Mike Tyson bested some intimidating opposition in the ring, but outside of the ring, he faced an equally fierce opponent.
Mike Tyson ended a 19-fight-long KO streak in 1986, when he faced James Tills. He beat Tills comprehensively but did not deliver the standout finish he had become known for at such a young age.
In his early years, Tyson became the most feared teenager in boxing. Tyson to this day holds the record for becoming the youngest heavyweight world champion, when he defeated Trevor Berbick, who had retired Muhammad Ali, only a matter of months after besting Tills.
Tyson also defeated Larry Holmes after promising Muhammad Ali he would get revenge for him in the ring.
‘Iron Mike’ finished his career with 44 knockouts to his fifty wins, meaning only six men survived to the final bell. One of those men was a gang leader who would meet Tyson not only in the ring but in the streets.
Mike Tyson defeats Mitch Green in the ring and finishes him in the streets
Mitch Green, a member of the notorious ‘Bloods’ gang, had called Tyson out for a while before landing a shot at Tyson.
Green was just 17 years old when he saw his father shot in front of him and was even shot twice himself.
He was known as ‘The King of New York Street Gangs’ by the NYPD and racked up numerous wins in amateur boxing.
His sole loss at the time of facing Tyson, known for his black-market pet tigers outside of boxing, came at the hands of Trevor Berbick.
When the pair did meet, Tyson defeated Green on points, commenting: “He took some fairly decent shots, but as you know, I won comfortably and didn’t try for the knockout.”
Green wouldn’t box again for seven years, but the pair would meet years after their first encounter when Tyson was shopping near where Green operated.
The story goes that Green entered the store, demanding a rematch from Tyson, and a fight ensued.
This time there were no scorecards, as Tyson is said to have defeated Green in under fifteen seconds, though Green claims Tyson sucker-punched him.
Boxer Zab Judah spoke in an interview of how this encounter saw Tyson break Green’s eye socket.
Mike Tyson gets brutal revenge against sparring partner
Following Tyson’s win over Britain’s Frank Bruno, the heavyweight sensation defended his titles next against Carl ‘The Truth’ Williams.
Williams was once a sparring partner for Tyson and is said to have worked him so hard that he grew disheartened and lost confidence.
Their encounter in the professional game marked an opportunity for ‘Iron Mike’ to right the wrongs of his past sparring, and that’s exactly what he did.
Tyson stopped Williams in the very first round with a big left hook.
Williams maintained: “I wasn’t hurt to the point where I couldn’t continue”, though it’s unlikely, given Tyson’s ability, that ‘The Truth’ would’ve made it to the final bell.
Tyson last fought in November 2024 against Jake Paul. Iron Mike admits he has still not recovered from the Paul fight.