Mike Tyson made his professional debut on March 6, 1985, demolishing Hector Mercedes by first-round TKO at the Plaza Convention Center, Albany, New York. During 1985, “Iron Mike” amassed a perfect 15-0, 15 KOs record, making him one, if not the most talked about fighter on the planet. On October 25 of that year, Tyson faced Robert Colay at Atlantis Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City. The Brooklyn native was destroying all comers and it was to be no different when facing Colay.
That first year for Tyson was full of highlight-reel knockouts, month after month because he ended fights so quickly. The wins kept coming and it was no different in Atlantic City as Tyson gained what would be the second quickest of his career.
“Iron Mike” came out of the blocks quickly, bobbing and weaving, targeting his opponent’s head, and before long a heavy left hook landed, knocking Colay down who tried to beat the count but was clearly on unsteady legs which led the referee to wave the fight off and Tyson moved to 10-0.
That first year in the professional ranks was a truly memorable one for Tyson. During those first 15 contests, “Iron Mike” recorded 11 first-round stoppage wins. It wasn’t the opposition he defeated that created the headlines, it was the brutal way he was knocking these fighters out.
That perfect record continued until the Brooklyn native was taken 12 rounds for the first time in his career against James Tillis. Despite a brave effort, in being the first fighter to take Tyson 12 rounds, Tillis ultimately lost, with the judge’s scorecards reading 6-4 x2 and 8-2, all favouring “The Baddest Man on the Planet.”
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The Cleveland Browns are giving Shedeur Sanders special treatment in training camp, but it's not the type of favoritism the fifth-round pick would necessarily want. Per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN, Sanders is the only Browns quarterback who has not been taking reps with the first-team offense during OTAs or the first two practices of training camp. Former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Kenny Pickett, veteran Joe Flacco and rookie Dillon Gabriel have all split reps with the first team. Despite being asked to throw passes to members of the equipment staff amid a shortage of professional pass-catchers for a four-quarterback roster, Sanders said he's thankful for the opportunity to show the Browns coaching staff his talents. "I feel like that it's not in my control, so I'm not going to think about that or even have that in my thought process of why it is," Sanders said to a question as to why he's not getting first-team reps. "There's a lot of people who want to have the opportunity to be at this level, and I'm here and I'm thankful to have the opportunity. So, whenever that is, that is." Sanders, 23, believes that he can contribute more to the Browns than what the coaching staff is asking of him. "It doesn't make me feel down or left out because I know who I am as a person," Sanders said. "I know who I am as an individual and I know what I could bring to this team. So, I can never feel less than any circumstance." The Browns selected Sanders with the No. 144 pick in April's draft. As a player whom many draft analysts thought was a first-round talent, Cleveland took what could be the steal of the draft in the fifth round. It's curious why the Browns aren't giving Sanders a shot with the first team early in training camp before the quarterback race becomes more serious. Cleveland should absolutely see what Sanders has to offer this summer. Flacco, 40, isn't a long-term solution at the position. Pickett failed in Pittsburgh. The Browns need to gauge what rookies Gabriel and Sanders can do with the first team. Having Sanders throw balls to the equipment staff is a waste of everyone's time. But then again, Cleveland has wasted plenty of quarterbacks.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are entering the 2025 season with a new-look roster on the offensive side of the ball. The quarterback position has turned over once again, and DK Metcalf is now the top wide receiver in Pittsburgh after the organization decided to acquire him and then trade away George Pickens. Jonnu Smith has also entered the picture on offense, while Jaylen Warren will be taking over the duties as the lead running back. This is his first time taking on that role, as Najee Harris was the bell cow in Pittsburgh for the last four seasons and he never missed a game. Warren will be the main focus at running back, but the Steelers did a good job of filling out that room as a whole. Signing Kenneth Gainwell in free agency was a good way to bring a veteran presence into the room, and adding Kaleb Johnson in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft was an exciting pick with a ton of value. Head Coach Mike Tomlin was asked about the rookie running back following practice on Thursday, and he had nothing but good things to say about Johnson. "He does, he's highly conditioned and that helps development," Tomlin said. "When you're in really good shape, you can take additional reps and reps equals [getting] better. And so he handled the first leg of it. He's come in really good shape. He's really engaged and obviously he's got some talent. You guys saw that today." Tomlin said this when asked whether or not Johnson has a high floor as a rookie running back in the NFL, and the coach was clearly impressed with the way the rookie was prepared coming into camp. He also seems to know the playbook pretty well. It is hard to tell much from the early training camp practices, but he certainly stood out. The staff in Pittsburgh clearly has high hopes for Johnson, which could lead to more playing time early on. Johnson will begin the season behind Warren, but the two are expected to share the workload in some regard. The rookie has a high ceiling, and Pittsburgh is going to want to take advantage of the entirety of his cheaper, rookie deal. Many have speculated that Johnson will be the lead back by the time the 2025 season is over, with Warren returning to the role of being a third down back, similar to what he did when Harris was on the team. When Pittsburgh initially selected Johnson in the spring, some hated on the pick due to his slower 40-yard dash time. However, the back looks extremely fast on the field, and fans should get a better idea of the kind of player he can be when the Steelers put on the pads next week. Steelers’ Running Back Situation Will Be Interesting To Monitor Gainwell will likely be the third running back on the depth chart during the 2025 season, but he should have some packages and plays where he is the primary focus. He is dangerous with the ball in his hands, especially in the passing game. He and Warren have a similar skill set, while Johnson stands out in the trio. In addition to those three backs, Pittsburgh also has Cordarrelle Patterson on the roster. It was thought that he would be released by this point, but he remains in Pittsburgh for now. He could be cut at the end of camp, as it seems he is the clear fourth running back on the depth chart and he was one of the worst kick returners in the league during the 2024 season. It is known that Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith likes him and his versatility on offense. It’s his ability to play special teams as well that could keep him on the roster in 2025. What do you expect from Johnson in his rookie year?
The Seattle Mariners lost on Friday night against the Los Angeles Angels, falling 3-2 in 10-innings. It was a tough loss for Seattle, as they fell to 4-4 since the All-Star break, but they remain in the second wild card spot in the American League, 0.5 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox. However, optimism for the organization remains high, especially after acquiring first baseman Josh Naylor in a pre-trade deadline deal on Thursday. The slugging first baseman made his team debut on Friday, going 1-for-4 with a single and two strikeouts. However, he certainly ingratiated himself to M's fans before he even stepped onto the field, as he wore an awesome jacket, complete with a nod to Gary Payton and the Seattle SuperSonics. There's almost no quicker way to make yourself likable to Seattle fans than to show appreciation for the Sonics. Now, he'd take it to the next level if he'd take some shots at the Oklahoma City Thunder, but one step at a time. Naylor is hitting .292 this season with 11 home runs and 59 RBIs. He's stolen 11 bases and owns an .804 OPS for the Diamondbacks and Mariners. An All-Star last season, he helped lead the Cleveland Guardians to the American League Championship Series. They dealt him to Arizona in the offseason. The Mariners are back in action on Saturday night against the Angels with first pitch coming at 6:38 p.m. PT. George Kirby will take the mound against left-hander Tyler Anderson, who will get the ball for the Halos. The series concludes on Sunday.
Augustas Marčiulionis played all four seasons of his college career for St Marry's. He finished last year with averages of 14.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.3 steals per contest while shooting 44.6% from the field and 34.7% from the three-point range in 35 games. On Saturday, the Los Angeles Lakers officially announced that they had signed the 23-year-old (and three others). Via The Los Angeles Lakers: "The Lakers have signed guard RJ Davis, forward Eric Dixon, forward Arthur Kaluma and guard Augustas Marčiulionis." Marčiulionis went unselected in the 2025 NBA Draft last month. Trevor Lane of Lakers Nation reported more details about the signings. Via Lane: "I’m told these are exhibit 10 deals. Exhibit 10s have the ability to be converted to two way contracts. Brings these players into camp with the Lakers to let them compete. E10s also provide a bonus if, after being waived, the player signs with South Bay and stays for at least 60 days" Marčiulionis is also the son of Basketball Hall of Famer Šarūnas. Via ESPN Jonathan Givony (on June 26): "The two-time WCC player of the year missed the pre-draft process with a foot injury but will be healthy in late July. Son of hall of famer Šarūnas Marčiulionis." In the past, the Lakers have done an excellent job of developing undrafted players such as Austin Reaves and Alex Caruso. Via Ballislife.com (on June 13): "HBD Sarunas Marciulionis! The Lithuanian legend was a master of the euro step getting by defenders with his behind the back move."
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