Heavyweight Who Sent Mike Tyson Into Retirement Still Feels Effect Of His Punches ‘To This Day’

Mike Tyson is widely regarded as one of the biggest punchers in heavyweight history.

It didn’t take ‘Iron Mike’ long to make an impact in the sport, winning his first 19 professional fights by knockout, 12 of them coming inside the very first round.

It led to him first becoming world champion in 1986 when he knocked out Trevor Berbick inside two rounds. That came at the young age of 20 years, 4 months and 22 days, making Tyson the youngest world heavyweight champion in history, a record that still stands today.

Further knockout wins followed over the likes of Larry Holmes and Michael Spinks as Tyson became undisputed champion, with his ferociousness, speed and power making it clear why he was known as ‘The Baddest Man On The Planet.’

While Tyson’s skills may have declined throughout the 1990s, it is repeatedly said that the last thing to disappear in a boxer is his power, indicating exactly why ‘Iron Mike’ finished with 44 knockouts from his 50 wins.

Before Tyson controversially returned to the ring in 2024 at the age of 58 to face Youtuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, his last bout had come in 2005, when he went up against Kevin McBride.

McBride won that bout by sixth round corner retirement to send Tyson out of the sport, but the Irishman has revealed to Bloody Elbow how nearly two decades on, he can still feel what it was like to be hit by ‘Iron Mike.’

“Mike Tyson’s power is unbelievable. I still feel it to this day, more than 19 years later.

“He hits so hard and power is the last thing to go. George Foreman proved that against Michael Moorer. Sure he was a bit younger than Mike is now but power-wise it is one of the biggest punches in history.”

Tyson lost to Paul when returning for that clash back in November, and the boxing legend that he doesn’t plan to fight again. In the ring that night back in 2005, he said:

“I got the ability to stay in shape, but I don’t got the fighting guts I don’t think anymore… I’m just sorry I let everyone down, I don’t have this in my heart anymore.

“I’m just fighting to take care of my bills basically, I don’t have the stomach for this anymore, I’m more conscious of my children and those guys, I’m looking at my opponents, I just don’t have that ferocity, I’m not an animal anymore.”