Tyson blitzed his far more experienced opponent, knocking him out at 2:35 of the second round. He quickly followed the win by securing the WBA and IBF titles, defeating James 'Bonecrusher' Smith and Tony Tucker, achieving the title of undisputed champion at the age of just 21.
The New York-native's legacy of ferociousness only grew as his career progressed. His raw power saw him break the jaw of Donovan 'Razor' Ruddock in their June 1991 rematch. However, Tyson is possibly best remembered for one of the most infamous moments in boxing history, when he chomped on Evander Holyfield's ear in the third round of their June 1997 clash, often referred to as 'The Bite Fight'.
Tyson himself, though, rejects the notion that he is the scariest fighter in boxing history and insists that the title belongs to another former world heavyweight champion.
Mike Tyson Claims Boxer Who 'Knocked Out Four Cops' was Scarier Than Him
Tyson called the fighter "a monster"
Speaking during an appearance on The Big Podcast with Shaq, the 59-year-old stated:
"Listen, Sonny Liston is the scariest fighter that ever lived. Sonny Liston would come to a town, say he’s in St. Louis and he comes to Chicago, the cops would be [like] ‘Listen, you can’t come’. He knocked out around four cops, broke their jaw, took their gun, they were beating him with the night stick over his head … There’s no fighter like Sonny Liston, Sonny Liston’s a monster."
Tyson hailed Liston as the 'scariest fighter ever', stating there was 'nobody like him'.
A five-year prison sentence set the wheels in motion for Liston's boxing career in his early 20s. Having served his time for committing muggings and armed robberies, Sonny took up amateur boxing upon his release and would turn professional just a year later.
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