On Friday night, October 16, as the tide from the Atlantic Ocean rolled in towards the Boardwalk, fight fans packed Donald Trump’s Convention Center in Atlantic City to witness the first title defense of Mike Tyson’s undisputed crown.
The year was 1987.
Tyson (31-0, 27 KOs) had captured the imagination of millions with his overwhelming seek-and-destroy style. He unified the title by beating three champions, Trevor Berbick, James “Bonecrusher” Smith, and Tony Tucker. His opponent on this night carried significance in the Tyson camp.
Aside from defending his unified titles for the first time, tonight’s opponent offered the opportunity for Tyson, 21, to administer some payback.
Tyrell Biggs (15-0, 10 KOs) had won a gold medal in the 1984 Olympics. Tyson, who didn’t make the team after a pair of losses to Henry Tillman, was repeatedly disrespected by Biggs.
The challenger continued his trash talk in the days and weeks leading up to the fight. “Come October 16, I’m going to shock the world. Any expert who says I’m not ready for Tyson is no expert at all.”
Many insiders gave Biggs, 26, a legitimate chance against the undefeated champion. Ranked No.1 in the world, he could move, box, and owned a highly educated left jab. Odd makers, however, didn’t give Biggs much of a chance and installed him as a 10-1 underdog.
Ring announcer Michael Buffer introduced referee Tony Orlando and then the fighters.
The bout aired live on HBO with Barry Tompkins, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Larry Merchant ringside to call the action. After Orlando provided final instructions at mid ring,
Merchant captured the many varying opinions resonating around ringside, “I wouldn’t be surprised if this fight lasted a minute or an hour.”
Round 1 began with tall, slick Biggs, donned in white trunks, moving and boxing as he had promised. The challenger, at 6’4”, owned nearly a 10 inch reach advantage over the champion. He pumped his long left jab at Tyson who was ferociously coming forward while moving his head from side to side.
The champion, wearing his traditional black trunks, stalked Biggs behind his own left jab while trying to close the distance. Biggs style and movement was effective early on.
After the bell sounded to end the first round Merchant concluded, “I don’t know if Biggs can fight a perfect fight but he fought about as perfect a round as he could have hoped for to start this fight.”
Tyson inched closer to Biggs in Round 2 and then seized command in Round 3. Biggs, standing more flat footed, was now in the trenches where he didn’t belong, slugging it out against a man who possessed enormous power in both hands.
The champion mauled Biggs, pushing him backwards and into the ropes with brutal combinations. As Biggs bounced off the ropes, he began pawing at his eye as blood began to stream down his face. Tompkins immediately saw the red flow on Biggs cheek, “And now the cut over the left eye and it’s pretty bad.”
The champion saw and smelled blood and began hammering his challenger with devastating right and left hooks. Trying to back away and survive, Biggs head snapped back from another Tyson bomb. Tompkins wailed, “Another big left hand and Biggs is hurt! A lot of blood from the left eye of Tyrell Biggs.”
Tyson continued to hammer away at Biggs who, to his credit, stood in there and absorbed a tremendous amount of punishment. The bell sounded to end the third round, a disaster for Biggs, with Merchant summarizing the action, “The relentless pressure of Tyson takes its toll.”
The performance was vintage Tyson. His combinations were sharp, crisp and pulverizing. The assault to his challenger’s body was ruthless. While trainer Kevin Rooney was pushing Tyson to do more and continue firing combinations, the Biggs corner was pleading with their fighter.
Co-trainers Lou Duva and George Benton screamed at Biggs in the corner, “Are you alright?!”
Now in Round 7, the legs of Biggs looked completely shot. Covering up and rarely firing back, the challenger was visibly wearing down. Tyson continued to blitz the head and body of Biggs, driving him backward and into the ropes.
With just under a minute remaining in the seventh round, Tyson blasted a left hook square on Biggs jaw. The challenger fell to the canvas like a stiff old oak tree whistling to the ground in the woods. Tyson stayed right on top of his man as Biggs crashed into the ropes.
As the crowd rose and the wall of sound thundered through the Convention Center, Tompkins screamed, “That was a tremendous left hand!”
If not for the ropes, the force of Biggs hurtling downward would have put him into the laps of those seated at ringside.
Biggs, face swollen, bleeding, and battered, rose to his feet. Orlando, watching closely, allowed the action to continue.
Tyson jumped all over his beaten challenger who desperately tried to hold on for dear life. Tyson then launched a picture perfect left hand that slammed home on the side of Biggs head.
Tompkins called the final seconds as Biggs crashed to the canvas for the last time, “There’s a left hand! He’s down again! It’s over! It’s all over! And it wasn’t even close!”
Orlando kneeled next to the defeated Biggs and waived off the action. Tyson ended matters, brutally, a 2:59 of Round 7.
In the post-fight interview with Merchant, Tyson showed his disdain for Biggs, “When I was hitting him with body punches, I heard him actually crying in there, making woman gestures.” Tyson then began to make a crying noise prompting a stunned Merchant to ask, “You’re saying that Biggs was crying when you hit him?”
Tyson responded with vigor, “Yes! Yes!”
The Tyson train continued to roll on. He would meet and defeat former champion Larry Holmes in January, 1988, then demolish Tony Tubbs just two months later in March. The showdown against Michael Spinks in June lasted just 91 seconds.
As for Biggs, he was never the same fighter after meeting Tyson. He fought valiantly against big name opponents like Riddick Bowe and Lennox Lewis. In the years after the Tyson loss, however, he became the man young fighters looked to fight and defeat on their ascent up the ranks.
