No kidding I work at 3am everyday and it’s amazing how often I just randomly wake up two minutes before my alarm goes off. I’d say more often than not I do
There are no fighters as elusive and defensive as Mike was in his prime while still being aggressive and explosive in power. He had the perfect combination of skills. I believe he could have defeated any of the greats in his prime.
Mike Tyson was just too fast and powerful for Spinks. You can see Spinks couldn't maneuver around or even block Tyson punches on time because they were so hard and quick with accuracy.
I used to play a game at work called "Would You?" and it was about what we would do for a certain amount of money, such as, "I just shat in my panties".
This version of Mike Tyson that you're watching against Michael Spinks, is Mike Tyson at his very peak. From the opening when bounces out from the corner, he was absolutely flawless in this fight.
Thanks to all that Cus had instilled in him prior to his death. Without Cus, Tyson never winds up winning, and is probably in prison his entire adult life.
@@HunteR1199 Yeah, I consider the 86' Tyson on his way to the title to be his absolute peak. He was feeling it in some fights more than others, but he was an animal during his Frazier bout.
This was also his last fight at his peak. He started to cut corners after this. Michael Spinks fight was the last one with Kevin in his corner. No one could reach Mike anymore for the rest of his career.
Tyson was NUTS!!! not mentally....not really....seems like a nice guy actually. But what he had....no one else did. His signature combo, he'd sneak up hit you about 5 times with what sounded like gunshots, and then he was gone. It's why some many fights started and ended so fast. Only a few looked like they knew what to do with him. he was smaller, faster, stronger by a mile and his technique didn't let you throw power at him. It was a marvel to watch and I doubt in my time I'll see the likes of Mike Tyson or Michael Jordan again! It is hard to tell my kids what a monster he was. SO FAST,,,and man....hit like THANOS!!
Indeed. Mike woke up and had a glass of coke. He then ate a brick of cocaine for breakfast. Then two hours working out, followed by a snort of coke for post workout. Then after recovery from the training, another glass of coke to wash everything down. Repeating that routine day after day is indeed amazing!
I was 8 when this fight happened. My older brother got my dad tickets to watch the fight on the big screen at the Superdome a couple hours away in New Orleans. I still remember my dad talking about how he missed the whole fight: reached to pick up his beer and missed the first knockdown, reached to put his beer down and missed the second knockdown.
I have pretty much the same story except I was 7 I just remember shortly after that fight is when pay per view started charging by the round no longer 59.99 flat rate because Tyson just kept destroying these guys in the first round lol
@@user-03-gsa3 Modern Wrestlers (and Nascar drivers) train their neck differently to avoid the problems the older roman techniques caused. Currently they have use bands wrapped around the side of their heads.
If Mike Tyson never went to prison and struggled with drug addiction afterwards he wouldn't lose his motivation and would most likely retire undefeated. A big what if.
I personally believe he would have been untouchable at least until the late 90s…don king and that coke ruined what should have been the greatest career of all time
If Cus D'Amato had only been 12-15 years younger and had been able to train/manage Tyson throughout his career, he'd have finished 60-0 (unless he ended up trying to hang on too long and absorbing some losses when he was way past his prime).
Also don't forget that by the insistence of Don King, Mike fired Kevin Rooney, a man that had been a great part of Mike's success and someone who had been trained under Cus, i think if Kevin Rooney had been with Mike his career would've been much brighter, but Don King had to ruin it for everyone.
Most likely not. He was obliterated @ the age of 23 in 1990 prior to going to prison. It was only a matter of time before Holyfield and Lewis. Mike's legacy is tarnished a bit not having faced Ike Bowe Tua Foreman Mercer McCall Moorer Morrison Cooper or even Toney towards the very end.
When Tyson fought Eddie Richardson and knocked him out in the first round, an announcer asked Richardson if he had ever been beaten harder than Tyson beat him, he said "Yes, about a year ago, I was hit by a truck" That pretty much sums It up, THX BLTV. 🥊 👍 Subbed.
this channel has quickly become one of my favorite. this channel is able to recap the career of mike tyson in such an entertaining and informative fashion ; not just about tyson but also about his opponents and how their carrers play out afterwards. great content! 🔔✅
Regardless of what fans say nowadays, this fight was the biggest event in boxing since the Thrilla in Manila. Both undefeated and had a claim to the heavyweight title.
By the way, Spinks considered endurance his main weapon against Tyson. That's why before the fight he actively insisted on 15 rounds instead of the standard 12.
I'm sure 15 rounds was common for champions fights back then. I seem to remember it getting cut to 12 rounds in the nineties. Though I'm far from an expert on boxing history
@@ruledtrendy5066 Yeah, the 15 round fights faded out in the late 70's and early 80's after several deaths. I think the last 15 round fight at all was in 1987.
I feel like Cus/Rooney Mike was the ultimate boxing specimen. Perfect mix of natural talent, physical gifts, killer instinct and a work ethic and dedication to match, plus that intimidation factor. In his prime he showed that the best heavyweight boxers of the era couldn't even stand up to him, some by a long margin. Had he remained focused I believe he would've been the top dog for a very long time
There was no greater luxury in Mike Tyson's early life than men he respected who were brave enough to tell him "no". Hard to come by those when you can beat the living shit out of any man on the planet.
More like steroid city: it was in the earliest era where there were no tests but stuff would have become available, especially to a mad scientists like Cus and you see Tyson looking like a 30 year old at age 18. Dude was on the gear for sure
All of the guys that he fought, early in his career, from 1986, when he won the WBC title against Trevor Berbick, until February 1990, when he was knocked out by Buster Douglas, were a group of mediocre ex-champions, overhyped fringe contenders, and fighters who never fulfilled what little promise they had. i.e. Tyrell Biggs and Carl Williams I'm sorry, but knockouts of Trevor Berbick, Pinklon Thomas, Tony Tubbs, and little Michael Spinks just aren't that impressive.
I dunno. I was 12 when he first won the title, and I was there for all of the hype around him. But let's be honest, when he was young and knocking all of those guys out, who did he really fight, and beat?? I can list them off for you - Trevor Berbick, Bonecrusher Smith, Pinklon Thomas, Tony Tucker, Tyrell Biggs, a 38-year-old Larry Holmes, Tony Tubbs, Michael Spinks, Frank Bruno, and Carl Williams. Besides old man Holmes, all of those guys were Has Beens or Never Wases. They were what we might call 'Also Rans.' And finally, when Tyson began fighting again, at the age of 29 - hardly past his prime, as people like to insinuate - the heavyweight division was full of excellent young fighters, and guys who were on the cusp when Tyson went to prison. Even though his fans say he was past his prime, in the 90s, that's when he finally fought and beat his most impressive opponents, such as Bruce Seldon, Shannon Briggs, Andrew Golota, Francois Botha, etc. But, when the money was finally on the table for Tyson, and he had to go up against fighters who were of his caliber, or better, he got knocked out. Evander Holyfield took all that Tyson could dish out, for 10 rounds, and finally put Tyson's lights out, with a straight right hand, in the 11th round. And then there was the fight with Lennox Lewis, in 2002. I remember all of the fanboys saying that Tyson was going to destroy him; but at the time, I knew that Tyson didn't stand a chance. Lennox Lewis was 6'5," weighed 235+ and had a right cross that could knock opponents into next week. He's the hardest puncher that I ever saw, and I knew that he was going to embarass Tyson, prior to that fight. It was like George Foreman versus Joe Frazier all over again. Tysons fans like to say that Lewis ducked Tyson, until Tyson was past his prime - neither argument carries any weight - because Lewis was busy fighting everyone who was around, at the time (he literally fought them all, except Bowe, who was terrified of him), and when Lewis and Tyson finally did meet, Lewis was 37, and Tyson was 36. So, it could just as easily be said that Tyson ducked Lewis, until Lewis was almost 40. Both assertions are nonsense.
You're spot on. He never beat a top-tier boxer. Spinks was a lightheavy who wasn't up for it. Holmes was a fat old man. Tyson only fought journeymen and second-raters. He dodged Lewis and Bowe in the 90s and only fought Holyfield bc he was more his size as an ex-LH/cruiserweight (and lost twice). And that's all before anabolic steroids are mentioned: see Ben Johnson's explosiveness. He eventually fought Lewis but that was bc he'd been cleaned out by King - and then he got humiliated in the ring@@MatewanMassacre
I remember watching this as a kid. My dad and his friend bought a Pay-Per-View for this and it was over in no time. He was so mad lol, but man, what a moment in history to witness.
I still have this fight on a JVC VHS cassette from June 1988. I’ve watched it over and over so many times. I still remember Michael Spinks arriving in the ring to Kenny Loggins song, *_”This is it!”_* How sadly prophetic it proved to be.
he looked fucking RIGHTFULLY terrified walking in there his body language screamed get me the f out of here but..he still went in there so respect ..i love this channel mike is my idol i got to talk w him 4-17-12 for 30 whole minutes it was awesome even got to show him my peekaboo and d-shift ability and he said you must of practiced along time then tightened me up a bit..it was absolutely AWESOME most humble figure i ever met
That night Tyson was the best HW ever. No one would have stopped him. NO ONE. All those years of relentless training and sacrifice culminated that one night. Unbelievable.
Spinks was shyte scared of Tyson as a boxer and as a person. But big kudos to him, he faced a prime Mike Tyson in spite of it. Many pro boxers waited for a vulnerable, burnt out Mike Tyson before facing him. Anyone who went into the ring against Iron Mike during his prime, has my utmost respect.
Spinks didn’t want that heat. He was afraid. But he went into the ring knowing what could happen. The personification of “come back with your shield, or on it.” Respect to anyone who faces Mike Tyson.
I truly believe that the Mike Tyson who showed up on this night, full of focused rage at the peak of this power, would have beaten any heavyweight who ever lived or who was ever going to live. Too bad we never saw that guy again.
When I was a kid, sometimes on a Sunday morning live boxing would come on instead of the cartoons I was looking forward to. I used to love seeing Tyson come into the ring because I knew I wouldn't have to wait long to see the cartoons
Mike Tyson is a legend. Not just as the toughest man to enter into the ring, but for all the mental turmoil he had to fight before ever entering the ring. 100% Respect!
Tyson was on the top of the world after this win--but then came the long layoff of eight months till he fought Bruno. Remember, this was his third fight in 1988 after four fights in 1987.
Actually, Tyson's success did "boil down" to natural talent. This guy was 190 lbs of muscle at 13 years old! Reportedly he could bench press 225 lbs many times too. He also had natural reflexes and strength. This doesn't diminish his career AT ALL. It means he was a supremely gifted natural athlete AND also had the dedication, training, mindset, and mentoring to become one of the greats. But let's be clear: a fighter can have every advantage Tyson did, MINUS the natural talent... and you've never heard of them. If you make a list of great heavyweights, there isn't one without high-level natural talent. You cannot compete without elite toughness, athleticism, and strength. You'll just get blown out.
It wasn’t just “antics” to scare Spinks, for those of us who were alive when this fight took place we know two things, number 1 Tyson really felt like he had to prove himself that night because many in the boxing community still felt that Michael Spinks was the true champion, he was undefeated and lineal, Tyson was very much aware of this and it made him irate. Number 2, Spinks manager accused Team Tyson of illegal hand wraps and made them do it over again while he watched, it delayed the fight and was perceived as an insult. Those two things and the practical joke Rooney played on Mike concerning his money for the fight are the main reasons why Tyson was on fire that night and looking to make an example out of Spinks and that’s exactly what happened 😂
A lot of people were thinking Spinks had a shot. He was unbeaten up to that point, and had wins against Larry Holmes, Dwight Qawi, and Gerry Cooney. Spinks was a good fighter, but I don't know how anyone would have survived what Tyson unleashed on him.
I love that man for taking Mike into his family and doing everything he did for Mike. If the rest of the world was like him I can only imagine how much better this world would be. He was a good person ❤
This was the absolute highlight of Tyson's career. Everything that made Tyson himself was shown in this fight. Speed, technique, combos, intimitadion. Spinks really had no chance to win.
None at all. At the time this was hyped as "SuperFight "88." It's hard, now, to believe that any serious boxing fan ever fell for that hype. That fight was over when Tyson hit him with the body shot. As far that the ghost right hand that knocked Spinks out, I think he took a dive at that point. He didn't want any more.
Spinks was and awesome fighter. His demolition of Gerry Cooney and wins over Larry Holmes proved that. For Tyson to win in such a way was a great victory
You can't help but to admire and respect these guys. They do the thing most of us can only dream of. Fighters are both a breed apart, and a breed unto themselves. Big Props!!! What say to that America? Peace and blessings to ALL!!!
I remember that night as if if happened yesterday. I paid big bucks to watch at a sports bar. I took a sip of beer and it was over, just that fast. I had to see it on replay.
Getting into the ring with Mike Tyson then was like stepping into a room with a nuclear reactor, feels like at any moment it will explode and wipe out everyone.
I remember watching this live. He was such a force at that time that the biggest question was always whether the opponent could get through the first round.
I remember watching this live as a teenager. Tyson was a superhero. I can recall with perfect clarity, even at that age, recognizing the sheer terror pouring off Spinks minutes before the bell even rang. He was terrified. Never seen anything like that since.
It's so fascinating to better understand Tyson's opponents of back in the day. I was just a baby in the 80s when he was knocking guys left and right, and the BLTV videos have helped me better understand who they were and how many were actually great fighters with amazing careers until they went against Tyson and he made them go down in history as just another victim. The case of Ruddock, Spinks, and many others that Tyson demolished, actually were "good/great" boxers of an earlier era. I'll be waiting for that Michael Spinks video; keep up the good work!
They are still out there. People saying that Tyson fought no one and when he did fight anyone of caliber he lost to them all . That fight there proved how dangerous an opponent he really was . 90 seconds to dispose of an unbeaten fighter in devastating style. In his prime he beats all but the very elite of boxing heavyweights. Ali, Foreman, Louis . But he gets by the Fraziers and Marcianos .......I think ;)
Even funnier is that Spinks was so terrified of Tyson that he did not actually face-off against him as shown in the beginning, Tyson had to talk to a mannequin and started laughing which can be seen on here in another video lol. Then they spliced the two videos together. Tyson was an unstoppable force in his prime and ran right through a terrified Spinks.
I watched Mike and Ali on late night t.v. and I remember it being a monumental moment even to me at 10 yrs old. Ali changed the way boxing was seen. He changed the way fighters were trained. He will forever be one of the absolute few elite human beings that forced the world to see through a clearer filter and made those who climbed in the ring to both be trained & rise to higher expectation, making the sport refine even the greats to a whole new level. And for it, you see one of the greatest side effects, "A BAD MAN", M.G.Tyson.
2:03 That’s the EXACT move Tyson used to knock down Jose Ribalta in RD 10. Jose slipped the right hook, and Tyson countered with a stronger but more compact left hook.
I watched that fight live on tv...Michael Spinks entered the ring "terrified." That said, it was hard not to like Michael Spinks and I was sad to see him utterly disassembled....But hey...He got a payday! So, it wasn't all bad...Tyson was a wrecking machine.....Pure and simple. .
At his best Mike Tyson speed and power The combination of both was unbelievable coupled with the technique and work ethic and what could’ve been if he had stayed fully dedicated to the sport of boxing
Mikes gold toothed smile is absolutely terrifying. What an absolute legend!! Literally a living legend that will be talked about in 100yrs from now and more.
I live in St. Louis. I feel like a lot of people here don’t remember or realize we had 3 world champions, all in the same family. That stat alone seems crazy.
That set up to bring his hands up before hitting the scariest body shot I’ve ever seen is crazy. It was so subtle and quick you wouldn’t notice if you blinked for even a second.
I CONCUR but it was clearly possible after a pulverizing left-hook/uppercut LOL if he didn't land that vicious-left then the set-up a.k.a. readjustment back into a southpaw-stance to look for an opening to the body probably wouldn't work lololol's
Thank you for all you do to shed light on Tyson. They sure as hell didn’t do it like this in the media. Please do a Spinks/Holmes id definitely like to see it.
Man, i love this channel! Spinks looked terrified walking down to the ring but, i would've been the same way fighting a Mike Tyson, who's life around this time was becoming chaotic.
Best left hook ever! And right hand power was off the charts! Really enjoyed Mike and Ali in there prime , can’t say who would win that fight because we can only guess ! Thanks for the memories to both champions!!
Tyson fought 29 times in his first two years as a pro. In some cases he took fights two weeks apart. With that training regiment he never stopped preparing for his next fight.
It was because it was the only way his team had to keep him in control, after this fight Rooney (the last piece of Cus's original team) was fired and everything spiraled out of control very fast. It'd be fun to see how much better Mike would've been after this fight if Cus was still alive to keep him in control, but without Cus, Mike's team could not control him anymore.
It’s incredible how well Tyson moved considering he was 5’11” and 221 lbs. Just for reference: Ali 215lbs Sonny Liston 219lbs George Foreman 225lbs (70s) Rocky Marciano 188lbs Tyson was truly rock solid. Trying to knock him out would be a nightmare.
Mike Tyson was a shooting star. he burned for half as long... but he burned twice as bright. few boxers have ever had a 4, 5 year span where people just basically assumed they would never lose, they were that invincible.
Spinks has NEVER lost in his career, but after fighting with Tyson, he lost and ended his career. Tyson for many boxers of that time was the top, after which boxers often slipped to the very bottom. Michael Spinks is not an isolated case. This also includes Donovan Razor Ruddock, and Buster Douglas, and many others.
