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Today marks the anniversary of one of the most heavily hyped and most-watched heavyweight title fights in history. The fight that took place on this day back in 1988 also ranks as one of the shortest world heavyweight title fights in boxing history. It was of course the “Once And For All” showdown between unbeaten heavyweights Mike Tyson and Michael Spinks.
Both men had a legitimate claim to the crown; Spinks as he had beaten Larry Holmes to become the lineal champion, this in September of 1985, Tyson because he had scooped up all the alphabelts, this in quite rampaging fashion. Tyson was seen by most as the best heavyweight in the world (while there was already talk of him perhaps being one of the greatest heavyweights ever), but Spinks had to be beaten for “Iron Mike” to become the universal, no arguments undisputed heavyweight king.
The fight took place in Atlantic City, and many millions tuned in on TV. It was over in 91-seconds; these probably the most famous 91-seconds in boxing history. Tyson was 34-0(30) and the 21 year old was the WBA/WBC/IBF champion. Spinks was 31-0(21) and the 31 year old was the lineal and Ring Magazine champ.
Looking back on the fight about which so much has been written over the years, fine boxing pundit Adam Smith urged fans to “go back and spend a couple of minutes of your time tonight just watching it again.” Can you spare those 91-seconds so as to watch the fight one more time? Tyson really was special that night, and ferocious. Smith recalls, as do so many Tyson fans in general, how the later-called “Baddest Man on the Planet” was literally punching holes in his dressing room wall prior to the fight. And Spinks’ main man Butch Lewis saw this up close and personal. Butch was unnerved, as was Spinks.
Indeed, some people say Spinks, as great as he was, wore the face of a terrified man as he both walked to the ring and then stood and waited for the violence to begin. Spinks was about to face the wrath of a peak Mike Tyson.
“The story goes that Tyson punched a hole in the locker room [wall] before the fight, he was in that sort of state and mindset,” Smith said when speaking with Talk Sport. “He was absolutely ferocious, the whole thing was over in a minute and a half and I think he would probably have beaten, maybe Ali aside, any heavyweight in history on that particular night. That was his definitive peak, he was absolutely menacing. I urge anyone just to go back and spend a couple of minutes of your time tonight just watching it again, it was something quite extraordinary.”
It’s been spoken about and debated so many times: would Tyson have beaten any heavyweight in history that night in June of ’88 when he wiped out a truly great fighter (Spinks’ finest achievements coming down at light heavyweight, we must recall)? It’s down to opinion and nothing more, of course. But Tyson was so fast, so wickedly accurate, and so powerful and vicious that, yeah, maybe he would have beaten a Joe Louis, a Rocky Marciano, a Jack Dempsey (Tyson’s boxing idol as we know), even a Muhammad Ali.
Some fans may feel such talk is sacrilegious, and maybe it is. But the version of Tyson that wrecked Spinks and his “Jinx” would almost certainly have given any heavyweight in history a heck of a tough time of things.
Right now, I’m going to heed Smith’s advice and go back and watch Tyson’s annihilation of Spinks one more time.
