Tyson, also known as "Iron Mike," was the undisputed heavyweight champion at the time. He held the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles. Spinks came into the fight as The Ring heavyweight champion and a former undisputed light heavyweight champion.
The fight was a big deal. Even Muhammad Ali got it wrong when he predicted Spinks would win. Tyson dropped Spinks twice before finishing him off, living up to his fearsome reputation.
Tyson's career was on fire. He'd become the youngest world heavyweight champion at just 20 years, 4 months, and 22 days old. He was undisputed from 1987 to 1990. His first 19 pro fights? All knockouts, with 12 in the first round.
Spinks talked about Tyson's skills in an interview with Ring Magazine:
"He had good hand speed. That was one of his biggest assets. He had power and hand speed and that was hard to beat. He knew how to get in real fast. That was one of his strengths too. He'd slide up on you real quick and get in the punches. He was very strong. I don't know what made him so strong. He was most definitely the biggest puncher I ever fought."
Tyson's style was all about hand speed, power, and closing the distance fast. He'd beaten big names like Larry Holmes, Trevor Berbick, Frank Bruno, and Tony Tubbs.
For Spinks, this fight was the end of the road. He'd beaten Larry Holmes twice, but Tyson was a different beast. After the loss, Spinks hung up his gloves for good.
The article doesn't say if Spinks thought Tyson hit harder than Larry Holmes. That's a question fans might still be asking.
Tyson's nickname stuck around long after this fight. He's still known as "The Baddest Man On The Planet" to this day.