'Iron' Mike became the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history when he knocked out Trevor Berbick in the second round to win the WBC title in 1986. He was just 20 years old. By 21, Tyson had added the WBA and IBF belts to his collection, beating James Smith and Tony Tucker to become the undisputed champion.
At the height of his career, Tyson was the most feared heavyweight on the planet. But his reign came to a shocking end in 1990 when Buster Douglas pulled off a sensational upset. Tyson bounced back, though, and reclaimed the WBC crown from Frank Bruno in 1996.
Later that year, Tyson faced Evander 'The Real Deal' Holyfield. The fight didn't go Tyson's way, with Holyfield stopping him in the 11th round to take the WBA heavyweight title. Their rematch in 1997 ended in even more controversy. Tyson got disqualified in the third round for biting Holyfield's ears. The fight, which took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, became known as the 'Bite Fight'.
Reflecting on these battles with Holyfield, Tyson shared his thoughts on Larry King Live:
"To be honest, the way I've been, those guys know I sleep, I lose interest sometimes and things happen in my life and I lose my incentives, and these guys slip by they get wins here and there, but they know truly if they ever could assess me at my best or if I fought them at their best, they don't stand a chance."
Tyson believes the outcome would have been different if he'd fought Holyfield during his prime. He claims that at his best, none of his opponents could have beaten him.
The fights between Tyson and Holyfield remain some of the most talked-about in boxing history. While Holyfield came out on top in both encounters, Tyson's latest comments show he still believes he was the superior fighter at his peak.