Mike Tyson vs. Lou Savarese

Mike Tyson vs. Lou Savarese, billed as "Tyson's Back", was a professional boxing match contested on June 24, 2000.

"Tyson's Back"
DateJune 24, 2000
VenueHampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland
Title(s) on the lineNone
Tale of the tape
Boxer Mike Tyson Lou Savarese
Nickname "Iron"
Hometown Catskill, New York Houston, Texas
Pre-fight record 47–3 39–3
Weight 222 lb (101 kg) 241 lb (109 kg)
Style Orthodox Orthodox
Recognition WBO
No. 1 Ranked Heavyweight		 WBC
No. 17 Ranked Heavyweight

Background

Mike Tyson was three fights into his latest comeback, which started on January 16, 1999 with a fifth-round knockout victory over former IBF Heavyweight champion Francois Botha. After a nine-month layoff due in large part to a four-month prison stint,[1] Tyson met former WBA Cruiserweight champion Orlin Norris, but the bout ended in a no-contest after Tyson injured Norris with a punch that landed after the bell.[2] Three months later, Tyson had his first ever fight in the United Kingdom, easily defeating British journeyman Julius Francis by second-round knockout. It was then announced in February 2000 that Tyson would next meet fringe-contender Lou Savarese. Initially, the fight was set to take place in Milan, Italy in May,[3] but the bout was postponed after Tyson decided that he needed more time to train.[4] The fight was then moved to Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland and rescheduled for June 24, 2000. Though the decision to allow Tyson to return to the United Kingdom was met with protests because of Tyson's rape conviction,[5] the Glasgow city council voted 10–1 in favor of allowing Tyson to continue on with his match with Savarese.[6]

The fight

The first punch that Tyson landed was a left hand that dropped Savarese to the canvas. Savarese was able to get back up, but was met with a furious assault from Tyson. Referee John Coyle attempted to stop the fight at 26 seconds by getting in between the two, but Tyson continued to hammer away at Savarese, taking down Coyle in the process. Shortly after, Tyson's corner entered the ring and Tyson calmed down. Tyson was awarded the technical knockout victory after only 38 seconds of action, it was the second quickest fight of his career, behind only his 30-second victory over Marvis Frazier in 1986.

References
  1. Tyson Released Early From Jail for Good Behavior, N.Y. Times article, 1999-05-29, Retrieved on 2013-08-12
  2. In Bizarre Ending, Tyson Bout Is Declared a No Contest, N.Y. Times article, 1999-10-24, Retrieved on 2013-08-12
  3. Tyson and Savarese Set May Bout In Italy, Philadelphia Daily News article, 2000-03-11, Retrieved on 2013-08-12
  4. Site for Bout Yet to Be Determined, ESPN article, 2000-04-26, Retrieved on 2013-08-12
  5. Tyson Visa Sparks Protests, N.Y. Times article, 2000-05-19, Retrieved on 2013-08-12
  6. Tyson Fight Protested Again, N.Y. Times article, 2000-06-18, Retrieved on 2013-08-12
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