Mike Tyson was one of the most ferocious punchers to grace the sport of boxing, but even he feared the punch of one man.
Mike Tyson knocked out 44 of the 50 men he beat, and was one of the most aggressive and feared fighters in boxing after becoming world champion at just 20 years old when he beat Trevor Berbick for the title.
Of the six opponents he beat by decision, only three were in full twelve-round fights, and one of those was against a fighter that struck fear even into Tyson himself.
“Unbelievable”… Mike Tyson speaks on the power of Donovan ‘Razor’ Ruddock
Tyson first met Ruddock in a heavyweight title eliminator in 1991, in a fight in which the ‘Razor’ stunned fans when he took the fight to Tyson, who scored a KO in 8 seconds once, having him visibly hurt at various points, especially in the sixth round.
Though a commendable effort, this only angered Tyson, who stopped Ruddock in the next round, securing a seventh-round victory.
As a result of his impressive effort, Ruddock was given the rematch with Tyson, who beat James ‘Bonecrusher’ Smith on points, that same year and became the final man to lose by decision to Tyson, who secured a big KO in his debut, and to go the twelve-round distance with him.
Speaking on Ruddock’s power, Tyson said: “He punches like a f—— mule kicks, unbelievable, oh my god.”
Ruddock retired in 2015 with a record of 40-6-1.
Donovan Ruddock gave witty response to reporter after Mike Tyson defeat
Following his defeat to Tyson, who sees himself in Isaac Cruz, in their second encounter, Ruddock was interviewed alongside Iron Mike in the ring.
The reporter first said to Tyson: “Hell of a heart to come back from some of those shots, this guy hit you with some major shots”.
To which Tyson replied: “Hey man that’s what it’s all about.”
He swiftly turned to Ruddock, praising his effort and stating: “You have got to have some kind of award for getting up from knockdowns smiling, you must have the record for getting up smiling from knockdowns.”
Ruddock’s response, as sharp as his ‘Razor’ nickname, was short and sweet: “It’s better than crying.”