<P> Muhammad Ali thought Spinks would win, as "he hits hard enough, he'll stick and move, he's fast on his feet, and he'll keep his distance ." Tony Zale and sportswriter Bert Sugar backed Spinks to out - box Tyson . Dave Anderson of the New York Times wrote that Spinks would win, "probably in a 12 - round decision . But possibly in a late - round knockout ." Reigning WBA welterweight champion Marlon Starling, veteran announcer Don Dunphy and Tyson's former trainer Teddy Atlas also favoured Spinks . Contender Meldrick Taylor felt Tyson would win if it ended in a knockout, but favoured Spinks if it went the distance . 1940s middleweight champion Rocky Graziano predicted Spinks would "psych out Tyson, then knock the hell out of him ." Archie Moore gave Spinks "a wonderful chance" of winning . Floyd Patterson, who like Tyson had been trained by Cus D'Amato, said "I originally picked him (Tyson), and I still do, but now I give Spinks a chance ." Spinks entered the ring as a 4--1 underdog . </P> <P> Minutes before the fighters were due to enter the ring, there was a commotion in Tyson's dressing room when Butch Lewis noticed a bump in Tyson's gloves and demanded his hands be re-wrapped . The commotion continued with Lewis insistent that he would not let the fight start until the bump was smoothed out . The matter was only resolved when Spinks' trainer Eddie Futch was called in, and he accepted that Tyson's gloves were fine . Though he was trying to protect his fighter's interests, Lewis later admitted that he had also seen a chance to "pull a little psyche" on Tyson . Instead, Tyson had just been angered by the delay . When Lewis had left and Tyson once again prepared to leave his dressing room, he told his trainer Kevin Rooney: "you know, I'm gonna hurt this guy ." </P> <P> Tyson attacked Spinks from the opening bell, landing a solid left hook in the first ten seconds and forcing Spinks to cover up . Spinks clinched and was driven back to the ropes by another Tyson attack . He moved off the ropes but Tyson trapped him again; a left uppercut and a right hand to the body forced Spinks to take a knee after a minute, which marked the second time Spinks had been knocked down in his professional career since Braxton during the eighth round of their 1983 encounter . Spinks took a count of four before rising . As the two men moved towards each other Tyson turned away from a Spinks right hand and responded with a left - right combination to the head which put Spinks down again . This time he was unable to rise and referee Frank Cappuccino counted him out . The fight was over after 91 seconds, presently the sixth shortest heavyweight title fight in history . Just ten punches were landed, eight by Tyson, two by Spinks . The round was named round of the year for 1988 by Ring Magazine . </P> <P> Afterwards Spinks said: "I came to fight like I said I would . I just tried to do what I knew I had to do, and that was fight . Not that I stood toe to toe with him, but I tried to take the shot and I came up short ." Futch opined that Spinks was undone because he abandoned his gameplan of boxing and moving early on and instead tried to win Tyson's respect . Spinks later conceded that "fear was knocking at my door big time ." Tyson said "The first punch I threw, he wobbled a bit . I knew right there I had him," adding "my trainer told me before the fight that he bet both our purses that I would knock him out in the first round . So I went out and knocked him out in the first round . And later I found out he was fooling ." Tyson dedicated the win to Jimmy Jacobs, who had died in March . </P>

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