Tyson's fall finally complete

[Mel]

I remember vividly watching Tyson in his prime. He was scary. I remember him launching Carl "the truth" Williams into the air with a first round knockout punch.

It's pretty sad to watch him now. Giving up. I didn't see the fight and I'm glad.

I have a feeling he'll fight again as long as he can command millions, because he is reportedly 30 million in debt.

The controversial career of Mike Tyson hit a new low on Saturday night when he quit on his stool after the sixth round, losing to journeyman heavyweight Kevin McBride of Ireland.

If this does not convince the public that Tyson (50-6) is washed up, perhaps nothing will. A crowd of 15,472 at the MCI Centre could hardly believe what it saw as Tyson refused to come out for the seventh round, and McBride (33-4-1) and his corner began a celebration that few people expected.

Tyson looked like he wanted to quit a few moments earlier, when he fell to the canvas at the end of the sixth round, as McBride was leaning on him. Tyson had not been hit, but he looked exhausted and it took him 20 seconds to get up. He finally rose and got to his corner, but he never answered the bell for the seventh round.

Tyson has been stopped in three of his last four fights, and he will turn 39 this month. This performance will further hurt his credibility with the public, and after declaring bankruptcy in 2003, Tyson's financial future looks as bleak as his career.

"I don't have the guts to stay in the sport any more," he said after the fight, perhaps indicating that he was finally ready to quit. "I most likely won't fight any more. I won't disrespect the sport by losing to a fighter of this calibre."

What would a Tyson fight be without controversy? It began in the sixth round, when Tyson began to fight dirty because he was getting desperate. Early in the round Tyson reverted to one of his old tricks, twisting McBride's left arm as they clinched, seemingly in an effort to hurt McBride intentionally. A few moments later, Tyson head-butted McBride, opening a cut above McBride's left eye. Referee Joe Cortez temporarily halted the bout and took two points from Tyson for the head butt.

The momentum shifted to McBride in the fifth round. He connected with a short right hook to Tyson's chin. Tyson leaned against the ropes in the corner, and although he survived that round, it was clear he was no longer in control of the fight.

http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2005/06/12/wbBOXINGtyson_wideweb__430x345.jpg
There's no iron left in Mike Tyson, as the former champ sits on the mat during the sixth round of, possibly, his last fight.
Photo: Reuters

http://www.theage.com.au/news/Sport/Tysons-fall-finally-complete/2005/06/12/1118514925539.html?oneclick=true

[leaferfan87]

Just retire Mike before you get hurt. I know in 1986 you would have destroyed this guy, but this is 2005 and you don't have anything left.

[J.R.]

Boxing is surely in a dark age. I know it's bad when I can't even name the Heavyweight Champion of the World. Mike Tyson is wasting everyone's time with his stupid antics, stealing lines from movies in the pre-fight press conferences. His act has grown very lame and I for one am glad he got his ass handed to him. Yet again.

[Mel]

I prefer to remember the good times. Here's a little tribute.

Just a kid from the streets of Brooklyn, to Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World - Mike Tyson's story is a true tale of rags to riches?

At the tender age of 13, Mike went to work in a gym in Catskills with the trainer of champions, Cus D'Amato. While there, he racked up an impressive 24-3 amateur record. His feline speed and raw power had already marked him as a champion and brought him to the attention of the pro boxing world. In 1985, as his debut onto the pro circuit, Tyson knocked out Hector Mercedes in the first round, and by the end of the year had achieved 15 wins - all by knockout - with no losses. It was clear from that point on, that his sights were set on nothing less than a Championship title.

Less than two years later, on 22nd November 1986, Tyson went into the ring with Trevor Berbick for the WBC heavyweight title. After only six minutes, the belt and the champion's title were his; at the age of 20, he was the youngest heavyweight champion ever.

Never a man to be satisfied with anything less than the ultimate he could achieve, Mike Tyson set his sights on the WBA and IBF belts and embarked on a mission to unify all heavyweight boxing titles into the hands of one man. So it was on March 7th 1987, that Tyson took a 12-round victory over James 'Bonecrusher' Smith, to become the World Boxing Association Heavyweight Champion. Less than five months later, he out-pointed Tony Tucker to claim the International Boxing Federation belt.

Thus on August 1st 1987, Michael Gerard Tyson, the boy from Brooklyn, became the first man in a decade, the first in fact since Muhammed Ali, to hold all three titles and rule as Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World.

Here is Mike's record up until 1990, (when he astounded the world by losing to Buster Douglas). Keep in mind that in 1985, Iron Mike Tyson was only 19 years of age. As you can see he had 15 fights that year, 11 of which were over in the first round. None made it past the fourth round. The kid was a wrecking machine. A truly awesome sight in the ring.

1985
December 27 Mark Young KO 1 Latham, NY
December 6 Sammy Scaff KO 1 New York, NY
November 22 Conroy Nelson KO 2 Latham, NY
November 13 Eddie Richardson KO 1 Houston, TX
November 1 Sterling Benjamin TKO 1 Latham, NY
October 25 Robert Colay KO 1 Atlantic City, NJ
October 9 Donnie Long KO 1 Atlantic City, NJ
September 5 Michael Johnson KO 1 Atlantic City, NJ
August 15 Lorenzo Canady TKO 1 Atlantic City, NJ
July 19 Larry Sims KO 3 Poughkeepsie, NY
July 11 John Alderson TKO 2 Atlantic City, NJ
June 20 Rick Spain KO 1 Atlantic City, NJ
May 23 Don Halpern KO 4 Albany, NY
April 10 Trent Singleton TKO 1 Albany, NY
March 6 Hector Mercedes TKO 1 Albany, NY

1986
November 22 Trevor Berbick TKO 2 Las Vegas, NV
September 6 Alonzo Ratliff KO 2 Las Vegas, NV
August 17 Jose Ribalta TKO 10 Atlantic City, NJ
July 26 Marvis Frazier KO 1 Glen Falls, NY
July 11 Lorenzo Boyd KO 2 Swan Lake, NY
June 28 William Hosea KO 1 Troy, NY
June 13 Reggie Gross TKO 1 New York, NY
May 20 Mitch Green W 10 New York, NY
May 3 James Tillis W 10 Glen Falls, NY
March 10 Steve Zouski KO 3 Uniondale, NY
February 16 Jesse Ferguson TKO 6 Troy, NY
January 24 Mike Jamison TKO 5 Atlantic City, NJ
January 10 Dave Jaco TKO 1 Albany, NY

1987
October 16 Tyrell Biggs TKO 7 Atlantic City, NJ
August 1 Tony Tucker W 12 Las Vegas, NV
May 30 Pinklon Thomas TKO 6 Las Vegas, NV
March 7 James Smith W 12 Las Vegas, NV

1988
June 27 Michael Spinks KO 1 Atlantic City, NJ
March 21 Tony Tubbs KO 2 Tokyo, Japan
January 22 Larry Holmes TKO 4 Atlantic City, NJ

1989
July 21 Carl Williams TKO 1 Atlantic City, NJ
February 25 Frank Bruno TKO 5 Las Vegas, NV

[KB in Kelowna]

Which came first, the Robin Givens interview with the heavily medicated Mike Looking on, or the Buster Douglas fight, either way it was all downhill from there. I remember payinng to get inot a bar to watch the Tyson -Hollyfield fight. We were all chanting refund when Mills Laine (sic) stopped the fight.

[leaferfan87]

I prefer to remember the good times. Here's a little tribute.



Here is Mike's record up until 1990, (when he astounded the world by losing to Buster Douglas). Keep in mind that in 1985, Iron Mike Tyson was only 19 years of age. As you can see he had 15 fights that year, 11 of which were over in the first round. None made it past the fourth round. The kid was a wrecking machine. A truly awesome sight in the ring.

1985
December 27 Mark Young KO 1 Latham, NY
December 6 Sammy Scaff KO 1 New York, NY
November 22 Conroy Nelson KO 2 Latham, NY
November 13 Eddie Richardson KO 1 Houston, TX
November 1 Sterling Benjamin TKO 1 Latham, NY
October 25 Robert Colay KO 1 Atlantic City, NJ
October 9 Donnie Long KO 1 Atlantic City, NJ
September 5 Michael Johnson KO 1 Atlantic City, NJ
August 15 Lorenzo Canady TKO 1 Atlantic City, NJ
July 19 Larry Sims KO 3 Poughkeepsie, NY
July 11 John Alderson TKO 2 Atlantic City, NJ
June 20 Rick Spain KO 1 Atlantic City, NJ
May 23 Don Halpern KO 4 Albany, NY
April 10 Trent Singleton TKO 1 Albany, NY
March 6 Hector Mercedes TKO 1 Albany, NY

1986
November 22 Trevor Berbick TKO 2 Las Vegas, NV
September 6 Alonzo Ratliff KO 2 Las Vegas, NV
August 17 Jose Ribalta TKO 10 Atlantic City, NJ
July 26 Marvis Frazier KO 1 Glen Falls, NY
July 11 Lorenzo Boyd KO 2 Swan Lake, NY
June 28 William Hosea KO 1 Troy, NY
June 13 Reggie Gross TKO 1 New York, NY
May 20 Mitch Green W 10 New York, NY
May 3 James Tillis W 10 Glen Falls, NY
March 10 Steve Zouski KO 3 Uniondale, NY
February 16 Jesse Ferguson TKO 6 Troy, NY
January 24 Mike Jamison TKO 5 Atlantic City, NJ
January 10 Dave Jaco TKO 1 Albany, NY

1987
October 16 Tyrell Biggs TKO 7 Atlantic City, NJ
August 1 Tony Tucker W 12 Las Vegas, NV
May 30 Pinklon Thomas TKO 6 Las Vegas, NV
March 7 James Smith W 12 Las Vegas, NV

1988
June 27 Michael Spinks KO 1 Atlantic City, NJ
March 21 Tony Tubbs KO 2 Tokyo, Japan
January 22 Larry Holmes TKO 4 Atlantic City, NJ

1989
July 21 Carl Williams TKO 1 Atlantic City, NJ
February 25 Frank Bruno TKO 5 Las Vegas, NV

Then everyone knows what happened in February 1990.

[Newfie John]

Mike Tyson's story is from Rag's to Riches, and from Riches back to Rags. Something tells me we haven't seen the last of this guy. He'll be in the ring again sometime making a fool of himself yet again.

[Mel]

Mike Tyson's story is from Rag's to Riches, and from Riches back to Rags. Something tells me we haven't seen the last of this guy. He'll be in the ring again sometime making a fool of himself yet again.

I think you're right John as long as someone is willing to put up millions for him to get in the ring. He owes the government somewhere to the tune of 20 - 30 million dollars. Virtually all of his $5 million purse from Saturday went to creditors.

He is embarssing himself, and it's sad to see a once mighty heavy weight champion, not only fighting when he doesn't have the skill or heart any more... but bankrupt and in debt after all the money he had at one time. I think as long as the money is there, you'll see him back in the ring. But losing to McBride in such ugly fashion did not help his cause to get more fights.