‘Iron’ Mike Tyson captivated the world of boxing like no one before on his way to becoming the youngest ever heavyweight world champion.
Now, the heavyweight legend has detailed the difference between himself and the other contenders of his era and why he was able to reach the top of the division.
At just twenty-years-old, Tyson accumulated an incredible record of 27-0 with twenty-five of those wins coming by way of knockout and nineteen of those stoppages coming in the second-round or sooner. He fought 13 times in 1986, the last of which was against Trevor Berbick in November for the WBC title.
True to form, Tyson ran through Berbick in just two rounds to break Floyd Patterson’s record and become the division’s youngest ever champion. He would make nine defences of his world title before the famous upset defeat to Buster Douglas in 1990, but returned to the throne in 1996 with a win over Frank Bruno, following a stint in prison that kept him out of the ring for over four years.
On his Snapchat, Tyson claimed that the reason behind his success was largely down to his movement, which was aided by his smaller 5’10” stature, in comparison to his much taller opponents.
“Speed, explosive power and agility. Remember I was a heavyweight moving like a fighter [that was] a lot smaller.”
“My footwork too. Footwork is a key to being a great fighter.”
After losing his WBA title to Evander Holyfield in 1996 and failing to win it back in the rematch the following year, Tyson would challenge for world honours once more against Lennox Lewis in 2002, where he was defeated in the eighth round, before eventually retiring with a record of 50-6 and a legacy of being one of boxing’s most ferocious fighters of all-time.