Michael Gerard Tyson — “Iron Mike,” “Kid Dynamite,” “The Baddest Man on the Planet” — is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2024. Widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time, and one of the most intimidating men in boxing history, Tyson reigned as the undisputed world heavyweight champion from 1987 to 1990.
The run that built the legend was violent and fast. Tyson won his first 19 professional fights by knockout, 12 of them in the first round, and stopped Trevor Berbick in two rounds on November 22, 1986, to win the WBC heavyweight title at age 20 — the youngest man ever to win a world heavyweight championship. He added the WBA title from James Smith in March 1987 and the IBF title from Tony Tucker that August, then knocked out Michael Spinks in 91 seconds in June 1988 to become the lineal and The Ring champion. The reign ended in one of boxing’s great upsets, a tenth-round knockout loss to Buster Douglas in Tokyo in February 1990.
After his release from prison in 1995, Tyson regained the WBA and WBC titles in 1996, joining the short list of men who have regained a heavyweight championship after losing it. He lost the WBA title to Evander Holyfield by 11th-round stoppage, and their 1997 rematch ended with Tyson disqualified for biting Holyfield. He fought for the world title once more in 2002, losing by knockout to Lennox Lewis, and closed his career in November 2024 with a unanimous-decision loss to Jake Paul — a bout that became the biggest boxing gate in US history outside Las Vegas.
BoxRec-style profile
- Birth name: Michael Gerard Tyson
- Born: June 30, 1966 — Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
- Nationality: American
- Height: 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
- Reach: 71 in (180 cm)
- Stance: Orthodox
- Pro debut: March 6, 1985 (first-round TKO of Hector Mercedes)
- Last bout: November 15, 2024 (loss to Jake Paul)
- Total rounds boxed: 224
- Divisions: Heavyweight
- KO percentage: 88.0% (44 KO wins in 50 wins)
- Titles held (major, with reign dates): WBC heavyweight November 22, 1986 – February 11, 1990; WBA heavyweight March 7, 1987 – February 11, 1990; IBF heavyweight August 1, 1987 – February 11, 1990; WBC heavyweight March 16, 1996 – 1996; WBA heavyweight September 7, 1996 – November 9, 1996
- Trainer: Cus D’Amato, then Kevin Rooney (fired late 1988)
- Manager: Cus D’Amato; Bill Cayton and Jim Jacobs (parted with Cayton in late 1988); later Shelly Finkel
- Promoter: Don King (from the late 1980s)
Record at a glance
- Total bouts: 59
- Wins: 50
- Wins by KO: 44
- Losses: 7
- Losses by KO: 5
- Draws: 0
- No contests: 2
- Born: June 30, 1966, Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. (Michael Gerard Tyson)
- Nationality: American
- Height: 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
- Reach: 71 in (180 cm)
- Stance: Orthodox
- Divisions: Heavyweight
Fight-by-fight record
| No. | Date | Opponent | Result | Method | Round/Time | Venue / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mar 6, 1985 | Hector Mercedes | Win | TKO | 1 (4), 1:47 | Plaza Convention Center, Albany, New York, U.S. |
| 2 | Apr 10, 1985 | Trent Singleton | Win | TKO | 1 (4), 0:52 | Plaza Convention Center, Albany, New York, U.S. |
| 3 | May 23, 1985 | Don Halpin | Win | KO | 4 (4), 1:04 | Plaza Convention Center, Albany, New York, U.S. |
| 4 | Jun 20, 1985 | Rick Spain | Win | KO | 1 (4), 0:39 | Resorts International, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| 5 | Jul 11, 1985 | John Alderson | Win | TKO | 2 (6), 0:47 | Trump Casino Hotel, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| 6 | Jul 19, 1985 | Larry Sims | Win | KO | 3 (6), 2:04 | Mid-Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, New York, U.S. |
| 7 | Aug 15, 1985 | Lorenzo Canady | Win | KO | 1 (6), 1:05 | Steel Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| 8 | Sep 5, 1985 | Michael Johnson | Win | KO | 1 (6), 0:39 | Trump Casino Hotel, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| 9 | Oct 8, 1985 | Donnie Long | Win | TKO | 1 (6), 1:28 | Trump Casino Hotel, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| 10 | Oct 25, 1985 | Robert Colay | Win | KO | 1 (8), 0:37 | Atlantis Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| 11 | Nov 1, 1985 | Sterling Benjamin | Win | TKO | 1 (8), 0:54 | Latham Coliseum, Latham, New York, U.S. |
| 12 | Nov 13, 1985 | Eddie Richardson | Win | KO | 1 (8), 1:17 | Ramada-Houston, Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| 13 | Nov 22, 1985 | Conroy Nelson | Win | KO | 2 (8), 0:37 | Latham Coliseum, Latham, New York, U.S. |
| 14 | Dec 6, 1985 | Sammy Scaff | Win | TKO | 1 (10), 1:19 | Felt Forum, New York City, New York, U.S. |
| 15 | Dec 27, 1985 | Mark Young | Win | TKO | 1 (10), 0:50 | Latham Coliseum, Latham, New York, U.S. |
| 16 | Jan 11, 1986 | David Jaco | Win | TKO | 1 (10), 2:16 | Plaza Convention Center, Albany, New York, U.S. |
| 17 | Jan 24, 1986 | Mike Jameson | Win | TKO | 5 (10), 0:46 | Trump Casino Hotel, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| 18 | Feb 16, 1986 | Jesse Ferguson | Win | TKO | 6 (10), 1:19 | Troy, New York, U.S. |
| 19 | Mar 10, 1986 | Steve Zouski | Win | KO | 3 (10), 2:39 | Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York, U.S. |
| 20 | May 3, 1986 | James Tillis | Win | UD | 10 | Civic Center, Glens Falls, New York, U.S. |
| 21 | May 20, 1986 | Mitch Green | Win | UD | 10 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. |
| 22 | Jun 13, 1986 | Reggie Gross | Win | TKO | 1 (10), 2:36 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. |
| 23 | Jun 28, 1986 | William Hosea | Win | KO | 1 (10), 2:03 | Hudson Valley Community College, Troy, New York, U.S. |
| 24 | Jul 11, 1986 | Lorenzo Boyd | Win | KO | 2 (10), 1:43 | Stevensville, New York, U.S. |
| 25 | Jul 26, 1986 | Marvis Frazier | Win | KO | 1 (10), 0:30 | Civic Center, Glens Falls, New York, U.S. |
| 26 | Aug 17, 1986 | José Ribalta | Win | TKO | 10 (10), 1:22 | Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| 27 | Sep 6, 1986 | Alfonzo Ratliff | Win | TKO | 2 (10), 1:41 | Hilton, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| 28 | Nov 22, 1986 | Trevor Berbick | Win | TKO | 2 (12), 2:35 | Hilton, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won WBC heavyweight title |
| 29 | Mar 7, 1987 | James Smith | Win | UD | 12 | Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBC heavyweight title; Won WBA heavyweight title |
| 30 | May 30, 1987 | Pinklon Thomas | Win | TKO | 6 (12), 2:00 | Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA and WBC heavyweight titles |
| 31 | Aug 1, 1987 | Tony Tucker | Win | UD | 12 | Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA and WBC heavyweight titles; Won IBF heavyweight title |
| 32 | Oct 16, 1987 | Tyrell Biggs | Win | TKO | 7 (15), 2:59 | Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA, WBC, and IBF heavyweight titles |
| 33 | Jan 22, 1988 | Larry Holmes | Win | TKO | 4 (12), 2:55 | Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA, WBC, and IBF heavyweight titles |
| 34 | Mar 21, 1988 | Tony Tubbs | Win | TKO | 2 (12), 2:54 | Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA, WBC, and IBF heavyweight titles |
| 35 | Jun 27, 1988 | Michael Spinks | Win | KO | 1 (12), 1:31 | Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA, WBC, and IBF heavyweight titles |
| 36 | Feb 25, 1989 | Frank Bruno | Win | TKO | 5 (12), 2:55 | Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA, WBC, IBF, and The Ring heavyweight titles |
| 37 | Jul 21, 1989 | Carl Williams | Win | TKO | 1 (12), 1:33 | Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA, WBC, IBF, and The Ring heavyweight titles |
| 38 | Feb 11, 1990 | Buster Douglas | Loss | KO | 10 (12), 1:22 | Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan — ★ Title fight — Lost WBA, WBC, and IBF heavyweight titles |
| 39 | Jun 16, 1990 | Henry Tillman | Win | KO | 1 (10), 2:47 | Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. |
| 40 | Dec 8, 1990 | Alex Stewart | Win | TKO | 1 (10), 2:27 | Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| 41 | Mar 18, 1991 | Donovan Ruddock | Win | TKO | 7 (12), 2:22 | Mirage, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. |
| 42 | Jun 28, 1991 | Donovan Ruddock | Win | UD | 12 | Mirage, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. |
| 43 | Aug 19, 1995 | Peter McNeeley | Win | DQ | 1 (10), 1:29 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — McNeeley disqualified after his manager entered the ring |
| 44 | Dec 16, 1995 | Buster Mathis Jr. | Win | KO | 3 (12), 2:32 | Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| 45 | Mar 16, 1996 | Frank Bruno | Win | TKO | 3 (12), 0:50 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won WBC heavyweight title |
| 46 | Sep 7, 1996 | Bruce Seldon | Win | TKO | 1 (12), 1:49 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won WBA heavyweight title |
| 47 | Nov 9, 1996 | Evander Holyfield | Loss | TKO | 11 (12), 0:37 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Lost WBA heavyweight title |
| 48 | Jun 28, 1997 | Evander Holyfield | Loss | DQ | 3 (12), 3:00 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — For WBA heavyweight title; Tyson disqualified for biting Holyfield’s ear |
| 49 | Jan 16, 1999 | Francois Botha | Win | KO | 5 (10), 2:59 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. |
| 50 | Oct 23, 1999 | Orlin Norris | NC | NC | 1 (10), 3:00 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — Norris unable to continue after a Tyson foul |
| 51 | Jan 29, 2000 | Julius Francis | Win | TKO | 2 (10), 1:03 | MEN Arena, Manchester, England, U.K. |
| 52 | Jun 24, 2000 | Lou Savarese | Win | TKO | 1 (10), 0:38 | Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland, U.K. |
| 53 | Oct 20, 2000 | Andrew Golota | NC | NC | 3 (10), 3:00 | The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S. — Originally RTD win for Tyson, later ruled NC after he tested positive for marijuana |
| 54 | Oct 13, 2001 | Brian Nielsen | Win | RTD | 7 (10), 3:00 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark |
| 55 | Jun 8, 2002 | Lennox Lewis | Loss | KO | 8 (12), 2:25 | Pyramid, Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. — ★ Title fight — For WBC, IBF, IBO, and The Ring heavyweight titles |
| 56 | Feb 22, 2003 | Clifford Etienne | Win | KO | 1 (10), 0:49 | The Pyramid, Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| 57 | Jul 30, 2004 | Danny Williams | Loss | KO | 4 (10), 2:51 | Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| 58 | Jun 11, 2005 | Kevin McBride | Loss | RTD | 6 (10), 3:00 | MCI Center, Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| 59 | Nov 15, 2024 | Jake Paul | Loss | UD | 8 | AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, U.S. |
Titles & notes
- Major title reigns (start–end): WBC heavyweight November 22, 1986 – February 11, 1990; WBA heavyweight March 7, 1987 – February 11, 1990; IBF heavyweight August 1, 1987 – February 11, 1990; WBC heavyweight March 16, 1996 – 1996; WBA heavyweight September 7, 1996 – November 9, 1996.
- WBC heavyweight champion (2×) — won the title from Trevor Berbick on Nov 22, 1986, aged 20, the youngest heavyweight champion in history; regained it from Frank Bruno on Mar 16, 1996.
- WBA heavyweight champion (2×) — won from James Smith on Mar 7, 1987; regained it from Bruce Seldon on Sep 7, 1996.
- IBF heavyweight champion — won from Tony Tucker on Aug 1, 1987, completing the WBA/WBC/IBF unification.
- The Ring heavyweight champion and undisputed heavyweight champion, 1987–1990 — won The Ring title from Michael Spinks on Jun 27, 1988.
- Title defenses in the record above include Pinklon Thomas, Tyrell Biggs, Larry Holmes, Tony Tubbs, Michael Spinks, Frank Bruno, and Carl Williams.
- Lost the WBA, WBC and IBF titles to Buster Douglas by 10th-round KO on Feb 11, 1990, in Tokyo.
- Lost the WBA title to Evander Holyfield by 11th-round TKO on Nov 9, 1996; disqualified in the 1997 rematch for biting Holyfield’s ear.
- Final world-title challenge: lost to Lennox Lewis by 8th-round KO on Jun 8, 2002, for the WBC, IBF, IBO, and The Ring heavyweight titles.
- The record includes 2 no contests: Orlin Norris (Oct 23, 1999 — Norris unable to continue after a Tyson foul); Andrew Golota (Oct 20, 2000 — originally an RTD win for Tyson, later ruled NC after he tested positive for marijuana).
Record source: Wikipedia professional boxing record table (cross-checked against the bout list).
Photo: Super Festivals via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) (CC BY 2.0)
