30 Years Ago Today: Tyson crushes old champ Holmes in passing of the torch

30 Years Ago Today: Tyson crushes old champ Holmes in passing of the torch

Three full decades ago today, “Iron” Mike Tyson, at his absolute peak, scored a crushing, somewhat disturbing to watch KO over former champ and all-time great Larry Holmes. The fight, staged in Atlantic City, New Jersey, was dubbed “Heavyweight History,” and though the match-up was much maligned in certain quarters, it did prove to be a passing of the torch – a most graphically violent one.

Ali Vs. Tyson: “He never threw a body punch in his life. Nobody beats him”

Ali Vs. Tyson: “He never threw a body punch in his life. Nobody beats him”

It’s more than likely THE ultimate Dream Fight; the mythical match-up that really gets fans talking – and debating. Muhammad Ali, in his prime, against Mike Tyson, at his physical fighting peak: who wins?

The Daily Star has just unearthed a short Tyson interview where the youngest heavyweight ruler in history talks about what would have happened had he met “The Greatest.”

30 years ago today: Mike Tyson KO’s Tyrell Biggs – Tyson’s peak performance?

30 years ago today: Mike Tyson KO's Tyrell Biggs - Tyson's peak performance?

Thirty long years ago today, a peak, or near-peak “Iron” Mike Tyson retained his heavyweight titles with a quite ruthless, nasty display of utter dominance. Tyson met a fighter he disliked in Tyrell Biggs and what was seen by some as a possible test for Tyson turned out to be something of a massacre.

Though Biggs, then unbeaten and having captured attention due to his winning of the 1984 Olympic gold medal up at super-heavyweight, had a decent opening round in which he used his height, his speed and his educated left jab to good effect, Biggs was doomed as soon as he signed the contract. Tyson disliked his 15-0 challenger – so jealous was he of him due to his own failure to make the team for Los Angeles in ’84 – and how it showed.

30 years ago today: Mike Tyson unifies the WBC/WBA/IBF heavyweight titles with win over Tony Tucker

30 years ago today: Mike Tyson unifies the WBC/WBA/IBF heavyweight titles with win over Tony Tucker

Was it really thirty years ago – three full decades; a generation – when a peak Mike Tyson put all the heavyweight belts around his 34” waist? It was indeed, as hard as it may be to believe for fight fans who were mere teenagers at the time.

It was August 1st, 1987 when a 21 year old “Iron” Mike met 28 year old Tony “TNT” Tucker in Las Vegas. The fight between the two unbeaten heavyweights was dubbed “The Ultimate,” and with everything but the lineal heavyweight title on the line, such a tag-line was apt.