On January 22, 1988, American boxing legend Mike Tyson successfully retained his undisputed heavyweight title after defeating Larry Holmes at Trump Plaza in Atlantic City. The 21-year-old Tyson (50-6-2, 44 KOs) put his WBA, WBC, and IBF heavyweight titles on the line and locked horns with Larry Holmes (69-6, 44 KOs), as it turned out to be one of the biggest boxing events at that time.
Mike Tyson versus Larry Holmes is still regarded as one of the most iconic events in boxing history even after years of retirement of both great boxers. In the end, Mike Tyson continued his great form in his prime years and defeated former champion Larry Holmes by KnockOut in the fourth round. It was one of the most talked about events at that time and had a huge hype among the fans.
I made it clear to Larry Holmes that his career is unquestionably over: Mike Tyson said after the fight
Mike Tyson stunned the former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes and knocked him out in four rounds. “I made it clear to Larry Holmes that his career is unquestionably over,” Tyson said after that fight. “He was a great champion in his time, but this isn’t his time anymore,” he added. However, there were also some issues related to Holmes health during the fight.
Despite several challenges, Larry Holmes fought till the end and also heaped praised on Mike Tyson after the fight. “I found out that Mike Tyson is better than I thought,” Larry Holmes said after the match.
Many believed that this was the end of Larry Holmes in boxing. However, he went on to have another 26 fights for more than a decade. On the other hand, Mike Tyson went on to have a legendary boxing career and is regarded as one of the greatest boxers off all time.
