Mike Tyson claimed he fought through ‘broken back’ to KO rival in 49 seconds

Mike Tyson famously claimed his final 49-second KO win came with a debilitating back injury.

Tyson is one of the most famous KO artists of all-time, using his thunderous punch power to dominate the heavyweight division in a era of huge success for the boxing legend.

Despite achieving it all in the sport, things weren’t always simple for Tyson, especially at the back end of his career before eventual retirement in 2005.

Two years prior in 2003, the boxing icon came up against Clifford Etienne as he looked to get his career back on track after losing his undisputed clash with Lennox Lewis.

Many acknowledged he was coming to the back end of his career, but Tyson gave fans one final taste of what he was capable of at the peak of his powers.

Tyson burst out from his corner and frantic opening exchanges unfolded with Etienne initially giving as good as he received as the pair landed some powerful hooks.

And he knew it was a matter of time until he found his breakthrough, as he unleashed a thumping right hand which crashed into the target.

Etienne was folded in half, and was sent crashing to the canvas flat on his back just seconds into the contest.

Tyson helped his rival to his feet and the pair embraced with the crowd once again left on the edge of their seats by his quickfire KO.

But it was his words afterwards that live long in the memory, as Tyson remarkably claimed he had fought with a ‘broken back’.

The incident he referred to was still caused by issues he had sustained from a high-speed motorbike accident, which had seen him had surgery in 1997.

He told fans in a famous quote: “I broke my back. My back is broken.

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“[It was] spinal. I broke my back. I don’t even know how I’m standing. It’s a miracle.

“The doctor took me to the pain centre and I wasn’t supposed to fight, but what am I supposed to do. I’m going to take care of my family.”

It was a phenomenal claim that boxing fans were quick to pick up on and question given the ferocious power he unleashed in the ring.

The feat to win by such method with such a serious injury seemed almost impossible.

And when looking back at his career, Tyson went on to clarify his comments insisting he did not mean a fresh injury.

“Well listen right, I have a bad back and since all of the work that I’ve put over the years, the spine in my back just starts shifting,” he explained in 2020.

“I have to get the operation but the doctor said, ‘Hey eventually you’re gonna have to start bending over.’

“And so I was trying to explain my situation. I just wasn’t eloquent enough to explain it in the way I wanted it to be explained.”

Etienne is now serving an 105-year prison sentence following the conclusion of his boxing career, having been charged with armed robbery, attempted murder and kidnapping.

Tyson struggled severely with physical issues in the back end of his career which hampered his form and concluded a sad decline.

The American tore his knee ligaments in a stoppage defeat to Danny Williams in 2004, before his final fight came the year after.

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He was simply a shadow of himself as he was forced to retire on the stool against Kevin McBride in his final ever competitive fight, bringing a sad curtain down on his phenomenal career.

The veteran continues to suffer with medical issues to this day, including sciatica which has left him in a wheelchair and using a walking stick in periods.

Despite these mishaps physically, Tyson has returned to the ring in an exhibition with Roy Jones Jr in 2020.

But in even more mind-blowing circumstances, the 58-year-old will return in a sanctioned professional fight against Jake Paul on November 15.

The heavyweight great has already been forced to delay the bout once after suffering an ‘ulcer flare up’.

Although he is determined to prove his fitness, and has been keeping fans up to date with clips of training footage.

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