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.
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