Former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson turns 50 years old Thursday. Tyson made his professional debut at 18 in March 1985, and in November 1986 he became the youngest man to win a share of the heavyweight title.
Tyson, whose career record was 50-6 with 44 knockouts, was well-known throughout his career for his knockout power. In the 27 fights that were tracked by CompuBox, Tyson landed 56 percent of his power punches, which is 15 percentage points higher than the heavyweight average.
Below we take a by-the-numbers look at Tyson's career, as well as some of his more notable fights:
Tyson, by the numbers
8 – Fewest punches landed in a title fight win (against Michael Spinks and Carl Williams).
20 – Youngest fighter to win a piece of the heavyweight title at 20 years old in 1986.
22 – First-round knockouts in his career, the second-most among fighters who have won a title.
30 - Defeated Marvis Frazier in 30 seconds, the fastest non-title fight knockout of his career.
42 – Tyson was a 42-1 betting favorite to beat James “Buster” Douglas before he was knocked out in one of the biggest upsets in sports history.
44 – Career knockouts, tied for 11th all-time with Larry Holmes among heavyweight titlists.
91 – Knocked out Michael Spinks in 91 seconds, the sixth-fastest fight in heavyweight championship history.
Most-notable Tyson fights
Tyson-Berbick (1986) – Tyson became the youngest heavyweight to win a piece of the title at 20 years old after he knocked out Trevor Berbick in the second round. Tyson landed more power punches (46) than the total punches that Berbick threw (43), according to CompuBox.
Tyson-Tucker (1987) – Defeated Tony Tucker (who entered the fight 34-0) by unanimous decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Leon Spinks in 1978. Tyson landed 174 total punches against Tucker, the most he’s landed in a title fight, according to CompuBox.
Tyson-Spinks (1988) – Spinks entered the fight 31-0 and was considered the lineal champion, while Tyson was 34-0. Tyson ended the fight 91 seconds into the first round. It was the sixth-fastest knockout in heavyweight championship history, according to CompuBox.
Tyson-Douglas (1990) – Tyson suffered the first loss of his career. He was a 42-1 favorite, but was knocked out by Douglas in the 10th round.
Tyson-Holyfield I (1996) – After their proposed fight in 1991 fell apart, Tyson and Evander Holyfield finally met for the heavyweight title. According to CompuBox, Holyfield landed 110 power punches, most for a Tyson opponent, en route to an 11th-round TKO.
Tyson-Holyfield II (1997) – In their rematch, Tyson was disqualified after biting Holyfield’s ear twice in the ring during the third round. After the loss, Tyson had his license revoked by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for one year. The fight was named the Event of the Year by Ring magazine.