Why they rank here
At his peak the most terrifying force boxing has seen, Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in history at 20 years and 4 months, winning the WBC title in 1986 and unifying all three belts to reign as undisputed champion by 1987. Trained in Cus D'Amato's peek-a-boo style, he fused a shorter man's crouch and head movement with explosive one-punch power in both hands, blitzing the division and demolishing Michael Spinks in 91 seconds in 1988. His record finished 50-6 with 44 knockouts. The shocking 1990 upset by Buster Douglas, a prison term, and the 1997 disqualification for biting Evander Holyfield fractured what might have been an all-time-great career into a merely great and unforgettable one. But at his best, roughly 1986 to 1989, few heavyweights in history project the aura of inevitability Tyson did, and none matched his blend of speed, power and intimidation.
Career profile
Each bar shows how this athlete compares with the strongest in our all-time list for that metric.