Mike Tyson wasn’t the only shocker in boxing. He repeatedly caused chaos in sports.

From horrific knockouts to complete public collapse, Tyson’s career has become the wildest that heavyweight boxing has ever seen.

World Boxing News documents five moments that left the sport in disbelief.

1. Tyson wins the Junior Olympics in eight seconds

Long before he won world titles and became world notable, Tyson was already terrifying adult men in Fresh York gyms as a teenager.

When he was just 15 years elderly, Tyson demolished Joe Cortez in eight seconds at the Junior Olympics, a terrifying display of speed and violence that quickly spread throughout amateur boxing circles.

The news spread quickly as the coaches immediately realized that something terrifying was rising within their ranks.

2. Tyson becomes the youngest heavyweight champion in history

On November 22, 1986, Tyson defeated Trevor Berbick in two rounds to become the youngest heavyweight champion in history at the age of just 20.

The finish became one of boxing’s most unforgettable images.

Berbick desperately tried to get up after Tyson’s latest attack, but stumbled in the ring before falling again as the referee stopped the fight.

The heavyweight division suddenly became the property of a destroyer who seemed unbeatable, and Tyson not only won the division, he devoured it.

3. Buster Douglas achieves the impossible

Tyson looked unbeatable in 1990 before everything changed in Tokyo.

Buster Douglas entered the fight as a massive underdog and was expected to only survive a few rounds before Tyson obliterated him like everyone else.

Instead, Douglas recovered from an eighth-round knockout in which he knocked out Tyson and then knocked him out in one of the biggest upsets the sport has ever seen.

The reaction inside boxing was one of disbelief, as the thought of Tyson losing seemed barely real at the time.

Overnight, the aura surrounding him disappeared.

4. Tyson goes to prison

In 1991, Tyson’s life extended far beyond boxing when he was accused and later convicted of rape and sentenced to prison a year later.

This defeat shocked the sports world.

Just a few years earlier, Tyson was the most feared athlete in the world. Suddenly, boxing’s biggest star was headed to prison as his career and reputation collapsed around him.

The man who once seemed untouchable suddenly became completely powerless.

The story reached far beyond boxing and permanently changed Tyson’s public image.

5. Tyson bites Evander Holyfield’s ear

Nothing captured Tyson’s events better than the night he bit Evander Holyfield’s ear in 1997.

Frustrated, livid and heartbroken in his rematch after being knocked out in the first fight, Tyson stunned millions of viewers around the world by biting Holyfield during the fight, causing chaos in the ring and outrage around the world.

The images became enduring boxing history. Even now, decades later, many fans still can’t believe they saw it live.

Tyson’s career brought boxing fear, violence, scandal, destruction and moments so unbelievable that they still seem unreal.

That’s why sport still can’t stop talking about it.

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.