Mike Tyson Fought 19 Times Between March 1985 and March 1986

Published on November 15th, 2024 10:05 pm EST
Written By: Dave Manuel


In March of 1985, 18 year-old Mike Tyson decided to turn pro after a sparkling amateur career.

Tyson's very first professional fight came on March 6th, 1985 against the 0-3-0 Hector Merced. The four-round fight was over in a flash, as Tyson knocked out Merced in round 1.

Just over a month later, Tyson was back in the ring, taking on the 1-3 Trent Singleton in another four-round fight.

The outcome was the same, as the ferocious and explosive Tyson finished Singleton in just 52 seconds.

On May 23rd, 1985, Tyson took on the 10-18 Don Halpin. Halpin was more experienced, so Tyson entered the fight with a much more measured approach, eventually finishing Halpin in the fourth round via knockout.

The trend continued over the next year, with Tyson entering the ring every couple of weeks and winning by knockout.

In fact, in November of 1985, Tyson fought THREE times, scoring wins against Sterling Benjamin, Eddie Richardson and Conroy Nelson.

By the end of March of 1986, Tyson had amassed a professional record of 19-0-0. That's right - Tyson won 19 times over the course of a single calendar year.

To his credit, Tyson's opponents got better and better as the year went on. At the beginning of the year, Tyson was facing 0-3 fighters. By the end of the year, he was facing the likes of Jesse Ferguson and Steve Zouski - well-established professional fighters who still stood no match for the mighty power of Tyson.

-

By November of 1986, Tyson would be fighting for a title, as he squared off against Trevor Berbick for the WBC World Heavyweight title.

Tyson won that fight easily, and continued a hectic pace that would see him defend his title multiple times over the course of a single year - something that doesn't really occur in this day and age.

Tyson was still a young man at that point, and he was easily able to train like a madman and take multiple fights per year.

Tyson would continue his ferocious pace even after his first loss against Buster Douglas in February of 1990. In fact, it would only be jail that would slow down Tyson, as he was incarcerated after his June 1991 fight against Donovan Ruddock.