In his heyday, Mike Tyson was one of boxing’s most terrifying pugilists. Blessed with an inimitable blend of thunderous knockout power, blistering speed, and animalistic aggression, ‘Iron Mike’ struck fear into the hearts of nearly everyone who faced him. This was only magnified by his prison sentence.

After being institutionalized, Tyson was regarded as someone who had legitimized his fearsome reputation and persona by both surviving and thriving in one of the world’s most harrowing environments. Others, however, were concerned by the potential effects of ring rust upon Tyson’s eventual return to boxing.

So after four years, ‘Iron Mike’ was paroled, and the combat sports world awaited his return to the squared circle with bated breath. Fortunately, Tyson still had plenty of fight left in the tank.

#5. Mike Tyson vs. Peter McNeeley, 1995

The very first fight upon Mike Tyson’s return was one of the most highly anticipated bouts in boxing history. His opponent was Peter McNeeley, a then 36–2 knockout artist who had only gone to decision six times. Ahead of the matchup, a confident McNeeley promised to welcome Tyson back with a horrifying beating.

Come fight night, he sought to make good on that promise by pressing the action the moment the bout began. However, less than 10 seconds into round one, McNeeley found his flurries evaded by Tyson, who floored him with a hard straight. While McNeeley beat the 8 count, it was the beginning of the end.

Check out Mike Tyson vs. Peter McNeeley:

Not long afterward, Tyson again sent McNeeley crashing into the canvas, this time with an uppercut. Dazed past the point of recovery, McNeeley was in no condition to continue, so his manager stepped into the ring to call off the fight. Unfortunately, he did so before the round had ended, causing Tyson to win via disqualification.

#4. Mike Tyson vs. Clifford Etienne, 2003

Ironically, the last fight that Mike Tyson won under a professional rule-set was still a vintage performance, despite concerns regarding his conditioning. He took on Clifford Etienne, a 24–1–1 heavyweight with a high knockout percentage. But the conclusion was never in doubt in Tyson’s mind. Etienne was no one of importance.

‘Iron Mike’ stormed his foe off the gate, forcing Etienne into clinching desperately to survive. Both men lost their footing, tumbling toward the canvas. After the action was restarted by the referee, Tyson swarmed Etienne. He missed, Etienne responded, and both men clinched once more.

Check out Mike Tyson vs. Clifford Etienne:

The second time the action was reset, Tyson knocked Etienne down with a right from which his opponent never recovered. Flat on his back, Etienne was unable to make his way back to his feet. Tyson walked away with a knockout win, and it had only taken him 49 seconds.

#3. Mike Tyson vs. Julius Francis, 2000

Julius Francis had no business being in the ring with ‘Iron Mike’. The Englishman was a multi-discipline combat sports athlete and one of the few boxers to have ever ventured into the realm of mixed martial arts. But his record in the squared circle of boxing was disappointing, even back then.

He was 21–8. Naturally, Tyson dominated him in near-superhuman fashion, scoring two knockdowns in round one. All Francis could do was clinch in a listless bid to survive the onslaught. Come round two, ‘Iron Mike’ needed just 45 seconds to knock him down for a third time.

Check out Mike Tyson vs. Julius Francis:

Two more knockdowns followed in quick succession, and the referee called an immediate end to the bout, sparing Francis from additional punishment. Unfortunately, the referee’s mercy was a little too late. Francis was never the same again and went on to lose 16 of his next 19 fights.

#2. Mike Tyson vs. Frank Bruno 2, 1996

In 1996, Frank Bruno was on a quest for vengeance. He had lost to Mike Tyson via fifth-round TKO back in 1989. But by the time of their second matchup, Bruno was a different man. He was the reigning WBC heavyweight champion, which was ironically one of the titles that Tyson had defended against him in 1989.

It was Tyson’s first crack at a world title since his release from prison, and many wondered if he could recapture the magic of his championship glory days. So when both men locked horns, anticipation was high. They spent most of round one trading blows, with Tyson stunning Bruno at one point, forcing several clinches.

Check out Mike Tyson vs. Frank Bruno 2:

The champion survived to see the end of the round and relied on clinching to smother Tyson’s offense. However, in round three, a vicious Tyson combination sealed Bruno’s fate, melting him against the ropes before the referee awarded him the TKO win. And just like that, ‘Iron Mike’ was a heavyweight champion once more.

#1. Mike Tyson vs. Bruce Seldon, 1996

After his second win over Frank Bruno, ‘Iron Mike’ challenged Bruce Seldon in a champion vs. champion bout. Tyson was the reigning WBC heavyweight champion, while Seldon—a 33–3 power-puncher at the time—was the WBA heavyweight champion.

The fight was contested for Seldon’s WBA title and ranks among one of Tyson’s easiest victories. In just under two minutes, Tyson overwhelmed his foe in classic fashion, knocking him down with a crushing left hook. While Seldon managed to beat the referee’s 8 count, it was for naught.

Check out Mike Tyson vs. Bruce Seldon:

Another knockdown followed, courtesy of a second left hook from Tyson. Stumbling on his feet, Seldon was declared unfit to continue, and ‘Iron Mike’ had recaptured WBA heavyweight gold. Such was Tyson’s dominance in the fight that some even wondered whether it was a fix.