It was January 22, 1988 at the Conference Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Holmes was 48-2, and the young Tyson, 32-0, stood in his corner.
Holmes has just lost a few fights to lift lightweight champion Michael Spinks. After the first fight, he noticed: ‘Marciano couldn’t wear my jock band’ after losing a victory for the first time with Marciano’s record of 49-0 instead of the new champion Spinks to compliment.
Muhammad Ali and future President Donald J. Trump were underway. While Ali was entered into the ring, he first touched Holmes’ gloves.
Then Ali walked to young champion Mike Tyson and whispered something in his ear. Later he said, “Kick his hole!”
Tyson immediately came to Holmes, as his power made the former champion in fear of the power the young Tyson had. Holmes tried to tie Tyson, he knows what struggle he had on his hands.
As each round passed, Tyson continued to beat the former champion. In the third round, Holmes began dancing and she protruded as he was known in the past. It didn’t make a difference with the young Tyson, who got past, and landed the joy of the crowd.
In the fourth round, Tyson landed a right hand and Holmes went to the canvas when referee Joe Cortez counted to eight. Holmes got up with a whipped fighter. Tyson was over him again and dropped Holmes a second time with a right hand. Tyson was all over Holmes and dropped him a third and last time with a right on the chin while Holmes was lying on his back and counted from the round at 2:58!
Tyson answers the request of his idol, Ali.
In Tyson’s previous fight, he stopped Olympic champion Tyrell Biggs, who feared Tyson in the amateurs. It was stopped at 2:59 of the seventh round in the Conference Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
When Tyson was 14 years old, Ali visited his school and remembered when Holmes struck his idol. He told his then coach, Cus d’Amato,: “I will take revenge one day when I’m older.”
After the Holmes battle, Tyson said, “It’s great to have the name Holmes on my plate” when he was questioned by Larry Merchant.
In Tyson’s battle in November 1986 at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas, he stops another fighter who defeated Ali in the former champion’s last fight, Trevor Berbick, 31-4-1, in the second round, with ‘ A few knockdowns.
Tyson’s coach at the time was Kevin Rooney, who many people felt when Tyson rejected him, the champion was never the same.
Many fighters reject their trainers if they lose a fight. In February 1990, Tyson, 37-0, lost to James ‘Buster’ Douglas, 28-4-1, in Tokyo, Japan, in one of the biggest defenses in the history of the box.
Tyson never got a chance for a rematch, as former Olympic champion Evander ‘The Real Deal’ Holyfield had the opportunity and defeated Douglas by a third round in October 1990.
In Tyson’s next fight in Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. He avenges his loss in the amateurs to Henry Tillman, 20-4, to whom he lost in the Olympic trials.
Last updated on 02/05/2025
