Author: Kyle Anderson
Source: MTV News

Can you believe that Mike Tyson turns 44 years old today? The man who struck fear and terror in the hearts of heavyweights all over the world hasn't boxed since 2005, but he is still in the middle of something of a career renaissance ever since his memorable (and hilarious) appearance in the hit 2009 comedy "The Hangover." (The James Toback-directed interview flick "Tyson" also helped.) Tyson is indeed a living legend and has much to celebrate.

Like most fighters, Tyson's latter-day fights have diminished his profile somewhat, but make no mistake about it: At his peak, Mike Tyson was the most dangerous man on the planet. Obviously, the dude could hit hard, but the thing that stands out on old fight tapes is the man's speed. For every punch most guys threw, Tyson could throw five or six in the same amount of time. Combine that with laser-sharp accuracy and his incredible commitment to training, and you've got yourself the greatest pound-for-pound fighter in history. (And yes, in the mythical fight between Muhammad Ali and Tyson in their respective primes, Tyson takes the victory — probably by knockout.)

At under six feet tall (and he was always listed an inch or two taller than he actually was), he was sort of small for a heavyweight, which meant that he usually gave up a reach advantage and had less of a body frame on which to pack on muscle. But that didn't stop him from scoring multiple championships.

So in honor of the baddest man on the planet, go back and watch the dude's 12 round decision victory over Donovan Ruddock in 1991 (it's one of the most underrated fights of all time).