Mike Tyson vs. Mitch Green
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Date | May 20, 1986 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Venue | Madison Square Garden in New York, New York, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Title(s) on the line | None | |||||||||||||||||||||
Tale of the tape | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Result | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Tyson wins via 10-round unanimous decision |
Mike Tyson vs. Mitch Green, billed as New York Is Busting Out, was a professional boxing match contested on May 20, 1986.
Background
Mike Tyson was 19 years old and undefeated when he met former heavyweight contender James "Quick" Tillis in his 20th professional bout. Tyson had won all his 19 previous fights by way of knockout, while Tillis had lost four of his previous five fights and came into the fight as a huge underdog. Tillis, however, put on a good effort and was able to take Tyson the full 10 rounds, the first time in Tyson's professional career; Tyson won by unanimous decision.[1] Only four days later, it was announced that Tyson would next face Mitch "Blood" Green, who was ranked one spot ahead of Tyson on the WBC heavyweight standings, on May 20 in Madison Square Garden.[2] Despite Green being higher than Tyson in the rankings, there was a huge disparity in the fighter's purse, Tyson was guaranteed $250,000 while Green was due to make only $30,000. Because of this, Green threatened to pull out of the fight only one day before it was to take place unless his purse was increased. However, after HBO executive Ross Greenberg informed Green that a shot at the WBC heavyweight title was on the line, Green chose to continue on with the fight.[3]
The bout was under jeopardy because of the Rangers' performance at the Stanley Cup playoffs, to whom it was a home arena. Plaza Convention Center in Albany, New York, was considered as a possible replacement, however no new site was announced.[4]
Undercard
Mustafa Hamsho KOs
Ernie White in the fourth round.
Matthew Hilton KOs
Bobby McCorvey in the first round.
Fight
"I was impressed. He's determined, aggressive, he punches hard. Mitch Green takes a punch. I know because I fought him."
—Trevor Berbick, WBC champion, on Tyson's performance[5]
Though Tyson was in control for most of the fight, he was unable to score a knockdown over Green. In a precursor to future Tyson fights, most notably his championship fights the following year against James "Bonecrusher" Smith and Tony Tucker, Green clinched Tyson on a regular basis in an effort to reduce the effectiveness of Tyson's power punches. Green, however, offered very little offensively, and Tyson was able to win a unanimous decision by two scores of 9–1, and one score of 8–2.
1988 street fight
Though the two fighters never again faced each other in a boxing ring, Tyson and Green were involved in a high-profile street fight two years later, by which time Tyson was the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion. On August 23, 1988, Green confronted Tyson at Dapper Dan's in Harlem, claiming that Tyson's promoter Don King owed him money. The argument then escalated into a physical confrontation during which Tyson landed a straight right hand across Green's face, completely shutting Green's left eye and opening a cut across his nose that required five stitches. Tyson, however, did not walk away unscathed, as his right hand was fractured during the melee, causing his scheduled October fight against Frank Bruno to be pushed back.[6] Tyson later recounted the incident in his book and in 2013 on his one-man Broadway show, The Undisputed Truth.
References
- ^ Berger, Phil (May 4, 1986). "Tyson a Victor; Knockout String Ends". New York Times. p. 56. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
- ^ "Tyson Looks To Garden". New York Times. May 8, 1986. p. D32. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
- ^ Berger, Phil (May 20, 1986). "Purse of $30,000 Angers Green". New York Times. p. B5. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
- ^ "Tyson Bout Moved". New York Times. May 1, 1986. p. 14. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
- ^ Berger, Phil (May 28, 1986). "Tyson vs. Berbick Is on the Horizon". The New York Times. p. 21. Retrieved 2019-06-12.
- ^ Tyson Loses In Street Fight, Philadelphia Daily News article, 1988-08-24, Retrieved on 2013-09-08
- v
- t
- e
- Tyson vs. Green
- Tyson vs. Frazier
- Berbick vs. Tyson
- Tyson vs. Smith
- Tyson vs. Thomas
- Tyson vs. Tucker
- Tyson vs. Biggs
- Tyson vs. Holmes
- Tyson vs. Tubbs
- Tyson vs. Spinks
- Tyson vs. Bruno
- Tyson vs. C. Williams
- Tyson vs. Douglas
- Tyson vs. Tillman
- Tyson vs. Stewart
- Tyson vs. Ruddock
- Tyson vs. Ruddock II
- Tyson vs. McNeeley
- Tyson vs. Mathis
- Bruno vs. Tyson II
- Seldon vs. Tyson
- Tyson vs. Holyfield
- Holyfield vs. Tyson II
- Tyson vs. Botha
- Tyson vs. Norris
- Tyson vs. Francis
- Tyson vs. Savarese
- Tyson vs. Golota
- Tyson vs. Nielsen
- Lewis vs. Tyson
- Tyson vs. Etienne
- Tyson vs. D. Williams
- Tyson vs. McBride
- Tyson vs. Jones
- Paul vs. Tyson
- Tyson (1995)
- Tyson (2008)
- Fallen Champ: The Untold Story of Mike Tyson
- Taking On Tyson
- Mike Tyson Mysteries
- Mike Tyson: The Knockout
- Mike
- In popular culture
- Tattoos
- Peek-a-boo
- Balrog
- "I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson"
- "Tyson vs Douglas"
- Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
- Iron Mike Productions
Tyson
initial (D'Amato stable) | mentor: Cus D'Amato; co-managers: Jimmy Jacobs and Bill Cayton; trainer: Bobby Stewart (1978–1980) → Teddy Atlas (1980–1982) → Kevin Rooney (1982–1988); cutman: Matt Baranski |
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mid-career (King's stable) | manager: Don King; trainer: Richie Giachetti; co-trainers: Aaron Snowell, Jay Bright and Stacey McKinley → Tommy Brooks (1999–2001) |
late career | manager: Shelly Finkel; trainer: Tommy Brooks→ Ronnie Shields → Freddie Roach → Jeff Fenech; co-trainers: Stacey McKinley and Jay Bright |