In January 1986, promoters
Don King and
Butch Lewis announced plans for the
Heavyweight unification series, otherwise known as the
Heavyweight World Series. The series stemmed from King trying to sell a WBC heavyweight title bout between champion Pinklon Thomas and challenger Trevor Berbick to
HBO in October 1985, which Seth Abraham, the senior vice president of
HBO Sports rejected. After King persisted, Abraham suggested that HBO would broadcast the Thomas–Berbick if it were part of a deal "where we bring all the champions together." King, who promoted both the WBC and
WBA heavyweight champions; Thomas and
Tim Witherspoon, Lewis, the promoter of
IBF heavyweight champion
Michael Spinks, and HBO then got to work on the series and finally came to an agreement on Christmas Eve. The series would include all three of the major heavyweight champions, plus a bevy of heavyweight contenders, including the then-19-year old undefeated sensation
Mike Tyson. The tournament was planned to conclude in the summer of 1987 with the winner unifying all three belts and thus becoming
undisputed heavyweight champion. The Thomas–Berbick was announced to open the unification series on March 22, 1986. Thomas was a heavy 6–1 favorite going into the bout. Boxing judge
Harold Lederman would begin his 32-year career as HBO's "unofficial ringside scorer" with this broadcast. ==Fight details==