James ‘Quick’ Tillis was so nearly the first man to beat Mike Tyson.
They fought in Glens Falls, New York in 1986 and after 10 rounds veteran trainer Beau Williford, who was handling Tillis at the time, was convinced his man had done enough for victory against the rising youngster. So much so that when Williford heard one of the scorecards announced as “eight rounds to two”, he thought “That’s a bit harsh on Tyson…”


It was the first time 19-year-old Tyson had been taken the distance as a pro.

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“I was looking for one good punch to really hurt him,” said Tyson. “I knew I was ahead. I was just looking for one clean punch. I wanted to catch him. Mr. Tillis was in superb shape and he put up a great fight. He hit me with some good shots. There’s no way he should quit.”