamite scored with a big left hook to send da regg-master to the mat.
9. Jose Ribalta (17 August 1986)
Following the Gross fight, Tyson would continue to pickup 1st and 2nd round victories over the next couple of months, leading up to his fight in August 1986 against Cuban Jose Ribalta. Tyson himself was 25-0 at this point, whilst his opponent was 22-3-1.
El Nino managed to get the fight to the final round but didn’t make it to the final bell as the referee intervened with Ribalta barely able to stand with the number of punches he’d taken at the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Earlier in the fight, he’d been floored with a stiff uppercut.
8. Michael Spinks (27 June 1988)
Mike Tyson had won the WBC heavyweight title from Trevor Berbick in 1986, the WBA heavyweight title from James Smith the following year and the IBF heavyweight title from Tony Tucker before 1987 was out. All three were on the line versus Michael Spink at the Convention Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1998, as well as Spinks’ The Ring heavyweight title.
Iron Mike was 34-0 going into this bout, with 30 knock outs, whilst 31-year-old Michael Spinks was a perfect 31-0 with 21 knockouts. To this day, Spinks is widely considered one of the greatest light-heavyweight fighters of all-time and was the only light-heavyweight champion to remain undefeated in the entire history of the division since its inception in 1903, until Joe Calzaghe matched him.
Such was Spinks’ dominance, Dwight Muhammad Qawi was the only fighter to have officially floored him during his career to this point. In stepped Mike Tyson to knock the champion down three times in the first round and win the fight.
Michael Spinks retired the following day.
7. Frank Bruno (25 February 1989)
Frank Bruno was one of the top fighters in the world at 32-2 when he fought Mike Tyson at the Las Vegas Hilton in Winchester, Nevada in 1989.
The two boxers went blow for blow in the opening moments which resulted in the Brit falling down.
Bruno would make it to the fifth round before the referee stepped in after the heavy punishment had left him lying helpless on the ropes.
6. Alex Stewart (8 December 1990)
Alex Stewart had competed in the 1984 Olympics and was 26-1 heading into his bout with Mike Tyson at the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, New Jersey at the end of 1990. That one being a TKO to Evander Holyfield.
Tyson himself had suffered the first loss of his career by this point – the upset to Buster Douglas earlier in the year. But this proved to be a mis-match from the start as Tyson dominated, knocking Stewart down three times in the opening round before he couldn’t get to his feet.
5. Donovan Ruddock (18 March 1991)
Donovan Ruddock hadn’t fought any real stars heading into his fight with Mike Tyson at The Mirage in Paradise, Nevada in 1991, but was the number two seed, with the winner of this matchup set to challenge the winner of Holyfield-George Foreman for the WBA, WBC, IBF and Lineal heavyweight championships.
Ruddock was dropped in round three but continued until referee Richard Steele stopped the fight in round seven. This caused controversy and some fans were so unhappy with the decision that fights erupted inside the stadium. Steele himself had to be escorted out of the ring.
A rematch was held on 28 June 28 1991 and went the distance. Tyson did knock Ruddock down twice during that fight, and won by unanimous decision.
4. Peter McNeeley (19 August 1995)
Peter McNeeley was all talk before this fight, saying he would wrap Tyson in a “cocoon”. Whilst he did take the fight to Tyson at times, he was knocked off his feet twice within the opening two minutes.
Mike Tyson had not fought professional for four years due to his near-three year prison sentence.
The Hurricane survived six rounds before his manager stepped into the ring in round seven to stop his fighter from getting destroyed, therefore Mike Tyson won by DQ.
3. Frank Bruno (16 March 1996)
Six years after losing to Mike Tyson the first time, a 40-4 Frank Bruno attempted to defend his WBC heavyweight title at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Paradise, Nevada.
It had taken the Baddest Man on the Planet five rounds to win the first bout between these two, but Bruno was less than a minute into round three in 1996 when the referee stepped in to save any more punishment as he was propped up by the ropes.
Frank Bruno performed unusually poorly in what turned out to be his final professional bout as a result of a severe eye injury caused by his opponent. Bruno was advised not to fight again to avoid running the risk of permanent blindness and retired soon after the fight.
2. Bruce Seldon (7 September 1996)
33-3 Bruce Seldon was WBA heavyweight champion when he squared off against Mike Tyson at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Seldon didn’t make much of an effort in his title defence as he was knocked down twice and out in the opening round. Seldon retired following the fight.
Rapper Tupac Shakur attended the fight, and was shot on the journey home, leading to his death six days later.
1. Andrew Golota (20 October 2000)
Towards the end of his professional career, Tyson fought Polish-born Andrew Golota at The Palace in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
Tyson destroyed the 6’4″ giant with an overhand right in the opening round. Golota even asked his corner to throw in the towel at the end of the round. In the end he could continue up to the end of round three where he asked the referee to stop.
The result was later changed to a No Contest as Tyson failed a drugs test.
You can watch these knockouts in the video below:
