The Irishman who made Mike Tyson quit

In June 2005, the then 38-year-old Mike Tyson fought his last serious fight. At that point, even though he had no wins behind him, he was still considered the main character of world boxing. His opponent, Kevin McBride, was not such a household name at the time, but he had dreamed of this opportunity since childhood.

The fight that changed lives

“I had the opportunity to fight him before, but it fell through. When they offered me the fight, they only offered me $150,000, but I would have fought him for nothing,” said the Irishman.

During his preparation, he completely gave up alcohol and sought the help of a hypnotist to strengthen himself mentally. “He told me he would rip me open like a fish,” McBride recalls.

He was helped in the camp by Paschal Collins, who emphasized that the plan was simple – lean on Tyson, use his weight and hit him with uppercuts, like Lennox Lewis and Danny Williams did.

“Kevin knew he had a chance, even though the whole gym was for Mike,” Collins added.

Tyson vs McBride

The fight lasted six tough rounds. Tyson headbutted McBride, tried to break his arm, and even bit him.

“I ended up needing 18 stitches. He hit me right on the head,” said the Irishman, who nevertheless withstood everything Tyson threw at him. After the sixth round, Mike’s trainer informed the referee that the fighter did not want to continue.

“The most feared man in the world surrendered to an Irishman, and that was me!” Kevin said with a smile.

“My idols were Mike and Muhammad Ali. That night I hugged Ali and said, ‘This is the greatest night of my life.’”

Kevin McBride still nostalgically remembers great matches and great moments that will forever be engraved in his memory. To find yourself in the ring with such a star and to offer such resistance is surely a moment that everyone dreams of.

Even as a kid, he dreamed of fighting Tyson, and only good boxers can make that dream come true.