Throughout most of the 1980s and 1990s, Mike Tyson, one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time, dominated the sport.
In a career spanning three decades and ending as he approached his 39th birthday, Tyson boxed in 58 professional matches between 1985 and 2005.
During that period, Tyson showed his ability to stop opponents in the ring by recording 50 wins and just six losses, including an incredible 44 victories via knockout.
In back-to-back losses in the 1990s, Evander Holyfield defeated Tyson twice, and in a 2002 fight, British fighter Lennox Lewis submitted Iron Mike.
During his professional career, Tyson was also knocked out by Buster Douglas, Danny Williams, and Kevin McBride. However, Tyson never once identified Holyfield or Lewis as the opponent who could withstand his punches, nor any of these three.
That honour belongs to Jose Ribalta, against whom Tyson competed in August 1986 in his 26th fight at the tender age of 20.
In the tenth round of the fight, which took place at the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Tyson prevailed via technical knockout.
With this victory, Tyson made a stunning 26 fights without losing a fight. Before losing his first professional fight in 1990 against Douglas, he had been the unchallenged heavyweight champion of the world from 1987 until that point.
In a 2014 Q&A with Ring TV, Tyson expressed his opinion that Ribalta was the only fighter who could withstand his blows because he thought the opponent had the greatest chin of all the fighters he had fought.
He said: “I hit Jose Ribalta with everything, and he took everything and kept coming back for more.
“Jose Ribalta stood toe to toe with me. He was very strong in the clinches.”
The next fighter to experience Tyson’s power will be Jake Paul when they square off on July 20 at Arlington’s AT&T Stadium.
Speaking prior to the impending fight with Tyson, popularly known as “Iron Mike,” Paul said: “I idolized Mike Tyson until the first time I met him 4 years ago…he called me Logan. Going to make sure he knows who I am real close and personal.”
