The 25 Most Shocking Sports Moments of the Past 25 Years

Where were you when Mike Tyson got knocked out by Buster Douglas?

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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The past quarter century has provided sports fans with many unforgettable moments, both on and off the court/field. We’ve seen the rise, dominance, and retirement of Michael Jordan, the OJ Simpson trial, and even saw Mike Tyson try to bite off someone’s ear. It’s been a wild 25 years, with a lot of ups and downs to match one of the most eventful periods in sports history.

Whether it’s been grotesque, sad, or just downright weird, sports always find a way to surprise us. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, there’s a Manti Te’o story just lurking around the corner, waiting to give you something you never expected. While there were several tough omissions such as the Tiger Woods scandal and the World Series earthquake, these are the 25 Most Shocking Sports Moments of the Past 25 Years.

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25. Kevin Ware's Leg Shatters on National TV

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24. Drazen Petrovic Killed in Car Accident

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23. Clint Malarchuk Has Coratid Artery Severed on the Ice

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22. Latrell Sprewell Chokes Coach P.J. Carlesimo

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21. The BALCO Scandal

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20. Andres Escobar Killed for Scoring Own Goal in World Cup

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19. Rae Carruth Arrested, Charged, and Convicted for Murdering Pregnant Girlfriend

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18. Buster Douglas Knocks Out Mike Tyson

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17. A Crazed Fan Stabs Monica Seles During a Match

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16. Steve McNair Murdered by His Mistress

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15. Hank Gathers Collapses and Dies During Game

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14. Zinedine Zidane Headbutts Marco Materazzi in World Cup Finals

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13. Pete Rose Banned from Baseball for Life

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12. One Baylor Basketball Player Murders Another

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11. Dale Earnhardt Dies in Crash at Daytona 500

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10. The First Michael Jordan Retirement

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9. Tonya Harding Orders Attack on Nancy Kerrigan

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8. Manti Te'o Gets "Catfished"

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7. Aaron Hernandez Arrested and Charged with First Degree Murder

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6. Kobe Bryant Is Accused of Sexual Assault

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5. The Malice at the Palace

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4. Mike Tyson Bites Off a Piece of Evander Holyfield's Ear

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3. The OJ Simpson Chase

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2. The Penn State Scandal

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1. Magic Johnson Announces He Has HIV

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