Douglas vs Tyson 2 1990

Against the same Douglas I still think Tyson loses, but by decision.

 

Tyson late KO. I’d pick even the Tyson of the Ruddock fights to beat Tokyo Douglas who I find somewhat overrated.

 

Can Douglas pull off another great performance.
How much better would Tyson be in this rematch? And let's face it, he has to be better surely.

I see a close fight this time. Tyson sharper and more focused.
Perhaps Buster not having as much success with the jab too.
If Buster hasn't gained command by the middle rounds, then expect him to start slipping back and losing by late ko.
If he's in front by the 8 th and Tyson is looking as he did in Tokyo, then I see a Douglas win. Perhaps once again a ko.

 

It always makes me a little weak to see Tyson wincing in pain and desperately trying to get back up and stuff the mouth guard in, it’d be his life story for years after the fact. He could feel his eyes opening, the dream was over.

I don’t discredit the Bus, man won with damn two hands and put it on the line and went hard, he was in shape, eager and educated and Mike lost, I don’t believe the excuses made for the guy but I do pity him for the career he’d have had.

From what I’ve heard from people who knew Doug he’s a quiet guy. Doesn’t bring up the Tyson fight at all let’s it speak for itself, one of many fights to him contrary to what I’d have thought. Good coach allegedly.

 

Why? He dominated Mike Tyson in a way no one ever would till Lewis, Even if you believe him to be a bit diminished for that fight, I’d say he was in a better nick then when he fought for the vast majority of his career after the fact.

 

Tyson KO in 6

 

Douglas in that first fight could have beat a lot of great heavyweights that night.

 

Douglas has his number

 

Tyson ko.

 

If he was as good as before? Gotta pick Douglas again.

Like Holyfield, Douglas might wind up winning by disqualification when Tyson gets frustrated a second time around.

I have always been a strong believer that Tyson won fights as good as he was for Douglas anyway.

Sometimes the champ gets all the breaks and his challengers are less prepared. There was a lack of confidence in the division. Tyson was younger and sharper than everyone else. He was sometimes rolling challengers on 80% of what he could be. He was getting away with it.

This time career timing favoured the challenger as much as the champion. Douglas was a busy fighter with wins against decent opponents. Buster was motivated by the factor that he had a great game plan, and was hungry to implement it.

 

I think this might be closest to the truth. Mike wasn't the same that night in Tokyo as he was during the Berbick and Spinks fights.

As I've mentioned before, I don't think Mike was even operating at the same level of a .....say, Holmes-era Ken Norton at the time.

Everything happened too fast for Mike, whom by that point could be likened to a decadent rock star.

I'm not positive on the Ruddock Mike, but If the Iron One gets Rooney back, Douglas is out in 3 at most. I don't care which Douglas we're talkin' bout.

 

Prime Holmes beats prime Tyson with Rooney any day of the week…… and that night in Japan Douglas beats any version of Tyson. Douglas was on that night and would have given any heavyweight one hell of a fight!!!! Now would Tyson have done better sure if he had Rooney etc….. and Tyson could take a one hell of a punch also. Douglas beat Tysons ass that night and that’s the truth

 

I understand this view.. But Tyson was unrestricted against Berbick and Spinks. He was able to do what he did in those short rounds.

Once Tyson found his measure quickly the other fellow was doomed.

Against Douglas, there was a technical spanner in the works. He baffled Tyson.

There was no technical spanner in the works against Berbick or Spinks. Tyson simply beat them to the draw and that was that. Struck early. Hurt them early then closed the show.

when Tyson came out of the blocks against Douglas, the other guy had a plan. On the night of his life Buster timed Tyson. Nobody knew he could do it. But he did. Big Bus Met him with his own blows then was able to orchestrate counters and predict Mike at every turn. He baffled Tyson.

I think it is quite possible and even probable that Tyson could take Douglas out in three rounds at almost any other point in Douglas’s career.

I think the set of wins against Mike Williams, Berbick and McCall presented Douglas with the tools for the Tyson assignment. Those bouts were competitive and through this high level of competition Douglas developed and reached a potential that he had been unable to previously ignite.

The talent was always there because he showed it against Page and Cobb even before Tyson was on the scene. But he had stagnated without more of the right kind of motivation and matchmaking.