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Happy Birthday! Mike Tyson's Greatest Moments
Ear-biting, a rape conviction, and scary (plus homoerotic) threats are just a few things now synonymous with Mike Tyson. However, it hasn
Iron Mike Rearranges Michael Johnson's Face
When: 9/5/1985
Moment: In only his eighth professional bout, Mike kept his KO streak going with a vicious right hand only 39 seconds into the first round.
Complex says: Fuck your favorite rappers' empty threats—Mike will push ya wig back, for real!
Becomes Youngest Heavyweight Champion in History
When: 11/22/1986
Moment: Mike knocked out Trevor Berbick to win the WBC title and become the youngest heavyweight champion ever at 20 years, 4 months, and 22 days old.
Complex says: Mike's great feat wasn't the only bit of history made that night; Trevor Berbick introduced the world to the an early (demented) version of the dance we now know as the Harlem Shake.
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
When: October 1987
Moment: Nintendo teamed up with the heavyweight champ for this classic release, which became one of its most popular games on the original Nintendo.
Complex says: It may seem primitive to you '90s babies, but for those raised on Nintendo, this game was the shit. We admit, we still find ourselves blowing on (pause) the old cartridge and dancing along to the theme song.
Mike Tyson and Ali on the Arsenio Hall Show
When: 1989
Moment: While on The Arsenio Hall Show, Muhammad Ali said he was scared of Mike Tyson and believed the champ could've beaten him in his prime.
Complex says: Two boxing legends in a classic moment on...The Arsenio Hall Show? Ehh, just like Megan Fox's clubbed thumb, even the best things in life have some kind of flaw.
Mike Tyson vs. Michael Spinks
When: 6/27/1988
Moment: This first-round KO of Spinks won Iron Mike The Ring magazine heavyweight title and also unified the IBF/WBA/WBC titles. Many critics have called this moment the peak of his career.
Complex says: Sadly, not too long after this fight, Tyson's career and life became a train wreck. Leeches (word to Robin Givens and Don King), a rape conviction, and biting ears off will do that to ya.
Appearance with Eddie Murphy
When: 1989
Moment: At an award ceremony in honor of Sammy Davis Jr., Mike Tyson, and Eddie Murphy teamed up for this short skit.
Complex says: Making fun of a young Mike Tyson to his face was probably Murphy
Comeback KO
When: 8/19/1995
Moment: In his first fight back after time served for rape conviction, Iron Mike KO'd Peter McNeeley in the first round.
Complex says: Hey McNeeley: Dedicating the fight to your entire fam before getting knocked out in the first round is a fail. Continuing to talk tough afterward makes it an EPIC FAIL.
Canibus "Second Round K.O." Video
When: 1998
Moment: Despite being friendly with LL, Tyson made a cameo on
Relentless Iron Mike K.O.'s the Ref
When: 6/24/2000
Moment: Ignoring referee John Coyle's calls to stop the fight, Tyson accidentally punched the ref—but still won by TKO.
Complex says: History was made that night: What other boxer you know who scored a KO on two different people in one fight? That's why he's known as the Baddest Man on the Planet!
Appearance in "The Hangover"
When: 6/5/2009
Moment: After years out of the spotlight, Mike reappeared on the big screen in a cameo for this comedy film.
Complex says: Most people simply viewed this clip as a classic example of hilarious randomness. We saw it as public confirmation of a well-known fact: Black people love Phil Collins.