Mike Tyson’s first ever defeat in a boxing ring came to a 25-year-old man when he was just 16.
After being discovered in a juvenile detention centre as a mere child, Iron Mike was famously sent to train with legendary coach Cus D’Amato.
The youngster spent a few months beginning to learn his craft before having his first real experience in the ring at age 13.
For three full years, he went unbeaten as an amateur.
Even then, Tyson was renowned for his punching power and he smashed through a series of young foes in the unpaid ranks.
At age 16 though, he suffered his first amateur defeat.
Tyson recalled the story on his Hotboxin’ Podcast: “I lost my first amateur fight when I was around 16 years old.
“I fought a guy [who was] 25.
“It was a close fight, I fought real hard. The guy was smart, he was a little bit more experienced than I was.
“But that sort of helped me learn a lot. I’m so happy I had that, or else I would’ve learned later in life.
“That was my first loss in the amateurs. It was in Boston, he was a local boy. I’ll never forget it.”
Not much of Tyson’s amateur record is public knowledge as record keeping was sparse on most low level unpaid contests, especially at junior level.
However, his progress at the 1983 USA National Golden Gloves can be mapped.
Tyson was 16 at the time of the tournament, on the verge of turning 17.
He travelled to the Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico to compete and had a good deal of success.
Tyson won the first three bouts by stoppage, then the semi-final on points.
In the final, he was beaten on points by Craig Payne in what may well have been his second ever amateur loss.
Payne was five years older than Tyson at 21 when the fight took place.
Iron Mike’s next recorded amateur defeats came the following year.
Tyson famously lost twice to Henry Tillman in the USA Olympic Trials final and USA Olympic Box-Offs.
As a result, it was Tillman who represented the country at the 1984 Olympics and he won gold.
Tyson got his revenge in 1990 as he KO’d Tillman in the first round when they met as professionals.
