Mike Tyson is widely considered to be one of the hardest-hitting heavyweights in boxing history.

During a 56-fight (50-6) professional career stretching back to 1985, Tyson ended 44 of his 50 victories inside the distance.

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Tyson made quick work of many of his opponents in his primeCredit: Sports Illustrated – Getty
He will be hoping to add another highlight-reel finish to his résumé when he faces Jake Paul on July 20 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Their controversial fight is being sanctioned as a professional bout under the auspices of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations.

The heavyweight showdown will be contested over eight, two-minute rounds with each fighter using 14-ounce gloves, but no headgear.

Meanwhile, Tyson’s speciality – the knockout – is allowed.

Despite being a relatively small heavyweight at 5ft 10ins tall and around 220lbs in weight, Tyson’s raw power and lightning speed saw him blast out several opponents en route to becoming undisputed champion.

He also had a real knack for dispatching his opponents early, with 24 big wins coming in the opening stanza.

Tyson was such a prolific finisher that his career-best victory – a 91-second demolition of Michael Spinks for the lineal heavyweight crown in 1988 – doesn’t even rank among his quickest stoppages.

So, which ones do? Here, talkSPORT.com counts down ‘Iron Mike’s’ six fastest knockouts ahead of his upcoming clash against Paul.

6. Tyson KO1 Clifford Etienne – 49 Seconds (2003)

In the final win of his illustrious pro career, Tyson scored a sensational 49-second knockout over Clifford Etienne.

Like Tyson, Etienne was a big puncher, who had built an impressive 24-1-1 record up to that point including 17 KOs – 11 of which came in the first round.

Clearly confident of his power, Etienne came out swinging but was almost immediately put down by a clubbing right hand from which he couldn’t recover.

Boxing fans will remember this fight for Tyson’s bizarre in-ring interview with Showtime’s Jim Gray where he claimed he had entered the contest with a broken back.

“Mike, were you really sick this week, what was the problem?” asked Gray after the event had looked to be on the brink of collapse 24 hours before.

“I broke my back,” Tyson responded. “What do you mean by that, a vertebrae or…?” enquired Gray.

Tyson then uttered a one-word reply that is now deeply entrenched in boxing folklore: “Spinal.”

=4. Tyson KO1 Michael Johnson – 39 seconds (1985)

Tyson’s savage stoppage win over Michael Johnson could have come sooner than 39 seconds if the brave American journeyman hadn’t of gotten up from the initial shot that put him down.

Johnson, who was 11-5 at the time but retired with a 15-18 record, was decked by a left hook to the body in the opening 21 seconds.

But to his credit, he made his way back to his feet when many would have chosen to lie down.

Unfortunately, that led to him being tagged by a vicious overhand right moments later that sent him down and out.

=4. Tyson TKO1 Ricardo Spain – 39 seconds (1985)

Three months before the Johnson fight, Tyson made his television debut by blasting Ricardo Spain out in exactly the same time.

Like Johnson, he was sent tumbling to the canvas twice – the first knockdown coming via a big right hand and the second from a crisp left hook.

In his first year in the paid ranks, Tyson fought 15 times.

A few of those early bouts, such as the Spain fight, were fought under Bob Arum’s Top Rank banner on their weekly ESPN fight cards.

The legendary boxing promoter recalled how Tyson dispatched every opponent they matched him up with inside a round, which proved to be a nightmare for the broadcaster.

” Tyson was just starting out and we booked him for a whole series of fights,” Arum told talkSPORT.com.

“But the problem was he was so intimidating, that he knocked out any opponent that we got him in one round and that wasn’t good for the network that relied on selling commercial time.”

Spain, whose real name was Abdul Rahman, retired from professional boxing in 1993 with a 2-23-1 record.

3. Tyson KO1 Lou Savarese – 38 seconds (2000)

When Tyson visited Glasgow in 2000 to box Houston’s Lou Savarese, all hell broke loose in the ring.

Savarese, who had previously gone the 12-round distance with an ageing George Foreman, was dropped in the opening 15 seconds by Tyson’s explosive left hook.

As he made his way back to his feet, his knees were buckled by the same punch which prompted referee, John Coyle, to step in and wave off the contest.

However, Tyson had other ideas. The boxing icon continued winging shots over the top as Coyle desperately tried to break up the pair.

At one point, as Tyson attempted to manoeuvre around the referee to land another blow, he accidentally clocked Coyle, sending him briefly to the canvas.

But the iron-jawed official quickly shook off the shot and leapt back to his feet to, this time, successfully intervene.

2. Tyson KO1 Robert Colay – 37 seconds (1985)

Tyson’s tenth pro fight came against the towering Robert Colay.

‘Big Bob’ had six inches in height on Tyson but as the old saying goes: the bigger they are, the harder they fall.

Rather than looking to establish his long jab, Colay made the unwise decision to hook with the hooker and paid the ultimate price.

Tyson connected with a thunderous left hook early in the first that knocked Colay off his feet where he was subsequently counted out.

Colay took a five-year hiatus from boxing after the Tyson loss, returning in 1990 to fight future world champion Riddick Bowe.

He fared slightly better against ‘Big Daddy’ – narrowly making it to the second round before ultimately succumbing to the same fate.

1. Tyson KO1 Marvis Frazier – 30 seconds (1986)

Tyson’s fastest-ever knockout occurred in 1986 when he flattened Marvis Frazier, the son of legendary heavyweight world champion Joe Frazier.

Frazier was supposed to be a solid step up on paper.

‘Little Smoke’ was 16-1 when he climbed into the ring with Tyson while the only blemish on his record up to that point had come against the great Larry Holmes in 1983.

Holmes made quick work of Frazier – stopping him inside the opening frame – but the son of an icon bounced back to record decent wins over contenders James ‘Quick’ Tillis and James ‘Bonecrusher’ Smith.

When he squared off with Tyson he was full of confidence but that all came crashing down when ‘Iron Mike’ connected with a vicious flurry that left Frazier slumped unconscious against the bottom rope.