No Heart? Douglas Disproves Doubters

James (Buster) Douglas may not wind up as the undisputed world heavyweight boxing champion, but he turned in a stunning performance against Mike Tyson here today in an electrifying and brutal bout.
Douglas, a 29-year-old who was given little chance against the seemingly invincible champion, methodically pummeled Tyson round after round, and ended the bout in the 10th round with a savage combination of punches that left Tyson senseless and barely able to get to all fours.
By the end of this extraordinary day, however, Douglas was celebrating a victory that boxing officials say may take two weeks to determine that he indeed did win following protests by Tyson's team that Douglas had benefited from a long count after being knocked down by Tyson in the eighth round. The World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council have suspended the result pending a review of the incident. The International Boxing Federation has accepted Douglas as the new champion.
Douglas, sporting some thick welts on his eyebrows and forehead but just as low key, cool and confident after the fight as he had been before and during it, called the series of after-fight maneuvers ''bogus.'' Wearing the championship belt he was given before the protesting began, he demanded that his title be recognized.
He spoke comfortably to a small group of reporters as he lounged on the bed in his hotel room. The big man exhibited none of the fear that Tyson instilled in all of his 37 previous professional opponents.
If nothing else, Douglas answered those critics who contended that, while skillful and strong, he lacked the mental toughness to win big fights. ''Now it's beyond the shadow of a doubt,'' Douglas said. ''They know I have heart.''
Tyson appeared at a news conference six hours after the fight, his left eye swollen shut behind dark glasses, and said, ''I can handle losing if I lose fairly.'' But, behind the bravado and the frantic maneuvering by his promoter, Don King, the reality of his loss seemed to be sinking in.
''The easiest part about all this is winning,'' Tyson said. ''The hardest part is losing and coming back.''
An Overwhelming Underdog
Douglas had been such an underdog that Las Vegas oddsmakers did not offer odds on his taking the title away from Tyson, a boxer whose punching power made him seem invincible up to now. Tyson, 23, had a 37-0 record, with 33 knockouts, going into the fight. Douglas took a 29-4-1 record into the fight.
Taking advantage of a 12-inch reach advantage, fierce counterpunches and a brilliant tactical plan, the 6-foot-4-inch, 231 1/2-pound Douglas dominated the bout from the opening bell.
Tyson, who at 5-11 weighed 220 1/2 pounds, grew increasingly frustrated and then started to show the effect of Douglas's pummeling, as his legs lost their bounce in the fifth round and his left eye swelled nearly shut in the sixth round.
Powerful Left Jab
Douglas used a powerful left jab to keep the shorter Tyson from working his way inside. For a big man, Douglas did a good job of shortening up his punches, while still hitting with considerable power. Douglas also used his jab to set Tyson up for powerful rights.
Tyson tried to become more aggressive at the beginning of the seventh and eighth rounds, only to have Douglas methodically begin to demolish him all over again. Douglas scored a series of tough combinations in the eighth round that seemed to hurt Tyson.
His defenses looked weaker and weaker when, about 20 seconds before the round ended, the two tied up momentarily. Tyson reached low with his right hand and blasted Douglas with an uppercut. Douglas backed away and then fell on his back from the force of the punch.
Referee Admits Error
What happened next is not disputed. The referee, Octavio Meyran Sanchez, leaped to Douglas's side and, after a pause, began counting with his fingers so the boxer could see where he stood.
What the videotapes show clearly is that the official timekeeper, who started counting the moment Douglas hit the canvas, as the rules prescribe, was already at 3 when the referee got around to counting 1. Douglas, watching the referee as he should, stood up as Meyran hit 9, but that was least 12 seconds after he fell, 2 seconds beyond the 10 seconds that would have made it a knockout. The bell for the round rang shortly afterward. After the fight the referee admitted his error.
In the 9th and 10th rounds, Douglas came back with new energy and delivered a fierce beating to Tyson. He ended the fight with a right uppercut, and then a four-shot combination that concluded with a left hand that put Tyson down, the only thing left in motion was the former champion's mouthpiece, which rolled aside.
The fight's three judges were split at that point. One had Tyson ahead, one had Douglas ahead, and one had the bout a draw. Most of those questioned afterward in the Tokyo Dome put Douglas well out front.
'The Fight of His Life'
''James Douglas fought the fight of his life,'' said Evander Holyfield, the top heavyweight contender. ''Douglas dictated the pace. He made Tyson think, and that moment that Tyson paused cost him a half second or so. It hurt him.''
Douglas dismissed those who said that Tyson had not trained properly for the fight and had not fought well. ''I thought he was sharp,'' Douglas said. ''He was on. It's just that I was better.''
The most penetrating scenes at the end of the long day were from the proud athletes who battled so memorably this morning. Douglas laughed at those who dismissed him before today. ''Somewhere along the line, I had become a fighter with no punch,'' he said. ''Chalk one up for the small man. That's what this was about.''
Tyson, clearly brought to earth by the beating he had received from Douglas, was philosophical. ''Basically, I want to be champion of the world. All fighters, all young boys want that. I just want fair play.''