Sealed, first production copy of "Mike Tyson: PUNCH-OUT!!" up for auction

Video game, graded Wata 8.0 A, is sole example listed in Wata’s census

Cover Image for Sealed, first production copy of "Mike Tyson: PUNCH-OUT!!" up for auction
With bidding already topping six figures, the sealed copy of "Mike Tyson: PUNCH-OUT!!" could set a record for the game. (Credit: Goldin Auctions)

A sealed, first-production copy of “Mike Tyson’s PUNCH-OUT!!” will sell this month at Goldin Auction, marking the first public sale of the iconic video game in that variant.

The variant is known to be from the first production due to the white bullets appearing on the artwork, a detail that would be switched to orange bullets for all subsequent printings.

This copy, graded Wata 8.0 A, is the sole example listed in Wata’s census, with 77 other copies graded for other later variants and 94 examples graded CIB from the first production.

VGA has graded an additional copy, appearing in its census as 85+, though it has never transacted publicly, either.

The record price paid for the game in any grade or variant came in October 2021, when Heritage sold a Wata 9.8 A++ copy for $312,000.

Nintendo reportedly paid Tyson just $50,000 for his likeness for the 1987 game. The same year, he would become the youngest heavyweight champion in history, driving massive sales and generating $1.7 billion in revenue for Nintendo.

Bidding for the game is currently at $109,800, with buyer’s premium, and 12 days remaining.

Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct.