One of the greatest memories of anyone growing up loving boxing in the ’90s and the late ’80s is of the many Mike Tyson KOs. As he prepares to make his comeback against Jake Paul in just a few weeks, revisiting some of those highlights has seemingly become a binge-worthy habit.
But just how many times did “Iron Mike” leave his opponents floored?
Tyson racked up an impressive 44 knockouts from his 50 wins over his storied career. His very first KO came early, in his pro debut on March 6, 1985, when he floored Hector Mercedes in the first round.
This debut knockout marked the beginning of Tyson’s rapid rise, as he continued to finish opponents with his brutal power, eventually becoming the youngest heavyweight champion in history.
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His last final professional KO came almost 15 years later on October 23, 1999, against Orlin Norris. Although Tyson’s career saw plenty of ups and downs, his knockout power was made for quite a few highlight reels.
One of his most famous KOs came against Trevor Beerbick on November 22, 1986. Iron Mike used a right to the body, and followed it up with an uppercut, which he missed, but before Berbick could move his left, a left hook to the forehead knocked him out in the second round.
Whether it was his early fights or towards the tail end of his career, those explosive outbursts and relentless shots, each designed to cause a specific kind of agony defined him as a boxer and cemented his legacy as one of the sport’s most dangerous fighters.
But how did it all work out for him? Was it all god given talent, or was it the sweat and blood of Cus D’Amato’s gym?
While some might attribute his punching power to hard work, Tyson believes otherwise. He believes it was a gift from god that he has used to the best of his abilities.
Tyson explains secret behind his punching power
Tyson believes he was born with a natural gift for powerful punches, but he also always knew raw talent alone wouldn’t be enough. Now 58, Tyson reflects on his career and credits God for giving him the ability to hit hard but says he worked relentlessly to refine it.
Under legendary trainer D’Amato, Tyson learned to punch “with bad intentions,” aiming to strike through his opponent rather than just at them.
D’Amato drilled Tyson on technique, pushing him to develop a fierce mindset, and the young gun was a quick study. He joined D’Amato’s gym at 12 and was knocking out grown men by his early teens. He even went on to dominate his first pro year in 1985.
Tyson was also the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA, and IBF world heavyweight titles and hold all three simultaneously.
And this was back in the day when there was very little picking and choosing going on behind the scenes. There were no easy fights. Regardless, one can hope that the legendary boxer can deliver once again as he takes on 28-year-old Jake Paul.
Hopefully, there will be an update on the number of Tyson KO’s before the end of this month.
