The Trump Casino Hotel played host to what was billed as Mike Tyson’s biggest test yet, but the test turned into a statement. In just 88 seconds, a teenage Tyson dismissed the confident veteran Donnie Long with a ferocity that sent shockwaves through the heavyweight division.

At 19 years old, Tyson stepped into the ring with an unblemished 8-0 record—all knockouts. Questions lingered: Could the young phenom maintain his streak against someone with real experience and power? Donnie Long, 15-3 with 10 KOs, was touted as just that man. A fighter who had once bested seasoned pros on television and lived a life as turbulent outside the ropes as in it, Long was convinced he could outslug the Brooklyn brawler.

But Tyson had no plans to negotiate.

From the opening bell, Tyson charged with surgical aggression. Head low, bobbing and weaving, the young heavyweight pressed forward with the kind of intensity that would soon become his trademark. Long tried to keep him at bay with a stiff jab and movement, but it took only a few seconds before the predator closed the distance.

The first knockdown came with a thunderous left hook that short-circuited Long’s legs. He beat the count, but Tyson wasn’t done. A right uppercut followed by a vicious hook to the body sent Long crashing down a second time. Still dazed but game, Long rose again—only to meet another crushing combination that ended the night for good.

TKO at 1:28 of the first round. Long would never again fight at the elite level.

Though his past was littered with legal trouble and a prison stint for a deadly shooting—later overturned due to a mistrial—Donnie Long had fought his way back into the spotlight. But on this October night, the lights dimmed quickly for the self-proclaimed “Master of Disaster.”

For Tyson, the message was unmistakable. The critics had asked if he was for real. The answer came in less time than it takes to order a drink ringside.