Tyson's boxing journey started in 1985 when he was just 18 years old. He quickly made a name for himself, winning his first 19 fights by knockout, with 12 of those coming in the first round.
In 1986, at the age of 20, Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in history. He knocked out Trevor Berbick in the second round in Las Vegas to claim the WBC belt. He didn't stop there. Tyson went on to defeat James Smith for the WBA title and Tony Tucker for the IBF, becoming the undisputed champion at 21.
But Tyson's reign came to a shocking end in 1990 when Douglas defeated him in Tokyo. In a recent interview, Tyson talked about that night and Douglas's career afterward.
"He had a good night and he beat me in Tokyo, god forbid he fought a great fight that night, I didn't, but what do you do?"
While Tyson gave Douglas credit for the win, he didn't hold back his criticism of Douglas's later performances:
"He quit against guys lesser than Holyfield you know what I mean? And once you quit, you always quit, they talk about I took my beating, I got beat up in Tokyo, see I took my beating like a man, he never took a beating, he quit before he ever took a beating."
Tyson's words show he believes in facing challenges head-on. He sees his loss to Douglas as taking his "beating like a man," while he views Douglas's later career differently.
After beating Tyson, Douglas didn't keep the titles for long. Eight months later, he lost to Evander Holyfield in the third round while trying to defend his undisputed heavyweight championship.
The upset victory over Tyson remains the highlight of Douglas's career. A rematch between the two never happened, leaving fans to wonder what might have been.