Mike Tyson vs. Michael Spinks was a boxing match which took place on Monday June 27, 1988. Both men were undefeated and each had a claim to being the legitimate heavyweight champion. At the time, Tyson held the belts of all three of the major sanctioning organizations…World Boxing Council (WBC)….World Boxing Association (WBA)….and International Boxing Federation (IBF)….while Spinks was the Ring champion and was considered the lineal champion…..to say there were just too many champions would be an understatement.…but in truth….this was at a time when the golden age of boxing was winding down…..as Irom Mike Tyson, Evander “The Truth” Holyfield and Lennox Lewis were the last of the super great heavyweight boxers during the end of the era full of awesome heavyweight fighters.
This fight was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey and promoted as “once and for all”….which I happen to agree with…..and guess what….it was the richest fight in boxing history to that point, grossing some $70 million….of which Tyson earned a record purse of around $20 million and Spinks $13.5 million.…..and since Tyson won the fight by knocking out Spinks in 91 seconds into the fight…..I think that Tyson just might have set a record that will never be broken…..dang folks, $20 million for 91 seconds equates to $900,000,000 per hour….which kinda makes Spinks $607,000,000 per hour almost 2nd class.
You will read many of this lil ole Chiweenie Sportsphile’s writings that express my personal opinion regarding how television and money has tainted sports indelibly….and this heavyweight boxing event is living proof of the core belief that had money like $900,000,000 per hour ever come into the really super legendary athletes lives (the era of television sports)….we would have seen more of the best of these HUMAN gems. Don’t believe me…..look what money did to one of the really great “pit-bulldog pugilists” of all time to ever enter the ring….for Mike Tyson was the perfect “ring gladiator”.
This video is a special one….cuz this program is HBO’s follow-up to the fight…as they so often did in the golden age of boxing….where boxing analyst Larry Merchant would present the fight from his perspective…..which was unique in delivery but always on point….as he does and in-studio with Mike Tyson’s ex-trainer Kevin Rooney…..followed up by a panel discussion with Mike Katz with the NY Daily News, Wally Matthews with the New York Newsday and Phil Berger of the New York Times…..and finally an interview with Tyson’s long time manager, Bill Clayton.
After you watch this program….you tell me if money didn’t create the whole drama that became Mike Tyson’s life once he came into money.
So, when you have the opportunity to watch one who was legendary in the ring….you just need to do it….so ENJOY.
