Boxing

Mike Tyson Made His Professional Debut 40 Years Ago Today

Mike Tyson's professional debut came on this day in 1985.
Apratim Banerjee|
IMAGO / Globe Entertainmen

Mike Tyson is one of the greatest boxers of all time. 'Iron' Mike made his professional debut on March 6,1985.

During his early years, Tyson was forged into a world class boxer by top trainers like Cus D'Amato and Teddy Atlas. He would later train with Kevin Rooney and would arguably reach his peak during that time.

Tyson's professional debut, though, came at a very young age. He was just18. He fought Hector Merced at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany.

Merced felt the full wrath of a young and hungry Mike Tyson, crumbling under a series of body punches from Tyson in the first round. The win was a signal to the boxing world that there's a special youngster on his way up. Tyson would fight 17 more times in his feat year as a pro.

Iron Mike's rise to the top was meteoric. He fought every month and in July 1985, he knocked out John Alderson and Larry Sims in the span of eight days.

MORE: Mike Tyson Once Revealed His Pick For The Hardest Puncher In Boxing History

After amassing 27 wins in the span of 18 months, Tyson got his shot at the WBC heavyweight title against Trevor Berbick. He managed a second round TKO win to become the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history at the age of just 20.

The record still stands today.

Tyson retired from professional boxing in 2005 after his loss to Kevin McBride. However, in 2024, Tyson made a return to the ring at the age of 58 to take on youtuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.

The fight showed that age catches up to you even if you're the iconic Mike Tyson. He suffered a decision loss and looked nowhere near his best. Tyson's professional record stands at 50-7-0.

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Apratim Banerjee
APRATIM BANERJEE

Apratim is a Boxing and Soccer reporter for On SI. He has been in the industry for five years, having also worked for The Sporting News, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, and more. After coming from an engineering background, he started pursuing a career in sports media. Apratim also holds an MSc. Sport Marketing degree from Loughborough University London and is a keen practitioner of social media and digital marketing. In his spare time, Apratim likes to play an array of sports and practice calisthenics. He is also an avid enthusiast of improving his martial arts skills.