Tyson dropped Lou Savarese, knocked down the referee during the stoppage and produced one of boxing’s most replayed interviews
Mike Tyson needed only 38 seconds to stop Lou Savarese on June 24, 2000, in one of the wildest nights of his heavyweight career. The fight featured a knockdown, an accidental collision with the referee and a post-fight interview that became part of boxing history.
The bout, billed as Tyson’s Back, drew roughly 18,000 fans to Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland, where Tyson entered with a 47-3 record and was attempting to continue his comeback.
Savarese arrived with a respectable 39-3 record and was ranked among the heavyweight contenders. Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing more than 241 pounds, he was expected to provide Tyson with rounds and present a physical challenge.
Instead, the fight barely lasted half a minute.
Seconds after the opening bell, Tyson exploded forward and landed a crushing left hook that sent Savarese crashing to the canvas. Savarese beat the count, but his legs were unsteady as Tyson immediately launched another attack.
The former undisputed heavyweight champion swarmed his opponent with a barrage of punches, forcing Savarese backward toward the ropes. Referee John Coyle stepped in to stop the contest, but Tyson was so locked into the exchange that he continued throwing punches and accidentally knocked the referee to the canvas while trying to reach Savarese.
Order was eventually restored, and the bout was officially stopped at 38 seconds of the first round.
It was the second-fastest victory of Tyson’s career, trailing only his 30-second destruction of Marvis Frazier in 1986.
The aftermath proved nearly as memorable as the fight itself.
During his post-fight interview with Jim Gray, Tyson delivered one of the most famous speeches of his career.
“I am the best ever. I’m the most brutal and vicious, the most ruthless champion there’s ever been. There’s no one who can stop me.”
Tyson then turned his attention to heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis.
“My style is impetuous, my defense is impregnable, and I’m just ferocious. I want your heart. I want to eat his children. Praise be to Allah.”
The comments immediately became part of boxing folklore and remain among the most replayed post-fight interviews in the sport’s history.
Tyson reportedly earned around $8 million for less than a minute of work and was later fined for failing to stop punching when the referee intervened. He continued his comeback later that year against Andrew Golota before eventually securing the long-awaited showdown with Lewis in 2002.
The fight lasted only 38 seconds, but it produced one of the most memorable nights of Tyson’s comeback era.
