 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date | 24 June 2000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tale of the tape | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Result | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tyson wins via 1st-round TKO | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mike Tyson vs. Lou Savarese , billed as Tyson's Back, was a professional boxing match contested on June 24, 2000. [2]
| | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date | 24 June 2000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tale of the tape | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Result | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tyson wins via 1st-round TKO | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mike Tyson vs. Lou Savarese , billed as Tyson's Back, was a professional boxing match contested on June 24, 2000. [2]
Mike Tyson embarked on a comeback in 1999, marking his return to the ring after a nine-month hiatus, primarily due to a four-month prison sentence. [3] His comeback journey began with a victory on January 16, 1999, when he knocked out former world title challenger Francois Botha in the fifth round. Following this, Tyson faced former WBA Cruiserweight champion Orlin Norris, but their bout ended in a no-contest due to an accidental punch that landed after the bell. [4]
Three months later, Tyson had his first-ever fight in the United Kingdom, defeating British journeyman Julius Francis by a second-round knockout. In February 2000, Tyson announced his next opponent, fringe contender Lou Savarese. Initially slated for Milan in May, [5] the bout was postponed after Tyson reportedly needed more time to train. [6] The fight was then moved to Hampden Park in Glasgow, and rescheduled for 24 June. The decision to allow Tyson back into the United Kingdom sparked protests due to his prior rape conviction, [7] but Glasgow City Council ultimately voted 10–1 in favor of permitting the match to proceed. [8]
The undercard saw Commonwealth heavyweight champion Danny Williams stop Craig Bowen Price in the 1st round. Adam Watt defeat Bruce Scott by 4th round stoppage to win the vacant Commonwealth cruiserweight title. [9]
Former WBC super middleweight champion Robin Reid made his return to ring to the ring after 16 months, following his split decision loss to Joe Calzaghe, against Silvio Branco. Branco would upset Reid with a unanimous decision victory.
| Title(s) on the line | IBF light welterweight title | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tale of the tape | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Result | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Judah defeats Witter by unanimous decision | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In the chief support, IBF light welterweight champion Zab Judah faced late replacement Junior Witter. [10] Judah was originally set to face British light welterweight champion (and IBF 5th ranked) Jason Rowland however he was forced to pull out after one of his pitbull terriers bit off part of his left index finger. [11]
It would prove to be an awkward fight for Judah, as Witter rarely engaged in an extended exchange of punches. The challenger would also frequently switch between fighting right-handed and left-handed, making him an elusive opponent. Judah's consistent body punching slowed Witter down, and in the fifth round, Judah caught Witter with a straight left hand that hurt Witter and sent his mouthpiece skittering across the ring.
The fight went the full 12 rounds, where Judah defeated Witter by unanimous decision. the scorecards reading 116–112, 118–111 and 118–110. [12]
In the bout with Savarese, Tyson made a swift impact with a left hand that sent Savarese to the canvas. [13] Savarese managed to rise but faced a relentless onslaught from Tyson. Referee John Coyle attempted to intervene at 26 seconds, but Tyson continued to attack, even briefly taking down Coyle. Tyson's corner eventually entered the ring, and he regained his composure. The fight was declared a technical knockout victory for Tyson after only 38 seconds of action. [14] It was the second quickest fight of his career, behind only his 30-second victory over Marvis Frazier in 1986.
During his post-fight interview with Jim Gray of Showtime, Tyson called out Lennox Lewis, stating, "I was gonna rip his heart out. I'm the best ever. I'm the most brutal and vicious, the most ruthless champion there has ever been. No one can stop me. Lennox is a conqueror? No! He's no Alexander! I'm Alexander! I'm the best ever. I'm Sonny Liston. I'm Jack Dempsey. There's never been anyone like me. I'm from their cloth. There is no one who can match me. My style is impetuous, my defense is impregnable, and I'm just ferocious. I want your heart! I want to eat his children! Praise to Allah." [15] [16] [17]
Confirmed bouts: [18]
| Country | Broadcaster |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | Sky Sports |
 United States | Showtime |
Michael Gerard Tyson is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2005, with a post-retirement fight in 2024. Nicknamed "Iron Mike" and "Kid Dynamite" in his early career, and later known as "the Baddest Man on the Planet", Tyson is regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. He reigned as the undisputed world heavyweight champion from 1987 to 1990. Tyson won his first 19 professional fights by knockout, 12 of them in the first round. Claiming his first belt at 20 years, 4 months, and 22 days old, Tyson holds the record as the youngest boxer ever to win a heavyweight title. He was the first heavyweight boxer to simultaneously hold the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC), and International Boxing Federation (IBF) titles, as well as the only heavyweight to unify them in succession. The following year, Tyson became the lineal champion when he knocked out Michael Spinks in 91 seconds of the first round. In 1990, Tyson lost the undisputed heavyweight championship when he was knocked out by underdog Buster Douglas, making it one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.
Evander Holyfield is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1984 and 2011. He reigned as the undisputed champion in the cruiserweight division in the late 1980s and at heavyweight in the early 1990s, and was the only boxer in history to win the undisputed championship in two weight classes in the "three-belt era", a feat later surpassed by Terence Crawford, Naoya Inoue and Oleksandr Usyk, who became two-weight undisputed champions in the four-belt era. Nicknamed "the Real Deal", Holyfield is the only four-time world heavyweight champion, having held the unified World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC), and International Boxing Federation (IBF) titles from 1990 to 1992, the WBA and IBF titles again from 1993 to 1994, the WBA title a third time from 1996 to 1999; the IBF title a third time from 1997 to 1999 and the WBA title for a fourth time from 2000 to 2001.
DeMarcus Deon Corley is an American professional boxer. A veteran of the sport for more than two decades, he held the WBO junior welterweight title from 2001 to 2003, and has fought as a gatekeeper against many of boxing's biggest names.
James "Buster" Douglas is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1981 and 1999. He reigned as undisputed world heavyweight champion in 1990 after knocking out Mike Tyson. He also defeated other heavyweight world champions Oliver McCall, Trevor Berbick, and Greg Page.
Shannon Briggs is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1992 and 2016. He held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) heavyweight title from 2006 to 2007. Briggs was known for his formidable punching power and aggression, possessing an 88.3% knockout-to-win rate with 37 knockout wins in the first round.
Zabdiel Judah is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1996 to 2019. He held multiple world championships in two weight classes, including the undisputed championship at welterweight in 2005, and the lineal championship from 2005 to 2006. He also held the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight titles between 2000 and 2004, and the IBF title again in 2011. Judah's career ended in 2019 when he was hospitalized after suffering a brain bleed in a stoppage loss to Cletus Seldin.
Lou Savarese is an American former professional boxer and mixed martial artist who competed 1989 to 2013. He is from Greenwood Lake, New York. In January 1996, Savrese won IBF USBA Heavyweight title by knocking out former contender Buster Mathis Jr. in seven rounds. On April 26, 1997, he challenged for the Lineal Heavyweight Championship, and lost by a controversial split decision to the Lineal World Heavyweight Champion George Foreman. A year later on June 25, 1998, Savarese won the IBA World Heavyweight title against former Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion Buster Douglas by way of a first-round knockout. On June 24, 2000, he lost by a first-round technical knockout to former Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson. On September 22, 2002, Savarese won the vacant WBO Inter-Continental Heavyweight title, by way of a fifth-round TKO against former two-time World Heavyweight Champion Tim Witherspoon. On June 30, 2007, Savarese fought former four-time World Heavyweight Champion Evander Holyfield. He fought with great heart but lost by unanimous decision to a sharp looking Holyfield. Savarese announced after the fight that he had given it his all but it wasn't good enough, and this would be his last bout.
Junior Witter is a British former world champion professional boxer who competed from 1997 to 2015. He held the WBC light welterweight world title from 2006 to 2008 and challenged once for the IBF light welterweight title in 2000. At regional level, he held the British and Commonwealth light welterweight title from 2002 to 2005; the EBU European Union light welterweight title in 2003; and the EBU European light welterweight title from 2004 to 2005; and the British welterweight title in 2012. Witter is Bradford's first World Boxing Champion.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Zab Judah, billed as Sworn Enemies, was a boxing match for the IBF welterweight title which took place on April 8, 2006 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Paradise, Nevada between IBF welterweight champion Zab Judah and undefeated three-division champion Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Lucas Martín Matthysse is an Argentine former professional boxer who competed from 2004 to 2018. He held the WBA (Regular) welterweight title in 2018 and the WBC interim super lightweight title from 2012 to 2013. Matthysse was known for his aggressive pressure fighting style and formidable punching power. He is the younger brother of welterweight contender, Walter Matthysse and former featherweight world champion of boxing, Edith Soledad Matthysse.
Mike Tyson vs. Peter McNeeley, billed as He's Back, was a professional boxing match contested on August 19, 1995. The match marked the return of Mike Tyson to professional boxing after over four years away due to his 1991 arrest and subsequent conviction for rape in 1992 which led to Tyson serving three years in prison.
Mike Tyson vs. Buster Mathis Jr., billed as Presumption of Innocence, was a professional boxing match contested on December 16, 1995.
Mike Tyson vs. Francois Botha was a professional boxing match on January 16, 1999. Tyson won the match by knocking out Botha in the fifth round.
Mike Tyson vs. Andrew Golota, billed as Showdown in Motown, was a professional boxing match contested on October 20, 2000.
Lennox Lewis vs. Francois Botha, billed as The Homecoming, was a heavyweight professional boxing match contested between WBC, IBF, and IBO champion Lennox Lewis and the WBC's #9 ranked contender Francois Botha. The bout took place on 15 July 2000 at the London Arena in England. Lewis defeated Botha via second-round technical knockout to retain his heavyweight titles.
Mike Tyson vs. Brian Nielsen was a professional boxing match contested on 13 October 2001.
Wladimir Klitschko vs. Lamon Brewster was a professional boxing match contested on April 10 2004, at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the WBO Heavyweight Championship.
Zab Judah vs. Carlos Baldomir was a professional boxing match contested on January 7, 2006, for the WBC and The Ring welterweight championship.
Ricardo Mayorga vs. Vernon Forrest II, billed as the Battle of Orleans, was a professional boxing match contested on 12 July 2003, for the WBA, WBC and The Ring welterweight championship.
Cory Spinks vs. Zab Judah II, billed as Arch Rivals...Meet Me in St. Louis, was a professional boxing match contested on 5 February 2005, for the Undisputed welterweight championship.