With a strong, able-bodied frame and passion-filled competitive drive, Mike Tyson appears to be invincible.
Mike Tyson has lost a fight. In fact, over the course of his long career, he lost six fights.
He is human after all. But, with such an impressive resume of wins, there is no use dwelling on the few losses through his extensive career.
Notable Losses: Few and Far Between
When discussing Mike Tyson’s boxing career, his losses are often not the first to be noticed. Mike Tyson was extremely successful in his boxing career, as he was the youngest boxer to win the World Boxing Association, World Boxing Council, and International Boxing Federation titles.
He also became the youngest heavyweight champion in 1988, when he knocked out Michael Spinks at the age of 20. Mike Tyson was known for his overwhelming power, as he dominated boxing for a majority of the 1980’s.
You can see the video clip of Mike Tyson’s heavyweight champion knockout shot in this Instagram post, which is linked below.
Overall, his boxing career record includes 50 wins, of which includes 44 knockouts, six losses, and two no contests.
So, it begs the question, who is behind those six losses that plagued Mike Tyson’s career?
Douglas Shocks the World as the First to Beat Mike Tyson
On February 11, 1990, underdog Buster Douglas prepared to fight Mike Tyson, and frankly fought much better than anyone would have expected. Douglas sent a shock throughout the boxing world when he knocked out Mike Tyson in the tenth round, presenting Tyson with his first career loss.
You can see the video of Mike Tyson’s first career loss, using the YouTube link below.
Who Else Beat Mike Tyson?
While Mike Tyson’s other losses did not have same effect on his reputation as the first, his other five losses carried plenty of drama over the course of his career.
His next loss was at the MGM Grand in November 1996 to rival Evander Holyfield. Tyson lost in the 11th round, a devastating blow after regaining traction since his first loss.
After that loss, one thing was for sure, Mike Tyson would do anything to win a fight–even if it required desperate, violent measures.
Tyson and Holyfield met again at a rematch at the MGM Grand in June 1997. Tyson was determined to win and, when he thought Holyfield intentionally headbutted him in early rounds, he was infuriated enough to bite his ear off.
The event caused serious aftermath, including a $3,000,000 fine, a lost boxing license, and a stint of required community service. However, Tyson maintained his reputation as the “baddest man on the planet.”
After losing his license, it took Tyson a while to regain licensure and return to the ring. Some will argue that from this point forward, it was evident that Mike Tyson had passed his prime.
In June 2002, Lennox Lewis met Mike Tyson at the Pyramid in Memphis. While it seemed to be a fairly even match early on, Tyson could not hold on and a heavy right cross from Lewis added another loss to Tyson’s glamorous career record.
Two years later, in 2004, another loss struck Mike Tyson. Tyson fought Danny Williams in Freedom Hall, Kentucky, and suffered a torn ligament in his knee that hindered his performance in the ring.
He could not hang on, and he lost to Danny Williams in the fourth round.
Lastly, in the final boxing match of his career, Mike Tyson lost to Kevin “Irishman” McBride in June 2005. It was clear to all that the boxer was nearing the end of his boxing career because of his inability to maintain dominance in the way that he used to.
Despite being ahead by two points on the judges’ scorecards, Tyson quit before the seventh round began. In awe of an action that was so against his character and previous competitive nature, it was obvious that his heart was no longer in the sport.
Tyson later admitted that he had accepted the fight because of his need for money. Still, Tyson’s resilience and strength has shone through.
Tyson is now in the “best shape of his life,” and hopes to return to the ring in an effort to raise awareness for various charities in the future.