So this was one of the most hotly anticipated sports events that we have had this year. A lot of people were anticipating this one, wanting to see something special.
My suspicion is that most people wanted to see what I was kind of hoping would happen. Namely, a glimpse of the impressive, almost awe-inspiring knockout power of the old Mike Tyson, back in the prime of his youth.
Remember how dominant Tyson used to be? How feared?
I remember that back in the late 1980's, Tyson seemed like one of the most dominant figures in sports history, arguably. He not only was, at the time, undefeated, but it also really looked like nobody could even stand up to his awesome might and fury in the ring. He would make short work of the vast majority of his opponents.
This seemed especially evident back in 1988. When I remember Tyson's era of dominance, that was the year which really comes to my mind first and foremost. That year, he quickly and convincingly dispatched with former longtime heavyweight champion Larry Holmes. Then, he had another quick and decisive win against Tony Tubbs.
And then, the most famous fight of the early part of his career, prior to his loss to Buster Douglas. Of course, I am talking about his fight with Michael Spinks. It was the most anticipated fight that I can remember from my childhood. Spinks, like Tyson, was an undefeated champion, sporting a perfect 31-0-0 record.
What I recall is that it seemed that everyone was talking about that fight. Tyson had unified the heavyweight title, and had officially become the undefeated, undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. However, Spinks had not lost his title, but been stripped of it. So many still felt that he was the "real" heavyweight champion. A fight between the two was highly billed and seemed inevitable. It happened right around the time that we in New Jersey were about to go on summer break. I recall one kid not only picking Spinks to win, but rationalizing it by mocking Tyson's height. He joked and mimicked a much smaller fighter trying to jump up to reach Spinks, and losing all of his punching power in the process.
Of course, the actual fight went just a little bit differently. Spinks was visibly scared in the moments before the fight, standing in the ring as the music to introduce Tyson came on. Tyson's entourage made it into the ring, and you could pretty much see what was about to happen at that point, if you paid attention to body language. Tyson looked impatient and seemed to want to hurt Spinks. Spinks, meanwhile, looked intimidated, almost like a deer caught in the headlights.
The fight barely lasted a minute and a half. Spinks had never been knocked down in his entire career prior to that night. But he got knocked down twice that night, and didn't beat the count the second time. Spinks was knocked out.
It started right away. After an early Tyson barrage, Spinks took a knee. It seemed like he was just trying to get a moment simply to get the relentless Tyson off of him for even just a few seconds. When the fight resumed, Tyson finished the job, landing a punch right to the temple which sent Spinks down to the canvass, where he hit the back of his head. Spinks tried to get up, and then clumsily collapsed onto the ropes, off balance.
As it turns out, that was the last fight that Spinks ever fought. He never laced up the gloves after that fight.
Here's something that most people don't remember: Tyson also considered retirement after that fight. He didn't, of course. Yet I believe that he very well may have been considered one of the greatest and most dominant heavyweight champions of all time had he actually gone through with retirement. At the time, not only was he undefeated and the undisputed heavyweight champion, but it seemed like nobody could touch him. Nobody could even come close. If I recall correctly, some of the commentators were even suggesting that it might be time to try and see if Hulk Hogan, the dominant wrestler at the time, might have a chance against him in the ring. It sure seemed like there was nobody in professional boxing who could stand up to him at the time.
That was how dominant Tyson was at his peak. Frankly, I still am not entirely sure that anyone has approached the seeming level of boxing invincibility that Tyson enjoyed at that time. Few individuals or teams have ever enjoyed that seeming kind of level of complete and utter dominance over their sport that Tyson seemed to enjoy at that time, the absolute height of his career.
Of course, Tyson's dominance did not end there. He still had the better part of two years before suffering that shocking defeat to James "Buster" Douglas in Tokyo. And even then, a lot of people thought - not without some reason - that he was still the dominant man in heavyweight boxing, and that he would quickly return to the top and win the title again. I was afraid that if there was a rematch between Tyson and Douglas, that Tyson would win, and perhaps so decisively as to seemingly expose how the upset in Tokyo was more of a fluke than anything.
Now, if you put that version of Mike Tyson against the 2024 version of Jake Paul, I am almost certain that Tyson would have made short work of Paul. Most likely, he would have knocked him out, and I would go so far as to say it would have happened within the first three rounds, and possibly the very first round.
Seeing this version of Mike Tyson, looking flatfooted and curiously flatfooted and, let's face it, old, was a bit depressing. I am old enough to remember that younger, fierce and terrifying version of Tyson, who was then known as the "baddest man on the planet." Jake Paul may have technically defeated Mike Tyson, but he never would have stood a chance against Tyson in his prime.
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