5 underrated Mike Tyson fights

#4. Mike Tyson vs. Mitch Green II

Mike Tyson and Mitch Green first fought at Madison Square Garden in New York in 1986. Tyson, who turned professional in March 1985, already had a record of 20-0 with 19 knockouts.

Though Tyson stepped into the ring with some formidable opponents, Green was likely his toughest to date.

The Bronx fighter was shot twice before he even reached adulthood. In an interview with The Ring in 2014, Tyson said that Green also had the fastest feet of anyone he faced:

"I think Mitch Green had the fastest feet. It was very tough to set up near him and throw big shots."

The fight with Green was a grueling contest between two tough men. Tyson won via unanimous decision. However, their most interesting clash came in 1989, when the boxers ran into one another at a Harlem clothes store. It was, of course, off the books.

It was 4am at a Dapper Dan's, and a drunk Mike Tyson was buying a custom jacket with a Public Enemy quote embroidered on the back. Green, high on PCP and bare-chested, came through the door in a rage to question Tyson about the money he was still owed for their fight.

Tyson swiftly turned his rings around and started swinging. The initial scrap was reportedly one-sided. After a series of unanswered punches, Tyson also allegedly put Green down with a roundhouse kick.

But, as the heavyweight champion and his driver fled to the car, Green gave chase and the fight started again out on the street. Eventually, Tyson caught green with an uppercut that sent the bare-chested man down, knocking him cold. The police arrived, but no charges were placed, and both men left the scene with nothing on their records.

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#3 Mike Tyson vs. Frank Bruno I

Frank Bruno took on Mike Tyson in 1989 and 1996.

In 1989, Tyson, the then Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion, faced off against Frank Bruno, a London heavyweight who had a record of 32-2. Bruno had knocked out 30 of his last 34 opponents. Bruno is now regarded as one of the best knockout artists in heavyweight history. When he retired, he had a 95% knockout-to-win ratio.

Tyson defeated Bruno in 1989 and again in 1996. The victory over the Londoner in the rematch was a more dominant performance, but the first fight with the Briton saw Tyson falter, and it was a bout where he had to dig deep for the win.

In 1989, Bruno was dropped moments into the fight. However, he came back and rocked the champion with a series of big hooks towards the end of the round, causing Tyson to stagger on his feet. For five tough rounds, the men grappled and slugged it out. As the fight wore on, Tyson grew increasingly dominant. After trapping the Londoner on the ropes and landing digging uppercuts and hooks, the referee stopped the fight.

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