Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion ever at age 20 and unified the WBC, WBA and IBF titles by 1987.

Michael Gerard Tyson was born in Brownsville, Brooklyn in 1966 and became the youngest heavyweight champion in history at 20 years and 144 days when he stopped Trevor Berbick in November 1986. His professional record of 50 wins (44 by knockout) and 6 losses across a career spanning 1985 to 2005 includes a period of total heavyweight dominance from 1987 to 1990 when he unified all three major titles — WBC, WBA and IBF. His knockouts of Michael Spinks in 91 seconds (1988) and Carl Williams in 93 seconds (1989) are the two fastest heavyweight title fights in history. His combination of extraordinary head movement, the smallest punch-to-impact distance of any heavyweight, and the fastest hands in division history made him almost impossible to prepare for. His first professional career saw him win his first 37 fights, 33 by knockout. He was convicted of rape in 1992 and served three years. He returned to boxing in 1995 but was never again the fighter of 1987–1990. His defeat by Buster Douglas in Tokyo in 1990 — a 42-1 underdog — remains the greatest upset in heavyweight history. His ear bite on Evander Holyfield in 1997 — removing a chunk of cartilage — generated $100 million in pay-per-view revenue for the rematch alone. He returned to exhibition boxing in his fifties, fighting Jake Paul in 2024.

Aggressive, peek-a-boo style, devastating uppercuts

One of the most feared and influential heavyweight boxers

• International Boxing Hall of Fame 2011
• Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year 1986, 1988