You’ve probably seen the grainy photos of a guy with a shut-tight eye and a face that looks like it lost a round with a blender. That’s Mitch "Blood" Green. Most boxing fans know the name, but usually for the wrong reasons. They know him as the guy who tried to fight Mike Tyson in the street and got his face rearranged. But honestly, the story is way weirder and more complicated than just a 4:00 AM brawl outside a 24-hour clothing store.
It’s a story about a massive disparity in pay, a grudge that wouldn't die, and a street fight that actually changed the course of boxing history by delaying a multi-million dollar title defense.
The Night at Dapper Dan’s
It was August 23, 1988. Harlem.
Mike Tyson was the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the world. He was the baddest man on the planet, driving around in a Rolls-Royce, wearing custom leather jackets, and basically being a god in the sports world. At about 4:00 AM, Tyson dropped by Dapper Dan’s boutique on East 125th Street to pick up a white leather jacket.
Mitch Green lived there. Harlem was his turf.
Green wasn't just some random guy; he was a legitimate heavyweight contender who had gone the distance with Tyson two years earlier. He was also, by most accounts, a leader of the Black Spades gang. When he heard Tyson was in the neighborhood, he didn't go for an autograph. He went for a confrontation.
Why was Mitch Green so angry?
Basically, it came down to money and respect.
- In their 1986 professional fight, Tyson made $250,000.
- Mitch Green made $30,000.
- Green felt Don King had cheated him.
- He also felt he deserved a rematch because he was one of the few guys who didn't get knocked out by "Iron Mike."
When Green found Tyson at the store, things got ugly fast. According to Tyson’s later testimony, Green started "ranting and raving," accusing Tyson and Don King of stealing his money. Green allegedly ripped Tyson's shirt. Tyson, who wasn't exactly known for his patience back then, eventually swung.
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The Punch Heard 'Round Harlem
Tyson landed a straight right hand that would have killed a normal human being. It hit Green square in the face.
It didn't end there, though. This is the part people get wrong—Green didn't just stay down. Tyson claimed in his book Undisputed Truth and on his Broadway show that Green kept getting back up. Some people say Green was on PCP; Green denies it to this day, but Tyson was convinced the man was superhuman that night.
After several exchanges, Green’s left eye was swollen completely shut. He had a massive cut across the bridge of his nose that would eventually require five stitches.
But Mike Tyson didn't "win" that fight in the way he wanted to.
By hitting Green in the head—which is basically a bowling ball of bone—without gloves, Tyson suffered a fracture of the third metacarpal in his right hand. That’s a "boxer's fracture." It’s painful, it takes forever to heal, and it's a disaster if you have a title defense coming up.
The Ripple Effect on Boxing
Because of that broken hand, Tyson’s scheduled October fight against Frank Bruno had to be pushed back. It cost everyone a lot of money and threw a wrench in the heavyweight schedule. It was a mess.
The 1986 Match: The Only Time They Had Gloves On
Before the street fight, there was the actual boxing match on May 20, 1986, at Madison Square Garden.
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Mitch Green was actually ranked higher than Tyson at the time (Green was #7, Tyson was #8 in the WBC). Green was 6'5" and had a massive reach advantage. Most people expected Tyson to steamroll him like everyone else, but Green was tough.
He clinched. He held. He survived.
Tyson won a unanimous decision (scores were 9-1, 9-1, and 8-2), but he couldn't put Green away. He even knocked Green’s mouthpiece out of the ring and sent his dental bridge flying onto the apron. Still, Green stayed on his feet.
That survival is what fueled Green's ego for years. He told anyone who would listen that Tyson was "scared" of him and that the only reason he lost was because his mind was on his contract dispute with Don King.
The $25 Million Lawsuit
Years later, in 1997, Mitch Green tried to get his "real" payday. He sued Mike Tyson for $25 million in civil court for the injuries he sustained in the Harlem brawl.
The trial was a circus.
Tyson showed up in expensive suits, testifying that he was actually "afraid" of Green because he was a large man and a gang leader. He told the jury he only fought back because he couldn't leave the scene. Green, meanwhile, was his usual outspoken self, often disrupting the proceedings.
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The Verdict:
The jury eventually decided that Green did provoke the fight. However, they also felt Tyson used excessive force.
- Amount sought: $25,000,000
- Amount awarded: $45,000
- Net result: Green's legal fees were reportedly higher than the settlement. He walked away with basically nothing.
Where Are They Now?
Honestly, the relationship between these two is one of the weirdest "frenemy" dynamics in sports.
In the mid-2000s, Green was still calling Tyson a "sissy" and a "punk" in interviews with ESPN. But there were also reports that while Tyson was in prison in the 90s, they actually exchanged letters.
More recently, Green told BoxingTalk that he ran into Tyson on the street a few years ago. No punches were thrown. Instead, Tyson reportedly gave him $600 in cash. No one really knows why—maybe it was guilt, maybe it was just a "here, man, leave me alone" gesture.
Mitch Green’s career ended with a record of 18-6-1. He never became the champion he thought he was destined to be. Mike Tyson, of course, became a global icon, went through a total public image rebranding, and is now the "elder statesman" of boxing.
Actionable Insights: What Can We Learn?
If you’re a fan of combat sports or just interested in the history of these two icons, here is how you should view the Mitch Green vs. Mike Tyson saga:
- Street Fights Have No Winners: Tyson was the "winner" of the brawl, but he broke his hand and delayed a massive payday. Professional fighters have everything to lose in a street scrap.
- The "Chin" is Real: Regardless of what you think of Mitch Green's personality, he had one of the most durable chins in heavyweight history. Taking a bare-knuckle shot from a prime Mike Tyson and getting back up is a feat very few humans could claim.
- Contracts Matter: Green’s entire downward spiral started with a $30,000 purse that he felt was unfair. In modern boxing, fighters have way more leverage, but Green’s story is a cautionary tale about the importance of legal representation and fair contracts.
- Legacy is Complicated: Tyson is remembered for his knockouts, but the Mitch Green fight—both in the ring and out—is the "glitch in the matrix" that showed Tyson could be frustrated and drawn into a mess.
If you want to understand the raw, unpolished era of 80s boxing, you have to look at the Harlem street fight. It wasn't about titles or belts. It was about pride, money, and two guys who simply couldn't let a grudge go.