Madison Square Garden once again witnessed the rise of boxing’s most ferocious young lion, as Mike Tyson stormed through Reggie Gross in less than three minutes, stopping the Baltimore bruiser in the first round of their scheduled ten-round clash. Under the bright lights and the banner of new promoter Don King, the 19-year-old Tyson delivered a chilling reminder that his fists carry the weight of dynamite.

Gross, a brawler with a checkered past and a reputation for derailing unbeaten prospects, came into the ring at a career-heaviest 218 pounds. He came out swinging—literally—trying to take Tyson out early with wild haymakers. For a brief moment, it looked like the gamble might pay off. The Baltimore man caught Tyson cleanly, drawing gasps from the crowd. But that moment passed as quickly as it came.

Tyson, ranked #4 by the WBC at the time, responded with cold precision. As Gross hesitated mid-attack, Tyson uncorked a thunderous left hook that sent the bigger man crashing to the canvas. The crowd erupted. Gross beat the count, only to be met by a second barrage—another pair of punishing lefts sent him down again. Although he bravely rose once more, referee Johnny LoBianco had seen enough, waving it off at 2:36 of the first round.

Gross protested the stoppage, pushing the referee in frustration, but it was clear to everyone in attendance that the outcome was inevitable. Tyson had made his point—and made it fast.

With this TKO, Tyson improved to 21-0 with 19 knockouts, notching another victory in his meteoric ascent through the heavyweight ranks. After going the distance in his previous two bouts, Tyson’s return to knockout form electrified fans and silenced doubters.

What most fans didn’t know, however, was that Gross’s world outside the ring was far darker than anyone imagined. In the months following this bout, the man once nicknamed “The Spoiler” would face charges for multiple contract killings tied to a notorious drug gang in Baltimore. That night, he was just a fighter with a puncher’s chance. Now, he’s serving life in prison.

Tyson, meanwhile, continued his march toward heavyweight immortality—leaving behind a trail of fallen opponents, and in this case, a ghost from a darker side of the sport.