Even if you do not follow combat sports, you might have heard of the name Mike Tyson. Michael Gerard Tyson is an American former professional boxer who is considered one of the best boxers to date, with his professional record of 50 wins and 7 losses. However, Mike Tyson’s last match was against Kevin McBride in 2005, at the MCI Center, Washington, where he lost the bout via corner retirement.
Besides these, Mike Tyson’s win record includes popular names like Brian Nielsen and Lou Savarese, including his infamous bite inside the ring while fighting against his greatest rival, Evander Holyfield.
[REPORT] Mike Tyson’s Career Overview and Win Record
Born as Michael Gerard Tyson on June 30, 1966, in New York City, Mike Tyson is a famous boxer in the history of combat sports, widely known as ‘Iron Mike.’ Due to his one-punch knockout power, he was a dangerous boxer at a time when boxing was widely famous, with the domination of Muhammad Ali.
Tyson’s childhood was a bit different from other average kids, as he grew up in neighborhoods with a high rate of crime. Due to his heavy involvement in criminal activities, he had been arrested 38 times when he was just 13 years of age. However, boxing came and completely changed his life forever.
Mike Tyson made his professional boxing debut as an 18-year-old on March 6, 1985, against Hector Mercedes via first-round TKO, cementing his name as one of the up-and-coming athletes in combat sports. That fight laid down his foundation and went on to win several fights, winning 26 of his first 28 fights by KO or TKO.
Mike Tyson’s professional career spanned from the year 1985 to 2005, during which he fought 59 fights. Among these fights, he won 50 of them, with 44 victories by knockout. As a result, he held multiple heavyweight titles, including WBA, WBC, and IBF belts. Here is the brief Mike Tyson’s wins in his boxing career:
# | Opponent | Method | Date | Location |
50 | Clifford Etienne | KO | 22-Feb-03 | Memphis, USA |
49 | Brian Nielsen | TKO | 13-Oct-01 | Copenhagen, Denmark |
48 | Lou Savarese | TKO | 24-Jun-00 | Glasgow, Scotland |
47 | Julius Francis | TKO | 29-Jan-00 | Manchester, UK |
46 | Francois Botha | KO | 16-Jan-99 | Las Vegas, USA |
45 | Bruce Seldon | TKO | 7-Sep-96 | Paradise, Nevada, USA |
44 | Frank Bruno | TKO | 16-Mar-96 | Paradise, Nevada, USA |
43 | Buster Mathis Jr. | KO | 16-Dec-95 | Philadelphia, USA |
42 | Peter McNeeley | DQ | 19-Aug-95 | Paradise, Nevada, USA |
41 | Donovan Ruddock | UD | 28-Jun-91 | Las Vegas, USA |
40 | Donovan Ruddock | TKO | 18-Mar-91 | Las Vegas, USA |
39 | Alex Stewart | TKO | 8-Dec-90 | Atlantic City, USA |
38 | Henry Tillman | KO | 16-Jun-90 | Las Vegas, USA |
37 | Carl Williams | TKO | 21-Jul-89 | Atlantic City, USA |
36 | Frank Bruno | TKO | 25-Feb-89 | Las Vegas, USA |
35 | Michael Spinks | KO | 27-Jun-88 | Atlantic City, USA |
34 | Tony Tubbs | TKO | 21-Mar-88 | Tokyo, Japan |
33 | Larry Holmes | TKO | 22-Jan-88 | Atlantic City, USA |
32 | Tyrell Biggs | TKO | 16-Oct-87 | Atlantic City, USA |
31 | Tony Tucker | UD | 1-Aug-87 | Las Vegas, USA |
30 | Pinklon Thomas | TKO | 30-May-87 | Las Vegas, USA |
29 | James Smith | UD | 7-Mar-87 | Las Vegas, USA |
28 | Trevor Berbick | TKO | 22-Nov-86 | Las Vegas, USA |
27 | Alfonzo Ratliff | TKO | 6-Sep-86 | Las Vegas, USA |
26 | José Ribalta | TKO | 17-Aug-86 | Atlantic City, USA |
25 | Marvis Frazier | KO | 26-Jul-86 | Glens Falls, USA |
24 | Lorenzo Boyd | KO | 11-Jul-86 | Swan Lake, USA |
23 | William Hosea | KO | 28-Jun-86 | Troy, New York, USA |
22 | Reggie Gross | TKO | 13-Jun-86 | New York City, USA |
21 | Mitch Green | UD | 20-May-86 | New York City, USA |
20 | James Tillis | UD | 3-May-86 | Glens Falls, USA |
19 | Steve Zouski | KO | 10-Mar-86 | Uniondale, USA |
18 | Jesse Ferguson | TKO | 16-Feb-86 | Albany, New York, USA |
17 | Mike Jameson | UD | 15-Jan-86 | Atlantic City, USA |
16 | Dave Jaco | TKO | 11-Jan-86 | Albany, New York, USA |
15 | Mark Young | KO | 27-Dec-85 | Albany, New York, USA |
14 | Sammy Scaff | TKO | 6-Dec-85 | New York City, USA |
13 | Conroy Nelson | TKO | 22-Nov-85 | Latham, New York, USA |
12 | Eddie Richardson | KO | 13-Nov-85 | Houston, Texas, USA |
11 | Sterling Benjamin | TKO | 1-Nov-85 | Latham, New York, USA |
10 | Robert Colay | KO | 25-Oct-85 | Atlantic City, USA |
9 | Donnie Long | KO | 9-Oct-85 | Atlantic City, USA |
8 | Michael Johnson | KO | 9-Sep-85 | Atlantic City, USA |
7 | Lorenzo Canady | TKO | 26-Jul-85 | Atlantic City, USA |
6 | Larry Sims | KO | 19-Jul-85 | Poughkeepsie, USA |
5 | John Alderson | TKO | 11-Jul-85 | Atlantic City, USA |
4 | Ricardo Spain | TKO | 20-Jun-85 | Atlantic City, USA |
3 | Don Halpin | KO | 23-May-85 | Albany, New York, USA |
2 | Trent Singleton | TKO | 10-Apr-85 | Albany, New York, USA |
1 | Hector Mercedes | TKO | 6-Mar-85 | Albany, New York, USA |
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First Defeat in Boxing History
Many of us are curious about who defeated Mike Tyson for the first time. It was certain that at the pace at which Mike Tyson was boxing in the 90s, he would have had to face the loss. After winning several bouts against the popular names, Mike Tyson’s fight with Buster Douglas was scheduled for February 11, 1990, in Tokyo, Japan.
Considering Mike Tyson’s win record, he was the undefeated and undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, holding WBC, WBA, and IBF titles. He recently won the fight against Carl Williams via quick knockout and had a professional record of 37-0.
But the fight with Buster Douglas changed the dynamics of boxing. Douglas had a professional record of 42-1 before fighting Tyson, but was considered the underdog. The fight surprised millions of viewers worldwide as Douglas displayed his speed, movement, and agility. Douglas dominated Tyson for the entire fight and won the bout via KO in the tenth round. Following this, Douglas became the new undisputed heavyweight champion of the world as well.
Mike Tyson’s Last Fight
Despite having an exhibition fight with Jake Paul on November 15, 2024, Mike Tyson’s last match was against Kevin McBride, held on June 10, 2005. Mike Tyson came into the fight in an undefeated bout against Danny Williams in 2004. Following the loss, Tyson took a break and returned for an easy victory.
However, things did not go as per Tyson. Despite dominating the six rounds, Tyson was visibly struggling to keep up with the taller and stronger McBride, who frequently used his jab and clinched to tire Tyson out. In the seventh round of the fight, Tyson refused to answer the bell in frustration, declaring McBride the winner by TKO.
After the heartbreaking Mike Tyson’s last match, he decided not to fight again, announcing his retirement from his professional boxing career. The fight ended the long-standing, inspiring career of Mike Tyson.
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What’s Next for Mike Tyson?
Mike Tyson is 59 years old and is solely focused on enjoying retirement life. With such an impressive boxing record, Tyson is praised everywhere he goes. Commoner still gets afraid of how Mike Tyson looks due to his scary tattoo on his face. Despite retiring from professional boxing, Tyson is often seen fighting in exhibition boxing matches. Mike Tyson’s last match was against the social media star, Jake Paul, on November 15 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
The bout was able to break Netflix’s record for the 65 million concurrent viewers, making it the most-streamed sporting event ever. Mike Tyson lost the fight via unanimous decision against Paul. However, the rumors have been circling around the comeback of Tyson in an exhibition boxing match.
As per ESPN and BBC, Mike Tyson is set to face Floyd Mayweather in the coming spring. The details of the fight are still not available, but the sources have reported the fight being confirmed.
Pankaj Kapoor’s Perspective
As a boxing enthusiast, Mike Tyson’s boxing career, ranging from wins to losses, is something that makes every one of us proud. Despite losing some bouts against the renowned names, Mike Tyson’s win record looks strong for a fighter who had a messed-up childhood. However, it is not a good idea for him to return to the boxing ring again, as he has surpassed the 50-plus age, which is not considered a good thing for someone to be involved in a fight at this age.
I hope Mike Tyson enjoys his retirement life as much as he can, rather than getting involved in the fight business.
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Mike Tyson FAQs (2025)
- When did Mike Tyson become the youngest heavyweight boxing champion?
Mike Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in 1986 at just 20 years old. - Who gave Mike Tyson his first professional defeat?
Buster Douglas defeated Tyson in Tokyo on February 11, 1990. - What is Mike Tyson’s official professional boxing record?
Tyson’s professional record stands at 50 wins (44 by knockout) and 6 losses, with 2 no contests. - When was Mike Tyson’s last professional fight?
His last professional fight was against Kevin McBride on June 11, 2005, which he lost. - Did Mike Tyson fight in exhibitions after retirement?
Yes. Tyson returned for exhibition bouts, including a 2020 fight with Roy Jones Jr. and a 2024 matchup with Jake Paul.
