Mike Tyson this combination. Expectations for Tyson were extremely high, and he was the favorite to win the heavyweight unification series, a tournament designed to establish an undisputed heavyweight champion. Tyson defended his title against James Smith on March 7, 1987, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He won by unanimous decision and added Smith's World Boxing Association (WBA) title to his existing belt. "Tyson-mania" in the media was becoming rampant. He beat Pinklon Thomas in May by TKO in the sixth round. On August 1 he took the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title from Tony Tucker in a twelve round unanimous decision, with
Mike Tyson vs. Lou Savarese it was the second quickest fight of his career, behind only his 30-second victory over Marvis Frazier in 1986. Mike Tyson vs. Lou Savarese Mike Tyson vs. Lou Savarese, billed as "Tyson's Back", was a professional boxing match contested on June 24, 2000. Mike Tyson was three fights into his latest comeback, which started on January 16, 1999 with a fifth-round knockout victory over former IBF Heavyweight champion Francois Botha. After a nine-month layoff due in large part to a four-month prison stint, Tyson met former WBA Cruiserweight champion Orlin Norris, but the bout ended in a no-contest after Tyson