Mike Tyson vs. Michael Spinks
Encyclopedia
Mike Tyson
vs. Michael Spinks
was a boxing
match which took place on 27 June 1988. Both men were undefeated and each had a claim to being the legitimate heavyweight champion; Tyson held the WBA, WBC and IBF belts, while Spinks held the Ring Magazine belt and was considered the lineal
champion.
Held at the Atlantic City Convention Hall
in Atlantic City, New Jersey
and promoted as "once and for all", it was the richest fight in boxing history to that point, grossing some $70 million, of which Tyson earned a record purse of around $20 million and Spinks $13.5 million. Tyson won the fight, knocking out Spinks in 91 seconds.
had been world light-heavyweight champion from 1981-85, going undefeated in the division and making 10 successful title defences. In 1985 he moved up to heavyweight and challenged long-reigning IBF
and Ring champion Larry Holmes
, winning by a close decision. In doing so Spinks became the first reigning light-heavyweight champion to win the heavyweight title. Spinks defeated Holmes again in a rematch and then successfully defended his title against Steffen Tangstad
and Gerry Cooney
. He was stripped of his IBF belt for not facing Tony Tucker
but as he held the lineal title
and remained undefeated, some continued to recognise him as the true heavyweight champion.
Mike Tyson
turned professional in 1985 and won his first 19 fights by knockout
, quickly garnering media attention and establishing an "aura of invincibility". In November 1986 Tyson knocked out Trevor Berbick
to win the WBC
heavyweight title; at 20 years old, Tyson was the youngest heavyweight champion in history. He followed up by beating WBA
champion James 'Bonecrusher' Smith
and IBF champion Tony Tucker to unify all three major belts. He also knocked out three other former world champions: Pinklon Thomas
, Tony Tubbs
and Larry Holmes
. By 1988 Tyson had become "the most talked about - and marketable - heavyweight champion since Muhammad Ali
".
and Jimmy Jacobs
and Spinks' manager Butch Lewis
struggled to agree terms. Negotiations temporarily broke down when Lewis insisted on a $15 million guarantee for his fighter. Annoyed at constantly being asked about the fight, Tyson eventually demanded that his managers reach an agreement with Lewis.
By April an agreement had been reached, although another problem arose when the IBF threatened to strip Tyson of their title if the fight was not scheduled for 15 rounds. IBF president Bob Lee then relented, not wanting his organisation to be absent from the biggest fight of the year, and agreed to a 12 round limit. Donald Trump
bid a record site fee of $11 million to stage the fight at the Atlantic City Convention Hall
, adjacent to his own Trump Plaza. Tyson would earn between $18 million and $22 million depending on fight revenues, the highest purse received by a boxer until James 'Buster' Douglas made $25 million for fighting Evander Holyfield
in 1990. Spinks earned a flat $13.5 million, more than all his other fight purses combined.
Billed as "Once and for All", the fight was highly anticipated and earned comparisons with the 1971 Fight of the Century
between Joe Frazier
and Muhammad Ali
, who were also undefeated heavyweight champions when they met to decide the undisputed title. Reports of Tyson's controversial personal life also increased interest in the bout. In the days leading up to the fight, one or both men featured on the cover of TIME
, People
, Sports Illustrated
and Ring Magazine
. Celebrities such as Jack Nicholson
, Sylvester Stallone
, Sean Penn
, Madonna
, Warren Beatty
, Oprah Winfrey
, Billy Crystal
, George Steinbrenner
, Carl Weathers
, Jesse Jackson
and Chuck Norris
would all be in attendance. A ringside ticket would cost a record $1,500. Co-promoter Shelly Finkel
predicted that the bout would surpass Marvin Hagler
vs. Sugar Ray Leonard
and become the highest grossing fight in boxing history.
The bout represented a contrast of styles, with Tyson's "speed and devastating power" up against "the unorthodox style of Spinks... who rarely looks impressive but has always found a way to win." Opinions on the fight were mixed, although in general more pundits favoured Tyson. Larry Holmes, the only man to have faced both fighters, predicted a Tyson win. Former world champions Jake LaMotta
and Billy Conn
and trainers Gil Clancy
, Angelo Dundee
and Richie Giachetti
all picked Tyson to win by knockout, as did Gerry Cooney
and Dan Duva
. Ray Arcel
thought Tyson would win on points. James Smith
, who had lost a decision to Tyson the previous year, said that for Spinks to win he would "need to take me in the ring with him." Another former heavyweight champion, George Foreman
, also predicted a Tyson win.
Muhammad Ali, former middleweight champion Tony Zale
and sportswriter Bert Sugar all backed Spinks to out-box Tyson. Dave Anderson
of the New York Times wrote that Spinks would win, "probably in a 12-round decision. But possibly in a late-round knockout." Reigning WBA welterweight champion Marlon Starling
, veteran announcer Don Dunphy
and Tyson's former trainer Teddy Atlas
also favoured Spinks. 1940s middleweight champion Rocky Graziano
predicted Spinks would "psych out Tyson, then knock the hell out of him." Floyd Patterson
, who like Tyson had been trained by Cus D'Amato
, said "I originally picked him [Tyson], and I still do, but now I give Spinks a chance." Spinks entered the ring as a 4-1 underdog.
noticed a bump in Tyson's gloves and demanded his hands be re-wrapped. The commotion continued with Lewis insistent that he would not let the fight start until the bump was smoothed out. The matter was only resolved when Spinks' trainer Eddie Futch
was called in, and he accepted that Tyson's gloves were fine. Though he was trying to protect his fighter's interests, Lewis later admitted that he had also seen a chance to "pull a little psyche" on Tyson. Instead, Tyson had just been angered by the delay. When Lewis had left and Tyson once again prepared to leave his dressing room, he told his trainer Kevin Rooney
: "you know, I'm gonna hurt this guy."
Tyson attacked Spinks from the opening bell, landing a solid left hook in the first ten seconds and forcing Spinks to cover up. Spinks clinched and was driven back to the ropes by another Tyson attack. He moved off the ropes but Tyson trapped him again; a left uppercut and a right hand to the body forced Spinks to take a knee after a minute, the first time Spinks had been knocked down in his professional career. Spinks took a count of four before rising. As the two men moved towards each other Tyson turned away from a Spinks right hand and responded with a left-right combination to the head which put Spinks down again. This time he was unable to rise and referee Frank Cappuccino
counted him out. The fight was over after 91 seconds, presently the sixth shortest heavyweight title fight in history. Just ten punches were landed, eight by Tyson, two by Spinks. The round was named round of the year
for 1988 by Ring Magazine.
Afterwards Spinks said: "I came to fight like I said I would. I just tried to do what I knew I had to do, and that was fight. Not that I stood toe to toe with him, but I tried to take the shot and I came up short." Futch opined that Spinks was undone because he abandoned his gameplan of boxing and moving early on and instead tried to win Tyson's respect. Spinks later conceded that "fear was knocking at my door big time." Tyson said "The first punch I threw, he wobbled a bit. I knew right there I had him," adding "my trainer told me before the fight that he bet both our purses that I would knock him out in the first round. So I went out and knocked him out in the first round." Tyson dedicated the win to Jimmy Jacobs
, who had died in March.
vs. Sugar Ray Leonard
bout in 1987. 600,000 households bought the fight on pay per view, generating $21 million. A further $12.3 million came from the 21,785 live gate, almost double the previous live gate record of $6.8 million set by Hagler vs. Leonard. The fight also surpassed the 1987 Super Bowl
as the highest-grossing single day sporting event in history. It is estimated to have generated $344 million in gambling revenues in Atlantic City, over $100 million more than a typical four day weekend in June. The Trump Plaza casino achieved a record drop of $11.5 million on the day of the fight.
Spinks never boxed again and announced his retirement from the sport a month later. The Tyson fight was the only loss of his professional career. Tyson also spoke of retiring, hinting that "this may be my last fight." The win over Spinks has been described as the pinnacle of Tyson's boxing career. It was also his last fight under longtime trainer Kevin Rooney
, who was dismissed by Tyson in December. Tyson made two more successful title defences before losing to James 'Buster' Douglas in a major upset
in 1990. He continued fighting until 2005, but was unable to replicate his earlier achievements. Tyson and Spinks have both been inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame
and the World Boxing Hall of Fame
.
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
vs. Michael Spinks
Michael Spinks
Michael Spinks is a retired American boxer who was a world champion in the light-heavyweight and heavyweight divisions...
was a boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
match which took place on 27 June 1988. Both men were undefeated and each had a claim to being the legitimate heavyweight champion; Tyson held the WBA, WBC and IBF belts, while Spinks held the Ring Magazine belt and was considered the lineal
Lineal championship
In professional boxing, the lineal championship of a weight class is a notional world championship title. It is initially held at some moment in time by a boxer universally acclaimed as the best in the class. Another boxer can win the lineal championship only by defeating the reigning lineal...
champion.
Held at the Atlantic City Convention Hall
Boardwalk Hall
Boardwalk Hall, formally known as the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall, is an arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States...
in Atlantic City, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and promoted as "once and for all", it was the richest fight in boxing history to that point, grossing some $70 million, of which Tyson earned a record purse of around $20 million and Spinks $13.5 million. Tyson won the fight, knocking out Spinks in 91 seconds.
History
Michael SpinksMichael Spinks
Michael Spinks is a retired American boxer who was a world champion in the light-heavyweight and heavyweight divisions...
had been world light-heavyweight champion from 1981-85, going undefeated in the division and making 10 successful title defences. In 1985 he moved up to heavyweight and challenged long-reigning IBF
International Boxing Federation
The International Boxing Federation or IBF is one of four major organizations recognized by IBHOF which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the WBA, WBC and WBO.- History :...
and Ring champion Larry Holmes
Larry Holmes
Larry Holmes is a former professional boxer. He grew up in Easton, Pennsylvania, which gave birth to his boxing nickname, The Easton Assassin....
, winning by a close decision. In doing so Spinks became the first reigning light-heavyweight champion to win the heavyweight title. Spinks defeated Holmes again in a rematch and then successfully defended his title against Steffen Tangstad
Steffen Tangstad
Steffen Tangstad is a Norwegian retired professional boxer and two time European Heavyweight Champion.Tangstad fought Michael Spinks for the IBF Heavyweight title on 6 September 1986, losing as a result of a fourth round knock out....
and Gerry Cooney
Gerry Cooney
Gerry Cooney is a retired Irish-American professional boxer from Huntington, New York best known for his loss to Larry Holmes and defeat of aging ex-champion/contender Ken Norton.-Life before boxing:...
. He was stripped of his IBF belt for not facing Tony Tucker
Tony Tucker
Tony Craig Tucker is a retired professional heavyweight boxer. Tucker fought professionally from 1980 to 1998. Nicknamed "TNT," he won a gold medal at the 1979 Pan American Games, and was briefly a world heavyweight champion as a professional.-Amateur career:Tucker had a notable amateur career,...
but as he held the lineal title
Lineal championship
In professional boxing, the lineal championship of a weight class is a notional world championship title. It is initially held at some moment in time by a boxer universally acclaimed as the best in the class. Another boxer can win the lineal championship only by defeating the reigning lineal...
and remained undefeated, some continued to recognise him as the true heavyweight champion.
Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
turned professional in 1985 and won his first 19 fights by knockout
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
, quickly garnering media attention and establishing an "aura of invincibility". In November 1986 Tyson knocked out Trevor Berbick
Trevor Berbick
Trevor Berbick was a Jamaican-Canadian heavyweight boxer who fought as a professional from 1976 until 2000. Berbick briefly held the WBC heavyweight championship in 1986 , before losing it to 20-year old Mike Tyson, via 2nd-round TKO...
to win the WBC
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
heavyweight title; at 20 years old, Tyson was the youngest heavyweight champion in history. He followed up by beating WBA
World Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
champion James 'Bonecrusher' Smith
James Smith (boxer)
James "Bonecrusher" Smith is a former American boxer who was briefly WBA heavyweight champion in the late 1980s. He was the first heavyweight champion with a college degree.-Early life:Smith was born in Magnolia, North Carolina...
and IBF champion Tony Tucker to unify all three major belts. He also knocked out three other former world champions: Pinklon Thomas
Pinklon Thomas
Pinklon Thomas is a retired heavyweight boxer and former WBC heavyweight champion whose trademark pink boxing trunks and a left jab were key distinguishing characteristics....
, Tony Tubbs
Tony Tubbs
Tony Tubbs is a retired professional heavyweight boxer who was the WBA Heavyweight Champion of the world from 1985 to 1986.-Amateur career:...
and Larry Holmes
Larry Holmes
Larry Holmes is a former professional boxer. He grew up in Easton, Pennsylvania, which gave birth to his boxing nickname, The Easton Assassin....
. By 1988 Tyson had become "the most talked about - and marketable - heavyweight champion since Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
".
Build up
Interest in a showdown between Tyson and Spinks to settle the issue of who the real champion was grew, but negotiations were protracted because Tyson's co-managers Bill CaytonBill Cayton
William D. Cayton , best known for helping to manage and promote Mike Tyson early in his career, was also famous for preserving much of boxing's legacy through his efforts as a film historian and producer...
and Jimmy Jacobs
Jimmy Jacobs (handballer)
James Leslie 'Jimmy' Jacobs was an American handball player, boxing manager, Academy Award nominee and comic book and fight film collector.-Handball:...
and Spinks' manager Butch Lewis
Butch Lewis
Ronald "Butch" Everett Lewis was an American boxing promoter and manager. He is best known for having managed the careers of boxing brothers Leon and Michael Spinks....
struggled to agree terms. Negotiations temporarily broke down when Lewis insisted on a $15 million guarantee for his fighter. Annoyed at constantly being asked about the fight, Tyson eventually demanded that his managers reach an agreement with Lewis.
By April an agreement had been reached, although another problem arose when the IBF threatened to strip Tyson of their title if the fight was not scheduled for 15 rounds. IBF president Bob Lee then relented, not wanting his organisation to be absent from the biggest fight of the year, and agreed to a 12 round limit. Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...
bid a record site fee of $11 million to stage the fight at the Atlantic City Convention Hall
Boardwalk Hall
Boardwalk Hall, formally known as the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall, is an arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States...
, adjacent to his own Trump Plaza. Tyson would earn between $18 million and $22 million depending on fight revenues, the highest purse received by a boxer until James 'Buster' Douglas made $25 million for fighting Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield is a professional boxer from the United States. He is a former undisputed world champion in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, earning him the nickname "The Real Deal"...
in 1990. Spinks earned a flat $13.5 million, more than all his other fight purses combined.
Billed as "Once and for All", the fight was highly anticipated and earned comparisons with the 1971 Fight of the Century
Fight of the Century
Fight of the Century was the promotional nickname given to the first boxing match between champion Joe Frazier and challenger Muhammad Ali , held on March 8, 1971, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York....
between Joe Frazier
Joe Frazier
Joseph William "Joe" Frazier , also known as Smokin' Joe, was an Olympic and Undisputed World Heavyweight boxing champion, whose professional career lasted from 1965 to 1976, with a one-fight comeback in 1981....
and Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
, who were also undefeated heavyweight champions when they met to decide the undisputed title. Reports of Tyson's controversial personal life also increased interest in the bout. In the days leading up to the fight, one or both men featured on the cover of TIME
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
, Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
and Ring Magazine
The Ring (magazine)
The Ring is an American boxing magazine that was first published in 1922 as a boxing and wrestling magazine. As the sporting legitimacy of professional wrestling came more into question, The Ring shifted to becoming exclusively a boxing oriented publication...
. Celebrities such as Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson
John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times, and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the...
, Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
, Sean Penn
Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...
, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, Warren Beatty
Warren Beatty
Warren Beatty born March 30, 1937) is an American actor, producer, screenwriter and director. He has received a total of fourteen Academy Award nominations, winning one for Best Director in 1982. He has also won four Golden Globe Awards including the Cecil B. DeMille Award.-Early life and...
, Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
, Billy Crystal
Billy Crystal
William Edward "Billy" Crystal is an American actor, writer, producer, comedian and film director. He gained prominence in the 1970s for playing Jodie Dallas on the ABC sitcom Soap and became a Hollywood film star during the late 1980s and 1990s, appearing in the critical and box office successes...
, George Steinbrenner
George Steinbrenner
George Michael Steinbrenner III was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. During Steinbrenner's 37-year ownership from 1973 to his death in July 2010, the longest in club history, the Yankees earned seven World Series...
, Carl Weathers
Carl Weathers
Carl Weathers is an American actor, as well as former professional football player in the United States and Canada. He is best known for playing Apollo Creed in the Rocky series of films...
, Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an African-American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to...
and Chuck Norris
Chuck Norris
Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do...
would all be in attendance. A ringside ticket would cost a record $1,500. Co-promoter Shelly Finkel
Shelly Finkel
Shelly Finkel is an American boxing and music manager and promoter. Finkel started out in music, promoting acts such as Vanilla Fudge and Mountain, before moving into boxing in the late 1970s...
predicted that the bout would surpass Marvin Hagler
Marvin Hagler
Marvelous Marvin Hagler , is a former professional boxer who was undisputed world middleweight champion between 1980 and 1987. Hagler holds the distinction of having the highest KO% of all middleweight champions at 78%...
vs. Sugar Ray Leonard
Sugar Ray Leonard
Sugar Ray Leonard is an American retired professional boxer and occasional actor. He was named Ray Charles Leonard, after his mother's favorite singer, Ray Charles...
and become the highest grossing fight in boxing history.
The bout represented a contrast of styles, with Tyson's "speed and devastating power" up against "the unorthodox style of Spinks... who rarely looks impressive but has always found a way to win." Opinions on the fight were mixed, although in general more pundits favoured Tyson. Larry Holmes, the only man to have faced both fighters, predicted a Tyson win. Former world champions Jake LaMotta
Jake LaMotta
Giacobbe LaMotta , better known as Jake LaMotta, nicknamed "The Bronx Bull" and "The Raging Bull", is a former American world middleweight champion boxer...
and Billy Conn
Billy Conn
William David Conn , better known as Billy Conn, was an American Light-Heavyweight boxing champion famed for his fights with Joe Louis. He had a professional boxing record of 63 wins, 11 losses and 1 draw, with 14 wins by knockout...
and trainers Gil Clancy
Gil Clancy
Gilbert Thomas "Gil" Clancy was a Hall of Fame boxing trainer and one of the most noted boxing commentators of the 1980s and 1990s. He worked with such famous boxers as Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, and George Foreman, as well as Gerry Cooney in his fight with Foreman. In the 1990s, he worked with...
, Angelo Dundee
Angelo Dundee
Angelo Dundee is an American boxing cornerman. He is best known for his work with Muhammad Ali , and has worked with 15 world boxing champions, including Sugar Ray Leonard, José Nápoles, George Foreman, Jimmy Ellis, Carmen Basilio, Luis Rodriguez and Willie Pastrano.-Professional career:Born in...
and Richie Giachetti
Richie Giachetti
Richie Giachetti is a boxing trainer who has worked with a number of world champions including Larry Holmes and Mike Tyson.Giachetti first began working in boxing in 1961 and also helped Don King in his first promotion with Muhammad Ali....
all picked Tyson to win by knockout, as did Gerry Cooney
Gerry Cooney
Gerry Cooney is a retired Irish-American professional boxer from Huntington, New York best known for his loss to Larry Holmes and defeat of aging ex-champion/contender Ken Norton.-Life before boxing:...
and Dan Duva
Dan Duva
Daniel Salvator Duva was a boxing promoter who promoted or co-promoted over 100 world championship fights through his family run business, Main Events. Under his leadership Main Events promoted such notable champions as Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Pernell Whitaker, Mark Breland and many others...
. Ray Arcel
Ray Arcel
Ray Arcel was a boxing trainer who was active from the 1920s through the 1980s. He trained eighteen world champions....
thought Tyson would win on points. James Smith
James Smith (boxer)
James "Bonecrusher" Smith is a former American boxer who was briefly WBA heavyweight champion in the late 1980s. He was the first heavyweight champion with a college degree.-Early life:Smith was born in Magnolia, North Carolina...
, who had lost a decision to Tyson the previous year, said that for Spinks to win he would "need to take me in the ring with him." Another former heavyweight champion, George Foreman
George Foreman
George Edward Foreman is an American two-time former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, ordained Baptist minister, author and successful entrepreneur...
, also predicted a Tyson win.
Muhammad Ali, former middleweight champion Tony Zale
Tony Zale
Anthony Florian Zaleski was an American boxer. Zale was born and raised in Gary, Indiana, a steel town, which gave him his nickname, "Man of Steel." In addition, he had the reputation of being able to take fearsome punishment and still rally to win, reinforcing that nickname...
and sportswriter Bert Sugar all backed Spinks to out-box Tyson. Dave Anderson
Dave Anderson (sportswriter)
Dave Anderson is an American sportswriter based in New York City. After graduating in 1947 from Xavier High School - an elite Jesuit preparatory school in New York City - Anderson attended the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts, graduating in 1951.Anderson has written for a number of New...
of the New York Times wrote that Spinks would win, "probably in a 12-round decision. But possibly in a late-round knockout." Reigning WBA welterweight champion Marlon Starling
Marlon Starling
Marlon "Magic Man" Starling was a two-time US world champion boxer.Starling was born in Hartford, CT in 1959. He turned professional in 1979. After 25 straight wins, he lost his first fight. He lost a 12 round decision to Donald Curry in 1982. Starling had a rematch with Curry in 1984, challenging...
, veteran announcer Don Dunphy
Don Dunphy
Don Dunphy was a United States television and radio sports announcer specializing in boxing broadcasts. Dunphy was noted for his fast paced delivery and enthusiasm for the sport. It is estimated that he did "blow-by-blow" action for over 2,000 fights. The Friday Night Fights were broadcast every...
and Tyson's former trainer Teddy Atlas
Teddy Atlas
Theodore A. "Teddy" Atlas, Jr. is a well-known boxing trainer and fight commentator.-Personal life:...
also favoured Spinks. 1940s middleweight champion Rocky Graziano
Rocky Graziano
Rocky Graziano, born Thomas Rocco Barbella in New York City , was an Italian American boxer. Graziano was considered one of the greatest knockout artists in boxing history, often displaying the capacity to take his opponent out with a single punch...
predicted Spinks would "psych out Tyson, then knock the hell out of him." Floyd Patterson
Floyd Patterson
Floyd Patterson was an American heavyweight boxer and former undisputed heavyweight champion. At 21, Patterson became the youngest man to win the world heavyweight title. He was also the first heavyweight boxer to regain the title. He had a record of 55 wins 8 losses and 1 draw, with 40 wins by...
, who like Tyson had been trained by Cus D'Amato
Cus D'Amato
Constantine "Cus" D'Amato was an American boxing manager and trainer who handled the careers of Floyd Patterson, José Torres, Vinnie Ferguson, and Mike Tyson. Several successful boxing trainers, including Teddy Atlas, Kevin Rooney, and Joe Fariello, were tutored by D'Amato...
, said "I originally picked him [Tyson], and I still do, but now I give Spinks a chance." Spinks entered the ring as a 4-1 underdog.
The fight
Minutes before the fighters were due to enter the ring, there was a commotion in Tyson's dressing room when Butch LewisButch Lewis
Ronald "Butch" Everett Lewis was an American boxing promoter and manager. He is best known for having managed the careers of boxing brothers Leon and Michael Spinks....
noticed a bump in Tyson's gloves and demanded his hands be re-wrapped. The commotion continued with Lewis insistent that he would not let the fight start until the bump was smoothed out. The matter was only resolved when Spinks' trainer Eddie Futch
Eddie Futch
Eddie Futch was a boxing trainer. Among the fighters he trained are Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Larry Holmes, and Trevor Berbick, four of the five men to defeat Muhammad Ali....
was called in, and he accepted that Tyson's gloves were fine. Though he was trying to protect his fighter's interests, Lewis later admitted that he had also seen a chance to "pull a little psyche" on Tyson. Instead, Tyson had just been angered by the delay. When Lewis had left and Tyson once again prepared to leave his dressing room, he told his trainer Kevin Rooney
Kevin Rooney
Kevin Rooney , is a former boxer and a current boxing trainer.-Amateur Boxing Career:Rooney won the 1975 147 lb Sub-Novice New York Golden Gloves Championship. Rooney defeated Kevin Higgins of West Point in the finals...
: "you know, I'm gonna hurt this guy."
Tyson attacked Spinks from the opening bell, landing a solid left hook in the first ten seconds and forcing Spinks to cover up. Spinks clinched and was driven back to the ropes by another Tyson attack. He moved off the ropes but Tyson trapped him again; a left uppercut and a right hand to the body forced Spinks to take a knee after a minute, the first time Spinks had been knocked down in his professional career. Spinks took a count of four before rising. As the two men moved towards each other Tyson turned away from a Spinks right hand and responded with a left-right combination to the head which put Spinks down again. This time he was unable to rise and referee Frank Cappuccino
Frank cappuccino
Frank Cappuccino is a boxing referee. He is best known for having officiated over some of the most famous boxing matches in history.-History:...
counted him out. The fight was over after 91 seconds, presently the sixth shortest heavyweight title fight in history. Just ten punches were landed, eight by Tyson, two by Spinks. The round was named round of the year
Ring Magazine round of the year
The Ring was established in 1922. Since 1945, it has named a particular round of a fight as round of the year, based on the magazine's writers' criteria...
for 1988 by Ring Magazine.
Afterwards Spinks said: "I came to fight like I said I would. I just tried to do what I knew I had to do, and that was fight. Not that I stood toe to toe with him, but I tried to take the shot and I came up short." Futch opined that Spinks was undone because he abandoned his gameplan of boxing and moving early on and instead tried to win Tyson's respect. Spinks later conceded that "fear was knocking at my door big time." Tyson said "The first punch I threw, he wobbled a bit. I knew right there I had him," adding "my trainer told me before the fight that he bet both our purses that I would knock him out in the first round. So I went out and knocked him out in the first round." Tyson dedicated the win to Jimmy Jacobs
Jimmy Jacobs (handballer)
James Leslie 'Jimmy' Jacobs was an American handball player, boxing manager, Academy Award nominee and comic book and fight film collector.-Handball:...
, who had died in March.
Aftermath
Tyson vs. Spinks was the richest fight in boxing history up to that point, grossing around $70 million, $10 million more than the previous record holder, the Marvin HaglerMarvin Hagler
Marvelous Marvin Hagler , is a former professional boxer who was undisputed world middleweight champion between 1980 and 1987. Hagler holds the distinction of having the highest KO% of all middleweight champions at 78%...
vs. Sugar Ray Leonard
Sugar Ray Leonard
Sugar Ray Leonard is an American retired professional boxer and occasional actor. He was named Ray Charles Leonard, after his mother's favorite singer, Ray Charles...
bout in 1987. 600,000 households bought the fight on pay per view, generating $21 million. A further $12.3 million came from the 21,785 live gate, almost double the previous live gate record of $6.8 million set by Hagler vs. Leonard. The fight also surpassed the 1987 Super Bowl
Super Bowl XXI
Super Bowl XXI was an American football game played on January 25, 1987 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1986 regular season. The National Football Conference champion New York Giants won their first Super Bowl by defeating...
as the highest-grossing single day sporting event in history. It is estimated to have generated $344 million in gambling revenues in Atlantic City, over $100 million more than a typical four day weekend in June. The Trump Plaza casino achieved a record drop of $11.5 million on the day of the fight.
Spinks never boxed again and announced his retirement from the sport a month later. The Tyson fight was the only loss of his professional career. Tyson also spoke of retiring, hinting that "this may be my last fight." The win over Spinks has been described as the pinnacle of Tyson's boxing career. It was also his last fight under longtime trainer Kevin Rooney
Kevin Rooney
Kevin Rooney , is a former boxer and a current boxing trainer.-Amateur Boxing Career:Rooney won the 1975 147 lb Sub-Novice New York Golden Gloves Championship. Rooney defeated Kevin Higgins of West Point in the finals...
, who was dismissed by Tyson in December. Tyson made two more successful title defences before losing to James 'Buster' Douglas in a major upset
Tyson vs. Douglas
Tyson vs. Douglas was a historic boxing match that occurred at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on February 11, 1990, in which then undefeated, undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson lost via knockout to the 42–1 underdog Buster Douglas...
in 1990. He continued fighting until 2005, but was unable to replicate his earlier achievements. Tyson and Spinks have both been inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame
International Boxing Hall of Fame
The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta...
and the World Boxing Hall of Fame
World Boxing Hall of Fame
The World Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Riverside, California, United States, in Southern California. The WBHF is one of two recognized international boxing halls of fame with the other being the International Boxing Hall of Fame , with the IBHOF being the more widely recognized...
.
Undercard
| Winner | Result | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
 Carl WilliamsCarl Williams (boxer) Carl Williams is a retired American boxer from Belle Glade, Florida who fought in several noteworthy boxing matches in the 1980s and 1990s... |
UD12 |  Trevor BerbickTrevor Berbick Trevor Berbick was a Jamaican-Canadian heavyweight boxer who fought as a professional from 1976 until 2000. Berbick briefly held the WBC heavyweight championship in 1986 , before losing it to 20-year old Mike Tyson, via 2nd-round TKO... |
| James Douglas |
TKO7 | Mike Williams |
| Maurice Blocker Maurice Blocker Maurice Blocker was a professional boxer in the welterweight division.Blocker turned pro in 1982 and lost his first title shot in 1987 to Lloyd Honeyghan. In 1990 he captured the Lineal and WBC Welterweight Titles from Marlon Starling, but lost them in his next fight to Simon Brown... |
TKO5 |  Orlando Orozco |
| Donovan Ruddock Donovan Ruddock Donovan Ruddock , also known as Razor Ruddock, is a retired Canadian heavyweight boxer. He was a promising Heavyweight of the late 1980s and early 1990s... |
TKO2 | Reggie Gross Reggie Gross Reggie Gross was a journeyman heavyweight boxer in the 1980s. His most notable wins were upsets of undefeated Smokin' Bert Cooper and outstanding amateur and 14-0 pro Jimmy Clark .... |
| Glenn Thomas |
MD8 | John Herbert |
| Jerry Jones |
TKO3 | Bill Melsop |
 Rodolfo Marin |
UD4 | Bruce Johnson |
| Anthony Witherspoon |
TKO5 | Alex Stanley |