50 free Mike Tyson trivia questions with answers — sports quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
Mike Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in history at 20, unified all three major belts, and knocked out Michael Spinks in 91 seconds. Then came the Tokyo upset, prison, the bite fight, a cartoon, a Broadway show and, at 58, a Netflix bout with Jake Paul watched by 65 million people at once. Few sporting lives pack in more. These 50 questions follow the whole arc: Brownsville and the Tryon School, Cus D'Amato and the peek-a-boo style, the Berbick, Spinks and Holmes fights, Buster Douglas at 42/1, Evander Holyfield's ear, Lennox Lewis in Memphis, Punch-Out!! and Mr. Dream, WrestleMania XIV, The Hangover, Undisputed Truth, the pigeons and the exhibition with Roy Jones Jr. Easy questions stick to the famous moments; the harder tier asks who counted him out in Tokyo, who refereed the Ruddock controversy and which Nintendo executive put him in a video game. Every answer is cited to a page we checked, with a short explanation so you learn something even when you miss. Play it solo or print it for fight night.
30 of 50 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01In which New York City borough was Tyson born in 1966?
Brooklyn
He was born at Cumberland Hospital in Fort Greene and later grew up in Brownsville.
Q 02Alongside 'Iron Mike', what was Tyson's other early-career nickname?
Kid Dynamite
Later in his career he was billed as 'the Baddest Man on the Planet'.
Q 03At what age did Tyson become the youngest heavyweight champion in history?
20
He won the WBC belt at 20 years and 4 months.
Q 04Whom did Tyson beat in November 1986 for his first world title?
Trevor Berbick
The second-round TKO made him WBC champion; the WBA and IBF belts followed in 1987.
Q 05How many seconds did Tyson need to knock out Michael Spinks in 1988?
91
Many consider that first-round finish the peak of his fame and ability.
Q 06In which city did Tyson lose his undisputed title to Buster Douglas in 1990?
Tokyo
The bout at the Tokyo Dome is widely called the biggest upset in boxing history.
Q 07What odds did the Mirage casino give against Douglas beating Tyson?
42/1
The Mirage was the only casino that even bothered to post a line on the fight.
Q 08Which referee counted Tyson out in the tenth round against Douglas?
Octavio Meyran
Tyson's camp complained that Douglas had been given a slow count after going down in the eighth.
Q 09Which trainer became Tyson's legal guardian after his mother died?
Cus D'Amato
He died in November 1985, only months into Tyson's professional career.
Q 10Which counselor at the Tryon School for Boys first spotted Tyson's boxing ability?
Bobby Stewart
Stewart noticed the teenager could bench press more than his own weight.
Q 11What was the name of the high-guard defensive style Tyson learned from his mentor?
Peek-a-boo
Gloves held close to the cheeks let him slip and weave under punches while pressing forward.
Q 12Which longtime trainer did Tyson fire in late 1988?
Kevin Rooney
Critics said Tyson showed less head movement and combination punching after the split.
Q 13Which assistant trainer was dismissed from Tyson's camp when the fighter was 15?
Teddy Atlas
Atlas went on to become a celebrated trainer and broadcaster in his own right.
Q 21Against which journeyman did Tyson quit on his stool before round seven in 2005?
Kevin McBride
He later admitted he took the fight for a payday and did not expect to win.
Q 22Which platform streamed the Jake Paul fight in November 2024?
Netflix
Some 65 million concurrent viewers made it the most-streamed sporting event ever at the time.
Q 23At which venue did Tyson fight Jake Paul?
AT&T Stadium
The Arlington, Texas bout became the biggest boxing gate in US history outside Las Vegas.
What medical problem postponed the Jake Paul fight from July to November 2024?
Q 14In which year was Tyson disqualified for biting Evander Holyfield's ears?
1997
It was the first heavyweight title fight in over 50 years to end in a disqualification.
Q 15Who refereed the Holyfield rematch and deducted two points before the disqualification?
Mills Lane
Halpern had been scheduled but stepped aside after Tyson's camp protested.
Q 16What was the Holyfield rematch billed as?
The Sound and the Fury
The first bout had been dubbed 'Finally'.
Q 17In which city did Tyson lose his 2002 title challenge to Lennox Lewis?
Memphis
Nevada refused him a licence, so the fight landed at the Pyramid Arena in Tennessee.
Q 18Tyson's 2000 win over Lou Savarese in Glasgow lasted how many seconds?
38
He kept punching after the stoppage and knocked the referee to the floor.
Q 19Who was the opponent in Tyson's final professional victory, in 2003?
Clifford Etienne
It took 49 seconds, amid rumours he had skipped training to party and get a new face tattoo.
Q 20In which city did Danny Williams knock Tyson out in 2004?
Louisville
Tyson's manager claimed he had torn a knee ligament in the first round.
An ulcer flare-up
It struck aboard a plane in May, and the bout was pushed back on his doctor's advice.
Q 25Tyson's 2020 exhibition ended in a split draw against which former champion?
Roy Jones Jr.
It was the first event of his Legends Only League and the best-selling pay-per-view of 2020.
Q 26Who replaced Tyson as the final boss of the NES Punch-Out!! after the licence expired?
Mr. Dream
The original 1987 game sold more than a million copies with Tyson's name on the box.
Q 27Which Nintendo of America president suggested putting Tyson in Punch-Out!!?
Minoru Arakawa
He was impressed by the fighter's 'power and skill' after watching one of his bouts.
Q 28Which actress did Tyson marry in February 1988?
Robin Givens
The marriage unravelled within a year amid allegations of abuse.
Q 29Tyson's first wife was known for which sitcom at the time of their marriage?
Head of the Class
Their joint 20/20 interview with Barbara Walters in 1988 became notorious.
Q 30Tyson's second wife, Monica Turner, is the sister of which politician?
Michael Steele
Steele later chaired the Republican National Committee.