Looking back at the Mike Tyson-James Tillis bout in 1986

On May 3, 1986, a young, ferocious Mike Tyson faced James Tillis at the Civic Center, Glens Falls, New York, in a bout that saw “Iron Mike” taken the full 12 rounds for the first time in his career. It was a tough night for Tyson, and Big Fight Weekend are taking you back to fight night.

Mike Tyson Goes the Distance Against James Tillis

Mike Tyson vs. Mike Tillis Recap

Tillis successfully avoided the power punches of Tyson for four rounds – while firing back with nice combinations at different points. In the fourth – Tillis threw a left hook, which was evaded by “Iron Mike” who countered with a short, sharp left hook of his own that knocked “The Fighting Cowboy” to the canvas. 

Tillis went back to avoiding Tyson’s power punches, which was frustrating “Iron Mike.” He proved an awkward opponent for Tyson, who struggled to land the volume of punches he was used to, and Tillis made it to the final bell.

Despite a brave effort, in being the first fighter to take Tyson 12 rounds, Tillis ultimately lost, with the judge’s scorecards reading 6-4 x2 and 8-2, all in favour of “The Baddest Man on the Planet.”

Career Highlights

After defeating the Tulsa native, Tyson had an eventful career filled with greatness and controversy. Highlight victories included the one-round destruction of Michael Spinks, two wins over Frank Bruno and a brutal destruction of Trevor Berbick to win his first world title, the WBC heavyweight strap.

Incredibly, we haven’t seen the last of “Iron Mike” in the ring as he prepares to face Jake Paul at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys on July 20, 2024. The card will be streamed live and exclusively on Netflix. The co-main event will be undisputed super lightweight world champion Katie Taylor (23-1, 6 KOs) against Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (46-2-1, 30 KOs).