According to CompuBox, Tyson landed 216 of 412 total punches (52 percent), while Tucker connected on 174 of 452 (39 percent).įact: Tyson vs Tucker made the cover of the Augissue of Sports Illustrated, a big deal back in the day. But, Tyson vs Tucker would go the distance and the underdog would hold his own despite losing a clear unanimous decision.Īll three judges scored it for Tyson, 117-112, 118-113 and 119-111. Mike entered the bout as an 11-1 favorite and many expected to see another Tyson demolition inside three rounds. Little by little, Tyson, still adored and well-received by the public is starting to generate commotion outside the ring. Tyson’s managers, Jim Jacobs and Bill Cayton had allegedly approached Eddie Futch about replacing Kevin Rooney as Tyson’s trainer. It was also reported that there was discord in the Tyson camp. Tyson settled the case out of court for $105,000.Īlso, a couple of weeks before the fight, there was a report that Tyson had skipped out of his Las Vegas training camp for four days to visit actress Robin Givens in Los Angeles. He was charged with assault with a deadly weapon (his hands) and battery, both of which were misdemeanors. On June 21, 1987, two months prior to the fight with Tucker, Tyson was accused of bear-hugging a female parking lot attendant, demanding a kiss, and then striking with his open palm a male parking lot supervisor who came to her defense. But aside from Douglas and James Broad, there were no name opponents on Tucker’s resume so this fight didn’t get the buzz it deserved.ĭespite still displaying a humble character with the media, the 21-year-old Tyson was slowly starting to break out of his shell. And at 6’5″, he towered over the 5’11 Tyson. With a 34-0, 29 KO record, the athletic Tucker was no slouch. Undefeated champion vs undefeated champion for undisputed status. As a result, Tucker KO’d then little-known No 2 contender Buster Douglas to claim the vacated IBF Heavyweight title.īy August, the stage was set. Instead of facing Tucker, Spinks relinquished his title in 1987 to fight the more popular Gerry Cooney for a much larger purse. Spinks would then win a voluntary defense before being mandated to face the IBF’s top contender, Tony Tucker.īut Spinks had other ideas. It was a big deal because both fighters were unbeaten heavyweight champions and the winner would become the first undisputed champion in quite some time.īy defeating lineal champion Larry Holmes in 1985 and repeating the same feat in their rematch the following year, Michael Spinks captured and successfully defended the IBF crown in back-to-back fights. Mike entered the bout with the WBA and WBC belts while Tucker had the IBF strap, and the winner would be crowned undisputed (WBA, WBC, and IBF) heavyweight champion. Tyson vs Tucker was the final fight of HBO’s heavyweight unification tournament. International Boxing Federation Heavyweight Title (1st defense by Tucker) World Boxing Association Heavyweight Title (2nd defense by Tyson) World Boxing Council Heavyweight Title (3rd defense by Tyson) Location: Las Vegas Hilton, Hilton Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
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