On this day in 1988, Mike Tyson made history by knocking out Michael Spinks in just 91 seconds, creating one of the most famous fights in all of boxing. On that day, Mike Tyson, at his peak and almost unbeatable, faced Michael Spinks, who was considered the only fighter capable of challenging Tyson; might even beat him, in the opinion of a handful of good judges.
Dubbed “Once and For All,” the fight took place at the swanky hotel The Trump Plaza, owned by Donald Trump. This event attracted the participation of many celebrities such as Muhammad Ali, Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty, Sylvester Stallone and Madonna. This fight was also the biggest money-making event in boxing history at the time. However, anyone expecting an epic battle will be disappointed.
Two undefeated fighters, both with good reasons to compete for the heavyweight crown – Tyson won the WBC/WBA and IBF belts, and Spinks won the title directly after his 1985 win over Larry Holmes – finally confronted each other. Tyson, then 21 and about to turn 22 just three days after the fight, had a record of 34-0 (30), while Spinks, 31, was a perfect 31-0 (21). Despite its impressive credentials, the fight did not live up to expectations.
Spinks, a boxer whom Tyson admired as a youth on TV, seemed uninterested in fighting when he stepped into the ring in Atlantic City. Many articles have mentioned Spinks’s apparent fear of what was about to happen to him. Spinks was frozen, and Tyson found his mystery had defeated another victim. Tyson, who had many troubles outside the ring, especially his tumultuous marriage with Robin Givens, used those difficulties as fuel. He really wanted to hurt Spinks, and the story of Tyson punching through the locker room wall when Spinks’ manager, Butch Lewis, came in to check on his gloves before the fight, further proves that.
The match ended in the blink of an eye. Tyson, with tremendous strength, knocked Spinks down with a punch to the body after just one minute, forcing Spinks to his knees. When Spinks got up, Tyson ended the fight with a left and right combination to the head that caused Spinks to fall and almost fly out of the ring. Spinks tried to get up but couldn’t, being completely defeated after just 91 seconds.
Tyson hardly celebrated, even though millions of his fans did. Afterwards, Spinks declared that he “came to fight like he said”, but he could not bother Tyson at all. This performance was Tyson’s last great performance. At nearly 22 years old, he had reached his peak and despite holding the undisputed heavyweight championship for nearly two years, his skills gradually eroded; eventually defeated by James Douglas in 1990. But that night when facing Spinks, Tyson’s defeat seemed impossible. Tyson had achieved everything he set out to do as a professional boxer less than three and a half years earlier.
