Who is Mike Tyson? Age, Record, Titles and Biggest Fights


Author: Shilpi Singh on Sep 29,2026
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Blog / Sep 29,2026

Key Takeaways

  • Mike Tyson was born on June 30, 1966, which makes him 60 as of September 2026.
  • His record is 50 wins, 7 losses, and 2 no contests in 59 pro fights, with 44 wins by knockout.
  • He was 20 years and 4 months old when he beat Trevor Berbick, the youngest heavyweight champion ever.
  • From 1987 to 1990, he held the WBA, WBC and IBF belts together as undisputed champion.
  • Buster Douglas ended that run in 1990, and Jake Paul outpointed him in November 2024.

Say the name Mike Tyson to any boxing fan, and you'll get a story. Maybe it's the 91-second demolition of Michael Spinks, maybe the Douglas shocker, maybe the ear bite. This guide pulls it all together: his age, his record, his belts, and his biggest nights. Love heavyweight history? You'll also enjoy our piece on Muhammad Ali and his lasting boxing legacy.

Mike Tyson Biography: From Brooklyn Streets to the Ring

Michael Gerard Tyson was born in Brooklyn, and life there wasn't exactly gentle. Crime was everywhere, money was tight, and he learned to fight very early. This Mike Tyson biography starts on those streets, because you can't understand the fighter without them.

How Did Mike Tyson Grow Up?

The family started out in Bedford-Stuyvesant, then moved to Brownsville when Mike was ten. By thirteen, he'd been arrested dozens of times. Trouble eventually sent him to the Tryon School for Boys, where counselor Bobby Stewart, a former boxer, spotted his raw power and introduced him to trainer Cus D'Amato.

What Did Cus D'Amato Teach Him?

Plenty. D'Amato became his legal guardian after Tyson's mother died when he was sixteen, and he drilled the famous peek-a-boo style into him. Tyson won two Junior Olympic golds and the 1984 National Golden Gloves heavyweight title as an amateur. Then, at eighteen, he turned pro in Albany in March 1985.

How Old is Mike Tyson? Mike Tyson's Age Explained

He was born on June 30, 1966, so he's 60 right now. People keep searching for Mike Tyson's age for a good reason: he keeps returning to big events decades after his peak. Here's how old he was at six defining moments.

Career MomentDateAge
Won WBC title vs. Trevor BerbickNov 22, 198620
Knocked out Michael SpinksJun 27, 198821
Lost to Buster DouglasFeb 11, 199023
Lost to Evander HolyfieldNov 9, 199630
Lost to Lennox LewisJun 8, 200235
Lost to Jake PaulNov 15, 202458

Mike Tyson Boxing Record and Career at a Glance
Postage stamp featuring boxing images of Mike Tyson with the text “RÉPUBLIQUE TOGOLAISE.”

Fifty-nine pro fights over almost forty years, from 1985 to 2024. The Mike Tyson boxing record and career sum up neatly in the table below. It counts official pro bouts only, so his exhibitions, like the Roy Jones Jr. draw, aren't in there.

CategoryResult
Total fights59
Wins50
Wins by knockout44
Wins by decision5
Wins by disqualification1
Losses7
No contests2

Mike Tyson Career in Three Phases

Tyson's career splits into three very different chapters.

  • Rise (1985–1989): 19 straight pro knockouts to start, then all the heavyweight belts.
  • Fall and comeback (1990–1996): Douglas beat him, prison followed, and in 1996 he won back two belts.
  • Decline (1997–2005): Holyfield, Lewis, Williams, and McBride all beat him as the fire faded.

Mike Tyson Heavyweight Champion: How Did He Win it all?

It happened fast. Tyson took the WBC belt in November 1986, then added the WBA and IBF titles in 1987. No heavyweight had ever held all three at once. Let's look at the record he set first, then every belt he picked up.

Mike Tyson, Youngest Heavyweight Champion: How Did He do it?

On November 22, 1986, he stopped Trevor Berbick in round two to grab the WBC title. Tyson was 20 years and 4 months old. That still stands as the youngest any boxer has ever won a heavyweight title. One columnist of the era wrote that boxing had finally found a heavyweight worthy of its greatest names.

Mike Tyson Titles: Which Belts Did He Win?

Here are all the Mike Tyson heavyweight titles he collected across two separate reigns.

TitleOpponentDate
WBCTrevor BerbickNov 22, 1986
WBAJames SmithMar 7, 1987
IBFTony TuckerAug 1, 1987
The Ring (lineal)Michael SpinksJun 27, 1988
WBC (regained)Frank BrunoMar 16, 1996
WBA (regained)Bruce SeldonSep 7, 1996

In total, he beat 11 different fighters for a world heavyweight title, the seventh-most in history. He's also one of just a handful of men to win a heavyweight crown back after losing it.

Mike Tyson Knockout Record: How Powerful Was He?

Power made Tyson famous, and the Mike Tyson knockout record backs it up. Forty-four of his 50 wins ended by knockout, roughly 88 percent. He also opened his career with 19 straight knockouts, and 12 of them were over in the first round. A few that fans still talk about:

  • Marvis Frazier (1986): Two quick uppercuts, and he was out cold after 30 seconds.
  • Michael Spinks (1988): 91 seconds, first round, in the richest fight ever at that point.
  • Bruce Seldon (1996): A first-round finish for the WBA belt, though plenty of critics questioned how Seldon went down.

Mike Tyson Fights: Biggest Bouts Ranked

Ranking Mike Tyson fights is a fun argument, and there's no perfect answer. We've weighed the stakes, the shock factor, and how long each fight stayed in people's memory. Want more classics? Check out our list of the greatest boxing matches that shaped the sport.

RankFightDateResult
1Tyson vs Michael SpinksJun 27, 1988Win, KO round 1
2Tyson vs Buster DouglasFeb 11, 1990Loss, KO round 10
3Tyson vs Evander Holyfield IIJun 28, 1997Loss, DQ round 3
4Tyson vs Evander HolyfieldNov 9, 1996Loss, TKO round 11
5Lennox Lewis vs TysonJun 8, 2002Loss, KO round 8
6Tyson vs Trevor BerbickNov 22, 1986Win, TKO round 2
7Jake Paul vs TysonNov 15, 2024Loss, unanimous decision

Mike Tyson Fight History: Why Do These Bouts Matter?

Douglas is the big one. Tyson was a massive betting favorite in Tokyo, and he still got knocked out in round ten, one of the most shocking upsets in modern sports. Then came the Holyfield rematch, where he bit both of Holyfield's ears and was disqualified. Together they show a fighter who could look invincible one year and painfully human the next.

Mike Tyson Career Highlights and Boxing Achievements

Wins and losses only tell part of the story. Tyson picked up plenty of hardware too, and these Mike Tyson career highlights and Mike Tyson boxing achievements are the ones worth knowing.

  • The Ring named him Fighter of the Year twice, in 1986 and 1988.
  • He went into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011, in the same class as Julio César Chávez.
  • The Ring ranked him 16th on its 2003 list of the 100 greatest punchers ever, and ESPN put him first among the hardest hitters in heavyweight history.
  • His 2020 exhibition with Roy Jones Jr. ended in a draw, yet it was the best-selling pay-per-view of that year.

Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul: What Happened in 2024?

Tyson stepped into a pro ring again on November 15, 2024, facing Jake Paul at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The fight was meant for July, but an ulcer flare-up pushed it back. Paul took a unanimous decision over eight rounds, with scores of 80-72, 79-73, and 79-73.

It still drew the biggest boxing gate in US history outside Las Vegas. On paper, the loss moved his record to 50 wins, 7 losses, and 2 no contests.

Final Thoughts on Mike Tyson

Love him or not, Tyson's story has everything: talent, chaos, downfall, and comebacks. The numbers alone are wild, with 50 wins, 44 knockouts, and the youngest heavyweight title win ever. Bookmark this guide for the next time someone argues about his age, his belts, or his best fights.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is Mike Tyson?

Mike Tyson was born on June 30, 1966, so he's 60 years old in September 2026. That made him 58 when he faced Jake Paul at AT&T Stadium in Texas in November 2024.

What is Mike Tyson's boxing record?

He finished with 50 wins, 7 losses, and 2 no contests from 59 professional fights. Forty-four of those wins came by knockout, which works out to a knockout rate of about 88 percent.

Was Mike Tyson the youngest heavyweight champion?

Yes. He beat Trevor Berbick on November 22, 1986, and won the WBC title at just 20 years old. No other boxer has ever won a heavyweight world title at a younger age.

Who won Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul?

Jake Paul won by unanimous decision on November 15, 2024, by scores of 80-72, 79-73, and 79-73. It took place at AT&T Stadium in Texas and set a record boxing gate outside Las Vegas.

How many Mike Tyson heavyweight titles did he win?

In his first reign, he won the WBC, WBA, IBF, and The Ring titles by 1988. He later won back the WBC and WBA belts in 1996, then lost the WBA title to Holyfield.