Heavyweight legend, Mike Tyson, was one of the most devastating punchers in boxing history – and has now revealed his favourite ever knockout.
Tyson hung up the gloves in 2005 after suffering a defeat to Kevin McBride, finishing with a record of 50-6, with forty-four of those victories coming by way of knockout.
Tyson was crowned as the heavyweight king twice, with both of those wins coming by stoppage – first in a second-round demolition of Trevor Berbick in 1986, and then again, almost a decade later, in a third-round KO of Frank Bruno.
During his reign at the top of the division, ‘Iron’ Mike had brutal finishes over the likes Michael Spinks, Marvis Frazier and Lorenzo Boyd, but none of those career highlights were considered his greatest.
Instead, he told Complex, that his 1988 fourth-round domination against former lineal heavyweight champion, Larry Holmes, will forever be his most treasured stoppage win, with a much deeper meaning than a perfect punch would have.
“My favourite knockout is Larry Holmes.
Listen, when I was a young kid he fought Muhammad Ali, in 1980, and he kicked Ali’s a** real bad. I was like fourteen and I was saying that I will avenge Ali. It was more about that than the knockout itself, but it was a good one, he had never been knocked out before.”
Tyson’s respect for Muhammad Ali has been unwavering throughout his career, even claiming that he could never defeat ‘The Greatest’ despite all the bravado that came during his time as champion. The heavyweight legends went on to become good friends and Tyson was even a pallbearer at Ali’s funeral in 2016.