Mike Tyson hit opponent so hard that he walked out of the ring and quit fight, sparking worrying crowd trouble
Mike Tyson was one of the most intimidating and vicious fighters in his heyday. Yet he only ever made two fighters retire on their stools. Tyson fought Andrew Golota in 2000 in MichiganGetty Images - Getty One was the vastly overmatched Brian Nielsen who quit in his corner after six rounds, citing an eye injury, and the other was Andrew Golota. While Nielsen at least rolled the dice and went three more rounds with Tyson after being dropped by a heavy six-punch combination, Golota wanted out at the first whiff of adversity. Before the heavyweight titans collided at the Palace in Michigan in 2000 there was an overwhelming sense of the unknown. Both boxers were unpredictable loose cannons who carried enough dynamite in their fists to end the fight in a flash. The fight came two years before Tyson bit a chunk out of Evander Holyfield‘s ear in their controversial rematch, and Golota tried to do the same to Samson Poʻuha’s neck. The Polish powerhouse was also disqualified twice for landing repeated low blows on Riddick Bowe in back-to-back fights. In the build-up to Tyson and Golota’s heavily hyped contest, ‘Iron Mike’ admitted: “I feel bad for that little referee. “Between me and Golota, one of us might clock his a**.” The opening stanza got off to a frantic start with Tyson pouring on the pressure and decking his adversary with a stiff right hand. Golota picked himself up off the canvas to see out the round but when he got back to his corner he told his trainer Al Certo to ‘stop the fight’. AFPGolota was dropped by a big right hand in the first round and pleaded with his corner to pull him out[/caption] Certo refused to do so. “Don’t you dare you c**** sucker,” he barked. “You’re going to win this fight.” In the second round, Golota bit down on his gumshield and traded with Tyson but when the bell rang he pulled himself out of the fight. “Stop the fight,” Golota repeated over and over. Certo pleaded with his fighter to continue. “Shut up, don’t talk like that,” he shouted. ShowtimeHis trainer persuaded him to go out for the second stanza but quit after the end of the round[/caption] ShowtimeGolota then walked out of the ring as he was pelted with soda cans[/caption] “Come on you f***** you’re going to fight and you’re going to win this fight. “You’re going to win this fight. You aren’t quitting. You’re going to win this fight. “Cut it out. There are Polish people out there. What the f*** is wrong with you.” Golota then stood up and protested further. “No. Get off. I quit,” he said as he made his way over to the referee to inform him of his decision before making a beeline for the exit. As he walked out of the ring, the angry Michigan crowd pelted him with popcorn, soda cans and other inanimate objects. In the immediate aftermath, Golota blamed Tyson’s headbutts for his latest act of self-sabotage. “First of all, it wasn’t my day,” said a then 32-year-old Golota. “I was head-butted and the referee didn’t respond to it. That’s it.” Asked if he would fight again, Golota responded: “I will have to give heavy thought about it. I don’t know. “I didn’t fight this particular fight. He head-butted me, you know. Nobody took care of this.” Not only did Golota continue fighting, but he also managed to land three consecutive shots at the world heavyweight crown before eventually hanging up his gloves in 2013. The heavy-handed Pole was no doubt talented but his unhinged personality stopped him from achieving what many boxing pundits expected him to. He failed in all four of his attempts at the world title (the closest he came was a draw with Chris Byrd in 2004) and goes down as one of the many great ‘what ifs’ in boxing history. Follow talkBOXING on social media talkBOXING is now on Twitter and Facebook. Follow us on social media for big breaking boxing news, exclusive interviews and the best bits from our talkBOXING YouTube show. Like our Facebook page HERE Follow us on Twitter HERE Sign up for our WhatsApp channel HERE
Mike Tyson was one of the most intimidating and vicious fighters in his heyday.
Yet he only ever made two fighters retire on their stools.
One was the vastly overmatched Brian Nielsen who quit in his corner after six rounds, citing an eye injury, and the other was Andrew Golota.
While Nielsen at least rolled the dice and went three more rounds with Tyson after being dropped by a heavy six-punch combination, Golota wanted out at the first whiff of adversity.
Before the heavyweight titans collided at the Palace in Michigan in 2000 there was an overwhelming sense of the unknown.
Both boxers were unpredictable loose cannons who carried enough dynamite in their fists to end the fight in a flash.
The fight came two years before Tyson bit a chunk out of Evander Holyfield‘s ear in their controversial rematch, and Golota tried to do the same to Samson Poʻuha’s neck.
The Polish powerhouse was also disqualified twice for landing repeated low blows on Riddick Bowe in back-to-back fights.
In the build-up to Tyson and Golota’s heavily hyped contest, ‘Iron Mike’ admitted: “I feel bad for that little referee.
“Between me and Golota, one of us might clock his a**.”
The opening stanza got off to a frantic start with Tyson pouring on the pressure and decking his adversary with a stiff right hand.
Golota picked himself up off the canvas to see out the round but when he got back to his corner he told his trainer Al Certo to ‘stop the fight’.
Certo refused to do so. “Don’t you dare you c**** sucker,” he barked.
“You’re going to win this fight.”
In the second round, Golota bit down on his gumshield and traded with Tyson but when the bell rang he pulled himself out of the fight.
“Stop the fight,” Golota repeated over and over.
Certo pleaded with his fighter to continue.
“Shut up, don’t talk like that,” he shouted.
“Come on you f***** you’re going to fight and you’re going to win this fight.
“You’re going to win this fight. You aren’t quitting. You’re going to win this fight.
“Cut it out. There are Polish people out there. What the f*** is wrong with you.”
Golota then stood up and protested further.
“No. Get off. I quit,” he said as he made his way over to the referee to inform him of his decision before making a beeline for the exit.
As he walked out of the ring, the angry Michigan crowd pelted him with popcorn, soda cans and other inanimate objects.
In the immediate aftermath, Golota blamed Tyson’s headbutts for his latest act of self-sabotage.
“First of all, it wasn’t my day,” said a then 32-year-old Golota.
“I was head-butted and the referee didn’t respond to it. That’s it.”
Asked if he would fight again, Golota responded: “I will have to give heavy thought about it. I don’t know.
“I didn’t fight this particular fight. He head-butted me, you know. Nobody took care of this.”
Not only did Golota continue fighting, but he also managed to land three consecutive shots at the world heavyweight crown before eventually hanging up his gloves in 2013.
The heavy-handed Pole was no doubt talented but his unhinged personality stopped him from achieving what many boxing pundits expected him to.
He failed in all four of his attempts at the world title (the closest he came was a draw with Chris Byrd in 2004) and goes down as one of the many great ‘what ifs’ in boxing history.
