Former Opponent Explains How Mike Tyson 'Survived' Getting KO'd

In their first meeting, Frank Bruno came close to ending the undisputed record of Mike Tyson.

In 1989, Tyson finally faced England’s Bruno in a fight that was previously cancelled five times.

The epic showdown between two colossal heavyweights didn’t last long after the then-undefeated Tyson dismantled Bruno in the fifth round.

However, “Iron Mike” admitted that the Brit’s punches almost knocked him out, referring to it as “like electricity.”

Reflecting on his botched win over Tyson, Bruno recalled that he thought he was about to finish “The Baddest Man on the Planet” early in the fight, but to his surprise, his rival was “quick” to recover and survived.

“When he finally got in the ring I tried to finish him [Tyson] but he’s very short and he survived by bobbing and weaving,” Bruno exclusively told The Guardian of his first fight against Tyson. “He recovered very quick.”

It didn’t take long before someone got the job of beating Tyson done. A year after Bruno vs. Tyson I, the Brooklyn native was knocked out by James “Buster” Douglas.

Bruno, on the other hand, went on to win eight of his next 10 fights.

In 1996, the pair crossed paths once again, but instead of having his revenge on Tyson, Bruno ended up getting TKO’d in the third round.

Further revealing what happened during the second fight, Bruno bared that he had a damaged eye when he took on Tyson.

Looking back, the London native conceded that he made a wrong call to continue fighting with one of his most vital senses impaired.

“I took a big risk but I’ve got family to provide for and I couldn’t rob a bank,” the former WBC heavyweight champ recounted. “Sometimes in boxing, you think if you’ve lost one eye, you’ve still got the other eye. If you damage one hand, you’ve got the other hand. In the ring, you go mind over matter.”

“When your eye is not right your mind is there 80% but the other 20% is worried about your sight,” he continued. “The reality hits you in your dressing room so I just went out there and winged it. The fight only went three rounds before he stopped me. You could say it’s brave but it’s very stupid.”

Heading into the rematch against Tyson, Bruno was coming off a unanimous decision win over Oliver McCall. For the 59-year-old, he should’ve called it a career at that time.

“[It was] one of the craziest things I’ve ever done,” the boxing legend concluded. “It would have been wise to retire after I won the world title against Oliver McCall, but I’ve got kids who go to private school. Private school for each kid costs £1 million ($1.4 million). I’ve got four kids and all four have been to private school – one of them is still there.”