Referee Frank Cappuccino put him out of his misery at the ringside physician’s recommendation and another name was added to Iron Mike’s growing list of wins.
He may have become boxing’s youngest world heavyweight champion in history when he beat Trevor Berbick in 1986 at just 20 years old, but 1985 was his breakout year.
Making his debut in March, Tyson clocked an incredible 15 professional wins in that year, the fifth of which came over 6ft 3in Alderson in Atlantic City.
He had an amateur record of 154-12, but had taken three years off from his professional career and worked in the mines of West Virginia during that time.
When he decided to return in 1985, he met a young prodigy he was not prepared for.
Despite holding a big height advantage over Tyson – wearing white shorts before the familiar black he later switched to – Alderson was instantly on the back foot as he had his head snapped back by a left hand in the opening round.
The second round followed the same pattern, with Alderson losing his gum shield and stability in his legs after Tyson landed a right.
Tyson dropped Alderson twice and it’s easy to see the enthusiasm leave Alderson’s body as he attempted to pick himself up the second time.
At the end of the round, right on the bell, Alderson was sent down one more time with a ruthless Tyson right hook. In the corner, as the fight was waved off, Alderson did not protest. He didn’t appear to know where he was.
Tyson was champion of the world under 18 months later and by 1988 he was undisputed heavyweight champion having cleared out the division.
Some of Tyson’s mystique derives from his behaviour outside of the ring. When he was on top of the world, Tyson would lose motivation, leading him to lose his titles in a shock defeat to Buster Douglas.
He then went to prison for just under three years after being convicted of rape.
Tyson also displayed some erratic behaviour in press conferences where he’d make some outlandish remarks, notably his desire to eat rival Lennox Lewis’ children.
Still, Tyson’s fearsome style in the ring and knockout value made him a box office sensation and he is still revered as such to this very day.
Commenting on his fame living on through his YouTube knockouts, Tyson says people shouldn’t hold him in such high regard.
He said: “I’m aware that a lot of people may watch me and may look up to me and think I’m a certain kind of guy, I’m a good guy, but they have to understand that I’m not worthy of praise. Only God is worthy of praise.
“I look at YouTube and I see guys have ‘Mike Tyson immortal’, ‘Mike Tyson God’, and I’m not worthy of that.
“When I die, all I’m going to do is apologise. I felt all the pain I ever caused somebody. All the pain I ever caused people.”