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Early promise
June 26, 1982 |
The Tyson legend was born at the U.S. Junior Olympic Boxing Championships, when the 15-year-old protégé of Cus D'Amato knocked out Don Cozad in just eight seconds to reach the finals.
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Youngest heavyweight champion
Nov. 22, 1986 |
A vicious second-round knockout of Trevor Berbick made Tyson the youngest heavyweight champion in history at 20 years, four months and 22 days. (Watch the entire fight here.)
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Further exposure
Nov. 27, 1987 |
Three months after unifying the heavyweight championship with victories over James "Bonecrusher" Smith and Tony Tucker, Tyson sat down with Darryl Dennard of "Ebony/Jet Showcase" for an in-depth interview.
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Video-game inspiration
October 1987 |
Tyson signed a two-year contract in September 1987 to promote Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! for the Nintendo Entertainment System, which hit shelves in October and became one the most popular video games of all time.
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Commercial pitchman
1987-1989 |
Tyson was a global superstar at the peak of his fame with endorsements for everything from soft drinks to cameras to pick-up trucks. Jet reported Tyson received $150,000 for a plug of the 1989 film Lean on Me.
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Kid Dynamite blows up Spinks
June 27, 1988 |
This brilliant 91-second knockout of Michael Spinks, who had a legitimate claim to the lineal heavyweight championship, is widely considered the pinnacle of Tyson's career.
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Tumultuous marriage
Sept. 30, 1988 |
Just seven months into Tyson's chaotic marriage with actress Robin Givens, the couple appeared on 20/20 with Barbara Walters for this unforgettable interview. One week later, Givens filed a petition for divorce.
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Meeting with Ali
Aug. 2, 1989 |
When Muhammad Ali was a guest on The Arsenio Hall Show, Tyson made a surprise appearance (along with Sugar Ray Leonard) and garnered high praise from The Greatest. Said Ali of Tyson: "I'm scared of him."
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Fall from grace
Feb. 11, 1990 |
Tyson surrendered the heavyweight championship following a 10th-round knockout at the hands of James "Buster" Douglas, a 42-to-1 underdog, at the Tokyo Dome. (Watch the entire fight here.)
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Rape conviction
Feb. 10, 1992 |
Nearly two years to the day of his loss to Douglas, Tyson was convicted of the rape of a beauty pageant contestant. He spent three years at the Indiana Youth Center and was released in March 1995.
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Return to the ring
Aug. 19, 1995 |
Tyson's first fight after his release from prison -- a first-round knockout of "Hurricane" Peter McNeeley -- grossed more than $96 million worldwide and set a number of domestic pay-per-view records.
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Losing the title to Holyfield
Nov. 19, 1996 |
Tyson, who had already regained the WBC and WBA titles, was an 8-to-1 favorite against Evander Holyfield when they finally met. But the 34-year-old Holyfield stunned the boxing public with an 11th-round knockout.
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The ear-biting incident
June 28, 1997 |
Holyfield-Tyson II failed to live up to standard of the first meeting, thanks to Tyson's infamous disqualification in the third round for biting Holyfield's ear. (Watch the entire fight here.)
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Further unraveling
Jan. 16, 1999 |
Nineteen months after the rematch with Holyfield, Tyson returned for a fight with Francois Botha. His dealings with the media became increasingly strained, as seen in this on-air interview with WWOR's Russ Salzberg.
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'I want to eat his children'
June 24, 2000 |
Following a 38-second knockout of Lou Savarese in Glasgow, Tyson called out heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis during this memorable postfight interview with Showtime's Jim Gray.
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Another profanity-laced tirade
Jan. 22, 2002 |
Following this skirmish at the press conference to announce his heavyweight title fight with Lewis, an emotionally unraveled Tyson took center stage in a verbal exchange with a heckler.
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Humbled again
June 8, 2002 |
Tyson's last shot at regaining the heavyweight title came against Lewis, who cemented his legacy with an eighth-round knockout of the former champion. (Watch the entire fight here.)
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Long way down
July 30, 2004 |
In another comeback fight, Tyson suffered a surprising fourth-round knockout against Britain's Danny Williams -- his fifth career defeat. It was later revealed Tyson tore a knee ligament during the first round.
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Ignominious end
June 11, 2005 |
Tyson's last fight came against journeyman Kevin McBride and ended with the once-invincible champion quitting on his stool before the seventh round. Said a subdued Tyson: "I just don't have this in my heart anymore."
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Hollywood redemption
June 5, 2009 |
Tyson credited his memorable comedic turn in the 2009 film The Hangover -- a role that played off his iconic "tough man" image -- with helping turn his life around.