Mike Tyson vs Mike Spinks
"The Annihilation"

Fight Facts
Date: 27-June-1988
Venue: Trump Plaza, Atlantic City, NJ
Title: Undisputed, World Heavyweight
Result: Mike Tyson W KO 1
Referee: Frank Capachino

By June of 1988 and only days before Tyson was due to make his fourth defense of his undisputed title, the media would focus its attention on the Champions troublesome domestic life. Nevertheless, the Brooklyn native was becoming all to accustom to the bad publicity.  Little did we know Tyson would be scrutinized and his personal life put under the microscope for the duration of his turbulent career.  The controversy would not affect ticket sales, as the fight would make its mark in history; both fighters’ earnings for the bout would exceed any previous fight in history, and any other athlete for a single event.  Tyson’s purse was reported as being in the excess of $ 21 million and Spinks $ 13 million.

Mike Tyson had actively unified the division for the first time since Joe Frazier in 1970, in his two previous bouts, he faced former Champions, Larry Holmes who was taken apart four rounds, and Tony Tubbs who was blown away in two.

Despite Tyson’s reign of terror in the division, many gave Michael Spinks more than a chance. Spinks had been Light Heavyweight Champion, winning the WBA title in 1981 then he unified the division when he won the WBC belt in 1983.  Spinks successfully defended his titles on ten occasions, and then in 1985 he relinquished the titles and moved to the Heavyweight division to challenge Larry Holmes for his IBF title.  Spinks won in a hotly disputed decision, a rematch would follow seven months later with the same outcome and the same controversy would surround this decision. Next was a fourth round stoppage of Norwegian Steffen Tangstad.  The IBF then stripped Spinks for agreeing to face Gerry Cooney in a bout not sanctioned by the IBF, rather than face their mandatory challenger Tony Tucker.  Mike Spinks remained undefeated.

As Tyson entered the ring with his undisputed title on the line it looked business as usual for the young Champion, he looked unfazed by his troubles outside the ropes, it was three days before the Champions 22nd birthday and he had already made seven defenses.

When the bell sounded the Champion came out fighting forcing the issue, Spinks tried to move but Iron Mike was imposing his will, the challenger was throwing but missing and with only thirty seconds gone Spinks was already glancing to his corner.  Tyson was ferocious landing with almost everything.  A right uppercut followed by a left to the body forced Spinks to lower to his knee and take a count from referee Frank Capachino; again, Spinks was glancing to his corner. It seemed he had felt the destructive power of Tyson and realized for this night anyway this was a bridge to far. When the fight resumed it took the Champion only seconds to send Spinks to the canvas for a second time, this time the head of the challenger would dangerously slam to the canvas.  Spinks looked flat out but made a brave attempt to find his feet only to fall through the bottom rope and almost into the ringside media. It was all over in 91 destructive seconds and by my calculation that is not that far south of a quarter of a million pound per second earned by Tyson, and Spinks did not do to bad either.

Spinks would never box again, but he was not the first to be forced into retirement by the hands of Mike Tyson. The Champion would make another two successful defenses of his title before his world came crashing down in Tokyo, Japan in 1990, to the hands of massive underdog James “Buster” Douglas.  He came back with four wins but his troubled life outside the ring continued to haunt him and he was given a lengthily Prison sentence.

Tyson was released in 1995 and made a comeback in the quest to recapture his old crown.  In Las Vegas, he won the WBC title beating Frank Bruno in three rounds, Tyson looked hungry again. Unfortunately, the Tyson road show would never regain its momentum as he continued to press the self-destruct button, and this time he was not just pressing it out of the ring but in it as well.  Biting a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear off in their second fight in 1997 and attacking Lennox Lewis at a pre fight press conference and began the familiar self destruct process again.  Nevertheless Tyson was the biggest draw in boxing for over two decades, and gained universal recognition. You just wonder what would have been if he controlled his career and personal life in a different manner.  But I guess it was part of his inner being and if you tamed him in some way outside the ring, you just may have affected his ruthless nature between those ropes, and the world would have been robbed of a great raw aggressive street like fighter who terrorized the division in his prime.

1988 Ring Magazine Round of the Year (Round 1)