Jesse Ferguson hung on for dear life to become the first man to take Mike Tyson past five rounds in February 1986.
Tyson met Ferguson in his 18th professional outing after a remarkable freshman year in the paid ranks that saw him box 15 times in the space of 9 months.
Getty Images – GettyTyson fought Ferguson in his second year as a pro[/caption]
Every single one of his 17 previous contests had ended inside the distance, with only Californian journeyman Mike Jameson being able to extend Tyson to five rounds up to that point.
Ferguson went one better by clinching Tyson and smothering his work on the inside.
However, ‘Iron Mike’ eventually landed on the button in the fifth round with a booming right uppercut that sent Ferguson’s head into orbit.
The destructive blow broke Ferguson’s nose and left him flat on his back, although he bravely made his way back to his feet.
Sensing his man was still feeling the residual effects of the knockdown, Tyson leapt on Ferguson like a man possessed, unloading a blistering flurry of shots against the ropes.
Ferguson showed immense durability to see out the round, but when the sixth stanza started, he was no longer interested in engaging with the teenage sensation.
After eating a series of heavy shots, Ferguson was warned for holding and subsequently disqualified after not allowing the referee to break up the clinch.
The result was, however, later overturned to a TKO victory by the local commission to keep Tyson’s stoppage streak alive.
“I never get frustrated, because I know we have a ten-round limit and the crop of heavyweights nowadays have a little difficulty going the full ten rounds,” Tyson said in his post-fight interview with Hall of Fame commentator Jim Lampley.
“The way they have it planned in their mind to beat me is to jab, potshot, and grab me, but it’s ten rounds, and eventually, I’m going to catch them…
“In the fourth round, I was watching his shoulders and watching the punches he was throwing so I could counter them.
“At the end of the fourth round, I saw an opening and I knew I was gonna hit him with an uppercut and finish him.”
Nine months after his win over Ferguson, Tyson became the youngest heavyweight world champion of all time at 20 years, 4 months, and 22 days old when he knocked out WBC title holder Trevor Berbick inside two rounds.
He then snatched the WBA belt from James ‘Bonecrusher’ Smith in his next contest before unifying all three belts with a win over IBF champion Tony Tucker in 1987.
Ferguson, meanwhile, went on to have a long and punishing career.
His crowning achievement was an upset victory over Ray Mercer in 1993, which led to a shot at the WBA heavyweight title against Riddick Bowe
Ferguson was dispatched in two rounds and never came close to a title shot ever again.
The final stretch of his 44-fight career (26-18) saw him lose to Frak Bruno, Larry Holmes and Hasim Rahman before going the distance with Andrew Golota in his farewell fight in 1999.
