30 Years ago Mike Tyson defeated Frank Bruno by third-round technical knockout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Paradise, Nevada, to capture the WBC heavyweight championship. The bout, billed as The Championship: Part I, marked the second meeting between the two heavyweights.
Bruno entered the fight as the reigning WBC champion with a record of 40-4 (38 KOs) after defeating Oliver McCall to win his first world title in September 1995. Tyson, 43-1 (37 KOs) at the time, returned to title contention after his release from prison in 1995 and victories over Peter McNeeley and Buster Mathis Jr. The matchup followed a contract arrangement that required the winner of Bruno’s fight with McCall to defend the belt against Tyson.
Tyson applied pressure from the opening bell, repeatedly attacking with right hands while Bruno attempted to slow the pace by clinching. In the final moments of the first round Tyson landed a powerful right that staggered the champion, though Bruno recovered before the bell. Bruno also suffered a cut over his left eye during the early exchanges.
The challenger continued his aggressive approach in the second round as Bruno again resorted to grappling to limit Tyson’s offense. Early in the third round Tyson slipped a jab and unleashed a rapid 13-punch combination that overwhelmed Bruno and referee Mills Lane decided to stop the contest and award Tyson the victory by TKO.
The fight proved to be the final bout of Bruno’s career. Although he initially discussed a potential third fight with Tyson, doctors later advised him that continuing to box could risk permanent damage to his eyesight. Tyson later turned his attention to WBA champion Bruce Seldon, eventually defeating him by first-round knockout to add the WBA title to his collection.
Image Credit: AllSport