From biting off Evander Holyfield’s ear to breaking Donovan “Razor” Ruddock’s jaw, Mike Tyson had his share of intense in-ring moments. Tyson always brought fire and brimstone to his boxing matches as he vanquished his challenges into darkness one by one. But there is one name that is still lurking from the shadows and isn’t done with the legendary boxer. 

When listing out Tyson’s greatest bouts, many fans may not recall his 1986 encounter against Mitch Green as his best outing. The fight held inside the famous Madison Square Garden was titled ‘New York is Busting Out’ and saw Iron Mike secure a unanimous decision win. However, it is not for what happened inside the ring that Green still holds a grudge against Tyson.

While they were pay disputes before the fight as Green discovered promoter Don King was paying him $30,000 compared to Tyson’s $200,000 for the bout, the fight still went ahead. Interestingly, prior to the fight, Green nearly withdrew but later struck a deal to be released from his managerial contract with Don King’s stepson, Carl, in exchange for a reduced purse. However, two years later, Tyson and Green were involved in another fight that became more notorious. 

In the early hours of August 23, 1988, when Tyson was in Dapper Dan’s in Harlem shopping for a jacket, Green confronted him. Before his foray into boxing, Green was a gang leader with the New York City-based Black Spades. Green made it clear to Tyson that King owed him money leading to an argument ensued. Soon, a scuffle broke out on the streets.

Green was left with a busted eye and Tyson with a hairline fracture of the right hand. Over nine years later, Green sued Tyson for $25 million but he was only awarded $45,000 in a New York court. Fast forward to 2024, he is still seeking his money for the damages. “You know what, Mike owes me. He owes me [and] he’s gonna pay me. I need a lawyer,” Green said during the interview with the VladTV on Tuesday. Shedding light on the street brawl, Green alleged that Tyson used the rings on his fingers as a weapon to inflict damage.

Green said that Tyson never admitted to using the ring, but claimed, “I got his deposition where he admitted he had a ring on.” Could it be that one time when Green admitted to Mike Tyson paying him $600 nearly two decades ago? Can’t say for certain precisely because Green never clarified. If we look back the immediate aftermath of the brawl, we have two versions of the same story:

Tyson claimed that Green was “ranting and raving” about the money, ripped his shirt, and started the fight as he was getting into his car around 4:30 a.m. outside the 24-hour clothing store, Dapper Dan’s Boutique. Green, on the other hand, in interviews with police said that Tyson punched him first outside an after-hours nightclub at 41 E. 125th St after Green went as far as denying the unbeaten champion of his 1986 triumph.

Last year on his Hotboxin’ With Mike Tyson podcast, the former heavyweight gave a detailed account of what went down with Green on the street that morning. “Right in the street, [we fought]. Real quick. He was just talking a lot, and I really thought he was grabbing for my pockets. So, I pulled my pockets out because if he ripped my pants, all the money would fall and I wouldn’t have a chance to get my money.

“So, I’d have to fight this cat right and then my money is to the wolves. So, anyway, that’s just when I started punching him.” Tyson said that he dropped him a couple of times, but Green kept coming back up.

He further added, “Then I’m in the car. He rushes to my car in my Rolls-Royce. He breaks the side mirror off. I got out of the car. I went out of the car, and I said, ‘Excuse me one minute.’ I hit Mitch, and Mitch went down, and he bent over, and I grabbed his head, and I hit him one time, and his head hit the floor. The concrete. Boom! And that’s when he was out [knocked out cold].” On the contrary, Green, however, maintains that Tyson never knocked him down per what got said in 2006.

But now, after Tyson secured a $20 million paycheck for his boxing match against Jake Paul on Netflix, Green wants him to pay the rest of the money in damages. That’s not all. Green also claimed that Tyson made much more than the reported $200k from their 1986 fight.

Mitch Green claims Mike Tyson made $1 million while he made $30K

During the same interview with Vlad TV, Mitch Green reflected on the payment disparity in his 1986 fight against Mike Tyson. Despite being the higher-ranked fighter at the time than Tyson, Green claimed he was misled by promoter Don King into accepting just $30,000 for the bout while Tyson allegedly earned up to $1 million. “They say, ‘750,000.’ Some interviews, they said, ‘he got a million’,” Green stated, expressing frustration over the unequal payouts. 

He alleged King deceived him, stating, “[Don King] made the fight… I asked, ‘How much is [Tyson] getting?’ He said, ‘A little more!’” Green, ranked No. 6 at the time, admitted he wasn’t invested in the fight after learning of the disparity but continued after his mother insisted. Official reports suggest Tyson earned $200,000, plus a portion of his HBO deal. 

That being said, it appears Mitch Green hasn’t come to terms with the unequal payout during their fight as well as the money he received from being hit by Tyson in the street, which left his eye damaged. It will be interesting to see if Green goes ahead and drags Tyson to court after all these years.