Mike Tyson got long-awaited heavyweight revenge for Muhammad Ali against Larry Holmes.
When Mike Tyson was a 14-year-old phenom, he promised Muhammad Ali that he’d get revenge against Larry Holmes when he eventually turned professional. Eight years after Ali suffered his lone knockout loss to Holmes, Tyson got the last laugh for the all-time great boxer.
Tyson and Ali are two of the greatest boxers, regardless of division, in the history of the ‘sweet science’. While different in their styles in and out of the ring, Tyson and Ali’s careers are often compared when discussing the greatest heavyweights.
With Ali sitting ringside, and Tyson facing off with Holmes to defend his undisputed heavyweight championship, a historic night in Atlantic City ended in a vicious knockout punch.
Muhammad Ali whispered chilling message to Mike Tyson just minutes before Larry Holmes clash
Just minutes before Tyson and Holmes threw their first punches, Ali entered the ring to give Tyson a final message before the fight. As Tyson revealed years later, Ali whispered “Get him for me Mike”, almost exactly eight years after Ali suffered a brutal knockout in one of his final career fights.
When the opening bell rang throughout the venue, Tyson had one goal in mind; revenge for his childhood idol.
Tyson put on one of the most dominant performances of his career against Holmes, overwhelming the former heavyweight titleholder with his speed and technique. Holmes was barely able to get a punch off in the early rounds as Tyson walked him down and pressured him against the ropes.
In Round 4, with Holmes holding on for dear life, Tyson walked him down and repeatedly stunned Holmes with a series of brutal right hands. After stunning Holmes against the ropes, Tyson closed the show with an overhand right that knocked his opponent out cold.
It was a stunning full-circle moment for Tyson, Ali, and Holmes in Atlantic City as cheers roared throughout the arena. The knockout punch moved Tyson to a 33-0 undefeated record.
Holmes went on to have a successful heavyweight career and would challenge for titles three more times before hanging up the gloves in 2002. He retired after a unanimous decision win over Eric Esch to cap off a career-ending four-fight win streak.
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Muhammad Ali vs. Mike Tyson fantasy matchup continues to divide boxing fans
While Ali and Tyson shared a strong friendship throughout their lives, heavyweight boxing fans have debated what a matchup would look like between the two men in their primes.
Tyson became the youngest-ever heavyweight boxing champion when he knocked out another former Ali rival, Trevor Berbick, in 1986. Tyson earned the ‘Kid Dynamite’ label by defeating Berbick at 20 years old.
As the debate rages on over the heavyweight GOAT conversation, Ali and Tyson’s careers will likely forever be linked, especially after Tyson earned brutal revenge for ‘the greatest’.