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. Tony Tucker racking up 14 consecutive victories, landing him another shot at the WBC Heavyweight championship against Lennox Lewis, though he would ultimately lose via unanimous decision. Tucker later stated that he broke his right hand early in the fight, after damaging it in pre-fight sparring. Tucker stated: "I hit him with a right uppercut early and my hand just shattered. It was the worst pain ever. I still went on though, that’s why I did all those antics and everything." Mike Tyson vs. Tony Tucker Mike Tyson vs. Tony Tucker, billed as "The Ultimate", was a professional boxing match contested on