Mike Tyson early career
Tyson first professional fight was march 6,1985. He was 18 years old. It was in Albany, New York. He beat Hector Mercedes in a first round TKO. He won 15 fights in his first year professional. Tyson fought very frequently. Mike Tyson won 26 of his first 28 by TKO or KO. 16 of those TKOs was in first round. These opponents were not good. he quality of his opponents gradually increased. From journeymen to guys that could maybe contend like Marvis Frazier. The Tyson win streak brough media attention. Mike Tyson became billed as the next Muhammad Ali or great Heavyweight. D’Amato died in November 1985. This was relatively early into Tyson’s professional career. Some say that his death started the troubles Tyson was to experience as his life and career progressed.
Mike Tyson’s first nationally televised fight was on February 16, 1986. It took place at Houston Field House in Troy, New York. The fight was against journeyman heavyweight Jesse Ferguson. It was broadcasted by ABC Sports. Tyson knocked down Ferguson with an uppercut in the fifth round. The punch broke Ferguson’s nose. During the sixth round, Ferguson began to hold and clinch Tyson to avoid more hits. After beating Ferguson several times to obey his commands to box, the referee stopped the fight near the middle of the sixth round. The fight was initially ruled a win for Tyson by disqualification (DQ) of his opponent. The ruling was changed to a win by technical knockout (TKO) after Tyson’s corner protested that a DQ win would end Tyson’s string of knockout victories, and that a knockout would have been the inevitable result.
In July 1986, after earning six more knockout victories, Tyson fought former world title challenger Marvis Frazier in Glens Falls, New York, on another ABC Sports broadcast. Tyson won easily. He charged at Frazier at the opening bell and hit him with an uppercut that knocked Frazier unconscious thirty seconds into the fight.
On November 22, 1986, Tyson had his first title fight against Trevor Berbick for the World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight championship. Tyson won the title by TKO in the second round, and at the age of 20 years and 4 months became the youngest heavyweight champion in history He added the WBA and IBF titles after defeating James Smith and Tony Tucker in 1987. Tyson’s performances brought many accolades. a heavyweight champion fit to stand alongside Dempsey, Tunney, Louis, Marciano, and Ali.
