Heavyweight icon Tyrell Biggs has fought boxing’s very best from Mike Tyson to Lennox Lewis.
Biggs, a gifted heavyweight himself, was knocked out by both former undisputed champions, but found one man stronger than both of them in his 40-fight career.
American Biggs turned professional in 1984 after winning a gold medal in the Los Angeles Summer Olympics that year, with a wealth of amateur experience.
His challenge for the undisputed crown came against Tyson in the biggest fight of his career three years later, but he was stopped in the seventh round in an agonising defeat. It was one of Iron Mike’s most dominant performances.
Then in 1990, Biggs fought Lewis but was stopped in the third round and was simply outclassed on the night, with many suggesting his career was never the same after his defeat to Tyson.
Despite suffering brutal losses at the hands of two greats, Biggs named Jeff Sims as his strongest and hardest-hitting opponent, whom he fought and beat in 1986.
He told The Ring in 2020: “I fought him early in my career, after about seven or eight fights. He was stronger than Tyson, Bowe and Lewis.
“He was a big puncher and I never felt punches harder. Everywhere he would land it would kind of bother me. He hit me on my collarbone and broke it.
“If he caught me right, he’d probably have stopped me. I would say Tyson hit harder out of him, Lewis and Bowe. [Teofilo] Stevenson was the biggest puncher I faced in my amateur career.”
When asked about stepping in the ring with Tyson, he recalled: “No doubt [Tyson had improved]. In the amateurs you’re still green and I was better than him at that time.
“Once he turned pro, he stayed at it, improved on the things he needed to improve on and became the better fighter. He was on top form.
“I think that night he would have beat Holyfield, knocked out Lewis, he would have beat anybody that night. I think he’d have been a handful for anybody in history on that night.”
Lewis, who he beat en route to gold in 1984, had the best boxing skills he faced in the ring as well as footwork.
“Being tall he was able to be elusive and slip and slide. He was technically very good. Boxing him was like boxing yourself.
“When I would maneuver to do things to him, he would maneuver to do the same thing back to me.
“That made it difficult when you had someone with good footwork.”
Despite Sims’ frightening power, Biggs still named Tyson as the best overall fighter he touched gloves with.
‘Iron’ had a huge career at the top of the division, becoming the youngest heavyweight champion ever at the age of just 20.
He is widely considered one of the best of all-time, having touched gloves with the likes of Lewis, Evander Holyfield and Frank Bruno.
The power-punching phenom also reigned as undisputed king for three years from 1987 to 1990, but suffered a devastating ending to his career.
He suffered back-to-back defeats against Danny Williams and Kevin McBride, which saw him bring a sad end to his time in the professional ranks in 2005.
Tyson was also forced to return to the ring again, as he looked to continue to restore his financial earnings which he largely lost from his professional career.
The American returned in a 2020 exhibition clash with Roy Jones Jr, purely for entertainment, in an event which saw him generate a lucrative purse.
He once again became one of the biggest names in boxing, with the younger generation of fans getting to see one of the most ferocious punchers in history grace the squared circle again.
Astonishingly even after that famous night in 2020, his time in the boxing ring wasn’t done.
He would agree to step back in the ring in a showdown with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in 2024, an event which became record-breaking for many reasons.
Tyson’s health became a subject of concern at the age of 58, but nonetheless despite a health scare hampering the original date, he chose to make a full return.
But he was unfortunately beaten on points by the younger and fresher fighter, who had nothing like the experience of the great former heavyweight king.
He looked a shadow of himself and was unable to let his hands go and attack Paul, in yet another disappointing ending to a stellar career.
Nonetheless he pocketed $20 million for the pleasure, and declared it would be his final bow.
