By Tom Graves: On this day (November 22), 24 years ago in 1986, Mike Tyson was given his first chance of winning a heavyweight title and becoming the youngest heavyweight champion in history. With a record of 27-0, Tyson was to face Trevor Berbick (31-4-1), a Canadian/Jamaican boxer who was the last man to fight and beat ‘The Greatest’ Muhammad Ali.
The World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight championship was on the line as Berbick had won it from Pinklon Thomas earlier that year.
The fight was held in Las Vegas at the Hilton Hotel.
Tyson entered the ring in a white vest towel and his usual black shorts & black boots, standing 5’11” and weighing 221¼ pounds. Across the ring Berbeck, Fighting out of Miami Florida, stands at 6′ 2″ and weighs in at 218½.
Tyson who has already worked up a sweat is slowly moving around his side of the ring with a fearsomely focused look on his face, the introductions are done the two come face to face as the referee conducts his pre-fight talk.
Berbick is trying his best attempt at a poker face and genuinely acting as if he wasn’t worried, but as the referee says “Let’s Get It On” you see a look in Berbick’s as if to suggest he knows he is prey.
It isn’t hard to notice the fear in his eyes for that short while when all that is staring back at him is a fearless young dangerous knockout artist.
Mike Tyson trained for many years of his life for this moment but Berbick needed to prove he was a worthy champion.
The bell sounds, Tyson marches in using his left to right head movement to get close to Berbick, unwisely the champion stands toe to toe with Mike but Tyson just bides his time jabbing trying to get closer inside as he lands some biggish shots, this spurs Berbick on to take big chances against Mike and it looks like Berbick came to fight and he does hold his ground for now.
Berbick is standing right infront of Tyson showing courage but gets close to Mike in order to push him away, Tyson connects noticeably big blows, Berbick still coming forward but now the kid Tyson is really warming up, busting through Berbick’s messy guard. The two grapple for a while until the referee splits them up only for Tyson to walk straight back in and send a big left through his gloves, Tyson now looking even fiercer is throwing combinations of twos and threes, in what must seems like a lifetime to Berbick, the fight has gone from wrestling and in-fighting with little thrown to Tyson landing at will and Berbicks expression shows the predicament he is now facing.
It’s now clear Tyson has Berbick where he wants him, what chance Berbick had of winning is now surely gone but he is still acting foolishly hand gesturing Tyson to ‘come on’ by waving him towards him, in no time at all Tyson is landing punishing blows on Berbick as the current champion is being punched around the ring, his legs look weak, Berbick manages to make it through to the end of the round, acting some more Berbick makes a facial expression to suggest his not bothered.
Round 2, Tyson now supremely confident walks in connects with one huge overhand right followed up by a series of alternating left and right hands to send Berbick plummeting to the canvas. Berbick optimistically hops up takes the 8 count and commits to fight on, Tyson throws a left hook and a right hand and Berbick clings and hangs on, now being more cautious a little too late manages to escape a few deadly looking shots, more wrestling commences Berbick doing nothing but trying to stay on his feet for now, Tyson will successfully land only for Berbick to hold on more, a lot of scrappy holding but everyone knows its only a matter of time before Tyson lands the killer blow. The referee splits them up another time and straight away Berbick is holding Tyson again, seconds later Tyson looks as if he is devising a knockout combo in his mind as he places his head on the taller man’s shoulders and throws a tremendously heaving body hook to Berbick’s left kidney, a steaming right uppercut and a final left hand which I’m sure felt more powerful than the glancing shot looked as Berbicks falls down on his back looking up at Tyson.
Berbick tries to get up, he has the heart but his body doesn’t let him, there is no doubt his equilibrium is scrambled as he rose only to fall again and the referee counts Berbick out.
End of the fight, Berbick’s stumbles back to his corner helped by his team, Tyson’s arm is raised and the new champ goes to talk to Berbick but it’s clear to see Berbick is in another world at that point.
Mike Tyson winning the bout by second round TKO in a fight which many people believe illustrated Tyson’s power and force perfectly.
At the age of 20 years and 4 months he became the youngest heavyweight champion in history and still holds that record to this current day.
What an amazing night and the beginning of a truly unforgettable career, at that point the ‘Mike Tyson’ story had really only just began.
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