This would be Tyson's first fight after firing longtime trainer
Kevin Rooney. Tyson was coming off a 1st-round knockout over the previously undefeated
Michael Spinks, which not only gave Tyson the lineal heavyweight title, but laid to rest any doubt over who was the rightful heavyweight champion. Next for Tyson was a bout against popular British fighter
Frank Bruno that was originally set for October 8, 1988 at
Wembley Stadium in Bruno's native England. However, on August 23, 1988, Tyson was involved in a street fight with former adversary
Mitch Green, whom Tyson had defeated prior to his Championship fight with
Trevor Berbick. During the scuffle Tyson hit Green with a right hand that resulted in Green requiring five stitches and Tyson breaking his hand. Due to Tyson's injury, the fight was pushed back to October 22. This was only the beginning of Tyson's troubles. On September 5, Tyson was involved in a car accident that knocked him unconscious A month later, Tyson's estranged wife
Robin Givens filed for divorce on October 7 and in the following month filed a $125 million defamation suit against Tyson as well. Because of Tyson's problems, the proposed October 22 fight against Bruno at Wembley Stadium was scrapped. Instead the fight was shifted to the United States and rescheduled for January 14, 1989 at the
Las Vegas Hilton. However, this fight was also postponed, allegedly because of financial disagreements between Tyson's manager
Bill Cayton and Tyson's promoter
Don King. On December 15, 1988, it was officially announced that the long-awaited Tyson–Bruno fight would finally take place on February 25, 1989 at the Las Vegas Hilton. ==The fight==