Kevin McBride spoiled Mike Tyson’s plans to revive his career, but took some serious punishment along the way.
Tyson, who was 38 on what proved to be his final fight night in June 2005, had been stopped the previous summer by Danny Williams, and in turn sacrificed the opportunity to fight Vitali Klitschko later in 2004.
Tyson looked to revive his career – but was beaten in a devastating final bow in boxingGettyHe regardless – particularly at a time when Lennox Lewis’ retirement had undermined the appeal of the heavyweight division – remained the world’s highest-profile active fighter.
But he was matched against Irish journeyman McBride, in what was to bring a curtain down on his stellar career as one of the most feared heavyweights of all-time.
“I’d always dreamed about fighting him since I was a kid,” the overlooked McBride recalled from fight night in a chat with talkSPORT.com.
“I’d had a couple of other opportunities to fight him and they fell through. When I got offered the fight it was small money – $150,000 – but I’d have fought him for nothing.
“He was an animal [in his prime]. He was knocking people out.
“I had a big heart, and heavy hands. [But] he was the most intimidating fighter I ever fought. He hit the hardest – I know it was years ago, but I still fucking feel the punches today.”
McBride had won his previous seven fights when he started preparing for Tyson.
The Irishman enlisted the help of Paschal Collins, his one-time amateur team-mate, and Goody Petroneilli, once so influential in the career of the great Marvin Hagler; he also trained in Brockton, which Hagler had made his home, and took inspiration from another heavyweight great.
“The DW Park was where Rocky Marciano used to do all his running, because he’s from Brockton, and it’s right by our gym,” explained Collins. “This was the same run Rocky Marciano did every day.
“We brought everything back to basics; got the roadwork in, because it’s all about fitness – fighting Tyson at [almost] 39 years of age. If you’re strong enough; fit enough; and have the right game plan, you can beat him.”
Tyson was a monster in his prime, starting his pro career with a huge 27-fight KO streakGetty Tyson then became the youngest ever heavyweight champion in 1986GETTYMcBride had previously struggled with alcoholism, but his determination to upset Tyson and transform his life meant that he lived cleanly throughout the fight’s build-up.
“He was telling me he was going to gut me like a fish,” McBride said of the first time he and Tyson encountered each other. “I [also] went to a hypnotist [to help prepare].”
None other than Cinderella Man, in which Russell Crowe played James J Braddock – one of the unlikeliest of heavyweight champions – was in the cinema the week of Tyson-McBride, and the underdog and Collins went to watch it three nights before the then-32-year-old was due in the ring.
“I was like the modern-day Cinderella Man, fighting Tyson, because there weren’t too many giving me a chance of beating him,” he said.
“‘Kevin, that’s you,’” said Collins. “That’s gonna be you – Cinderella Man.’
“The training camp [was] a really tough training camp. The game plan, we looked at Lennox Lewis fight Tyson; we looked at Danny Williams, who’d just beaten Tyson.
Tyson went on to become of the sport’s biggest superstars and a true KO artistGETTY Tyson then fought and lost twice in one of sport’s biggest rivalries against Holyfieldgetty‘When he gets in close, lean on him, put your chest on his head, and put all the weight of your body on him.’ We done that – and uppercuts, and that’s where Danny Williams was landing shots. We were looking at them fights that Tyson lost.
“[On fight night] we were in the venue, and it was 99 per cent Tyson fans, and one per cent Irish. But Kevin just knew that he had a chance.”
“I was asked what was going through my head before the bell went and I said, ‘Honestly, what the – have I got myself into?’”
What then followed, for six rounds, was one of his most bruising fights.
“Tyson headbutted him; tried to break his arm; hit him low,”he continued.
“He done everything that Tyson does to win, and we knew that Tyson was worried, because when he goes to them tactics, the other tactics ain’t working. ‘Kevin, hang in there; keep putting the weight on.’”
Forty seconds into the sixth round, the referee Joe Cortez deducted two points from Tyson for intentionally headbutting McBride, who was cut over his right eye.
McBride, then 32, absorbed Tyson’s pressure and by the round’s conclusion had Tyson on the ropes.
“Goody Petronelli – I got cut and come back to the corner, he actually stopped the bleeding,” said McBride. “Tyson was trying to win at all costs; trying to break me arm; trying to bite me nipple off.
“I needed 18 stitches afterwards. He got me with a good headbutt – it was well timed.”
He succeeded with a succession of right hands and uppercuts that then hurt the once-feared, former champion, and to the extent that Tyson landed on the canvas via his backside and was partly kept upright by the bottom rope.
Cortez, in what was perhaps a reflection of the extent to which the platform had been provided for Tyson – paid $5.5m – to secure victory, ruled that McBride had pushed him, but it mattered little.
Iron Mike’s trainer Jeff Fenech recognised that his fighter was finished.
Tyson”s big night came in 2002 as he fell to defeat against Lennox LewisGetty And a 38-year-old struggling Tyson lost to McBride – ending his career in heartbreakGettyHe told Cortez at the round’s conclusion that Tyson would not be returning for the seventh.
The referee waved the action over, confirming that McBride had secured a life-changing win.
Mike Tyson's emotional retirement announcement
After deciding he could take no more, Tyson bid an emotional farewell to the world of boxing.
In his post fight interview, he said: “I would have like to have continued but as soon as I was getting beat on I realised I don’t think I have it anymore.
“I got the ability to stay in shape, but I don’t got the fighting guts I don’t think anymore.
“I’m just sorry I let everyone down, I don’t have this in my heart anymore.
“I’m just fighting to take care of my bills basically, I don’t have the stomach for this anymore, I’m more conscious of my children and those guys, I’m looking at my opponents, I just don’t have that ferocity, I’m not an animal anymore.
“Yeah, most likely I’m not going to fight again, I’m not going to disrespect the sport anymore by losing like a coward in fights.”
“The referee said I pushed him,” said McBride. “Fair enough, it kind of looked like it, but I got him with some great uppercuts, and I could feel the energy sapping out of him, and it was only a matter of time.
“I was sad for him. He’s a legend. But at the same time, when you go in the ring, you wanna win.
“The most feared man in the world quit against an Irishman, and that was me.
“I’d idolised him and Muhammad Ali, and I got to meet Muhammad Ali the same night because his daughter [Laila] fought on the undercard, and I gave him a big hug and said, ‘This is the biggest night of my life’.”
Tyson was to return for a final time against Jake Paul in a professional bout in 2024, which also ended in defeat.
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