What's this? This is an unbiased just-the-facts news timeline ('newsline') about Mike Tyson, created by Newslines contributors. Become a contributor

Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson76 posts

Mike Tyson is a retired professional boxer and media celebrity. After winning the world heavyweight boxing championship he retired from professional boxing in 2006. He has appeared in several movies, notably The Hangover series and has appeared on TV and on stage.

Latest News view > Click for Biography view
6 Dec, 1985

Tyson v Scaff: KO 1

Sammy Scaff0 Comments

Tyson wears what will become his trademark solid black shorts for the first time as he takes his KO record to 14 with a barrage of ferocious shots that force the referee to call a halt after 1:19.

I’ve only been fighting nine months and I’m only nineteen years old. Someone that’s only been fighting for nine months and nineteen years old and now they want me to fight for the title and they want me to fight a contender. That’s absurd in the boxing business. That’s just absurd. My job is to fight and my manager’s job is to manage. If my manager went in the ring to fight Sammy Scaff he wouldn’t look so well and wouldn’t do so well and I feel the same doing his job. I’ll fight anyone my manager chooses for me to fight, because if he feels confident I could beat them, I feel confident I could beat them also.

22 Nov, 1985

Tyson v Nelson: KO 2

Conroy Nelson0 Comments

Just 9 days after his 12th victory, Tyson returns to Latham, NY, and takes out Nelson with a devastating left hook in the second round.  Tyson’s manager, Jim Jacobs, answers the growing calls for Mike to meet the top fighters in the world:

If everything goes the way it’s been going, I’d put Mike in the ring in about June or July (1986) against somebody in the top ten, but you must remember, once you break into the top ten, you can’t go backwards. You can’t beat somebody in the top ten and go back and fight eight-round fights.

1 Nov, 1985

Tyson v Benjamin: TKO 1

Sterling Benjamin0 Comments

Just a week after taking his record to 10-0, Tyson makes it eleven out of eleven with two knockdowns in the first minute of the fight in Latham, NY. Benjamin says:

He has a sledgehammer, mon. When I go down I feel it. He really hits hard. It’s the hardest I ever been hit. The hardest of my whole career, man.

Mike Tyson vs Sterling Benjamin

9 Oct, 1985

Tyson v Long: KO 1

Donnie Long0 Comments

Tyson earns $5,000, his biggest purse to date, for an Atlantic City fight that is supposed to be the greatest challenge of his fledgling career. Long is on the floor in just 37 seconds and the referee calls a halt at 1:28 of round 1.

Tyson V Long 1985-Full fight in high quality + discussion with Tyson and Foreman

15 Aug, 1985

Tyson v Canady: TKO 1

Lorenzo Canady0 Comments

In his third fight in just over a month, Tyson goes to 7-0 with a KO in 1:05 of the first round in Atlantic City.  Tyson lets the public in on his fighting game-plan in his post-fight interview:

You don’t have to throw a lot of punches, but every punch you throw make sure to hurt them. Hit them in the right spot where he’s vulnerable at and that’s what I was trying, to place the punch. With every punch hit him so he’ll be hurt at all times. As you know, I’m 19 and I’m just improving

19 Jul, 1985

Tyson v Sims: KO 3

Larry Sims0 Comments

TysonSimsTyson’s sixth consecutive victory ends with a KO in the third round against Sims in Poughkeepsie, NY.  No footage of the fight exists as the camera team fail to show.