Mike Tyson is widely regarded as one of the most fearsome punchers in boxing history.
After retiring in 2005, the former world heavyweight champion had won 50 fights, with a remarkable 44 of those coming by knockout.
He began his illustrious career in 1985 and picked up 19 straight knockout victories, 12 of those coming inside the very first round.
One man who was on the receiving end of Tyson’s power was Larry Holmes, who was stopped in the fourth round of their fight in 1988, with a 21-year-old ‘Iron Mike’ retaining his WBA, WBC and IBF titles in the process.
Holmes has now looked back on that fight with Tyson and knows just how brutal it was, but he has told OLBG that it was another man who gave him the hardest punch he has ever faced.
“Mike is a puncher. I fought Mike and he hit me and that was the end of it. Earnie Shavers was one of the hardest punchers there’s ever been and Mike is right up there with him at the top.
“Earnie Shavers was the hardest I’ve ever faced but when Tyson hits, he tries to kill you. And Mike can take a good punch, I hit him a couple of times and he kept on coming. Mike knocked the sh*t out of me, he hit me so hard I went ‘wooooo’. And he beat me.
“It was embarrassing. I remember the right hand he hit me with – I thought at the time ‘he should be locked up’ because of the power, and he kept on coming, growling like Joe Frazier.”
Holmes fought Shavers twice in his career and was on the winning end both times, first defeating Shavers by unanimous decision in March 1978, before Holmes then earned a stoppage victory over his rival in their rematch 18 months later.
Shavers retired with a record of 76 wins, 14 defeats and 1 draw, with 70 wins by knockout, 23 of them inside the very first round.
Holmes will be able to see his former foe Tyson step back into the ring when he takes on Jake Paul in November, and he has given his verdict on the showdown.
