Iron’ Mike Tyson has faced some of the toughest fighters in heavyweight boxing history, such as Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, and Donovan Rudduck. But none of them were as tough as Cuban native Jose Ribalta.
On August 17, 1986, Ribalta stepped into the ring with Tyson inside the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Standing at 6’6″ tall, Ribalta was a physically imposing figure compared to the 5’10” stocky build of Tyson.
For 10 rounds, ‘Iron’ gave Ribalta everything he had, landing an impressive 220 strikes and sending the heavyweight gatekeeper to the canvas three times before the referee saw fit to step in and call a stop to the bout with less than 90 seconds on the clock.