Featured Image Credit: Getty / X/Twitter
Topics: Mike Tyson, Boxing
Ryan Smart
Footage of Mike Tyson's first fight after spending three years in prison has re-emerged - and it is terrifying to watch.
'Iron Mike' rapidly rose to becoming the best boxer on the planet in the late 1980s, and was the youngest heavyweight champion in the sport's history at the age of 20.
Tyson lost his first bout in February 1990 to Buster Douglas, ending a streak of nine successful WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight championship defences.
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Two years later, in February 1992, Tyson was convicted of rape and sentenced to six years in prison, along with four years of probation.
He was released in March 1995 after serving under three years of his sentence, and quickly got back into professional boxing.
The opponent for his comeback fight was Peter McNeeley, a 27-year-old American boxer who had 36 professional wins to his name. His previous fight, in April 1995, saw him win inside just six seconds via technical knockout (TKO).
McNeeley's fight against Tyson, though, was a different story.
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After the opening seconds of the fight saw a clinch between the two fighters, 'Iron Mike' began landing left and right hooks, with McNeeley promptly knocked down inside the first 10 seconds as he failed to cope with Tyson's fearsome punching ability.
McNeeley did get up to his feet, but looked dazed, and after another knockdown, manager Vinnie Vecchionie had seen enough, entering the ring and thus getting his fighter disqualified.
You can watch the clip of the fight below.
Overall, the fight lasted just 89 seconds - with Tyson certainly making a statement on his return to professional boxing.
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A total of 25 years on from the fight, Boston Boxing Promotions put out a press release which claimed they had offered $1.1 million to Tyson in order to convince him to have a rematch with McNeeley.
But the press release went on to make clear that it was simply a parody, as the release added that the cast of Tiger King and American singer Doja Cat were going to be on the undercard.
Tyson did fight Roy Jones Jr to a draw in a WBC-scored bout in October 2020, though, with that being his last fight to date. Could he be tempted to step into the ring again?