LATHAM, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 1, 1985 — It took Mike Tyson less than a minute to dispatch Sterling Benjamin at the Latham Coliseum, continuing his terrifying march through the heavyweight ranks with yet another emphatic first-round stoppage.

In front of a roaring upstate New York crowd, the 19-year-old phenom improved his perfect record to 10-0, all wins coming by way of knockout. The bout was scheduled for eight rounds, but Tyson clearly had no intention of letting it go past one.

Benjamin, outweighing Tyson by six pounds and coming off a loss to rising contender Tyrell Biggs, looked to keep the younger fighter at bay with a steady jab and lateral movement. However, Tyson—fighting just a week after a 37-second demolition of Robert Colay—walked through the jab and landed a thunderous left that sent Benjamin crashing to the canvas a mere 24 seconds into the bout.

Though Benjamin beat the count, his reprieve was brief. Tyson, with his trademark peek-a-boo guard and menacing forward pressure, pinned Benjamin against the ropes and unleashed a punishing flurry. A pair of right hands downstairs set up a left hook to the ribs that buckled Benjamin once more. Referee Sid Rubenstein stepped in without a full count, declaring the contest over at 0:54 of round one.

Tyson’s ferocity is quickly becoming the stuff of legend. With every passing week, the young Brooklyn native looks more like a heavyweight throwback, combining old-school aggression with devastating finishing power.

This win was bittersweet. Just days after the fight, Tyson’s beloved trainer and mentor, Cus D’Amato, passed away due to pneumonia. The emotional weight of that loss would go on to shape Tyson’s future both in and out of the ring.

For Sterling Benjamin, who had previously shown durability against solid opposition, Tyson’s power proved too much. The defeat drops Benjamin further down the ranks and highlights the growing gap between Tyson and the rest of the division’s fringe contenders.

In under a minute, Mike Tyson delivered a brutal reminder: the heavyweight division has a new terror, and he’s only just getting started.