When I look at the Douglas that fought against Tyson it is interesting to see how motivated and prepared he was. Yes this was the Tyson who didn't have Rooney in his corner but who would have thought back then that Douglas would have beaten even that version in Tokyo. Now I'm not trying to say Douglas is some all time great we know he's not but for this night he showed a great jab, nice combos and boxed well and showed a will to win of course which he gained after losing his mother so it was like a nothing to lose type of mentality. Now how far do you feel Douglas could have gone say he kept that same mentality throughout? could he have given a better fight with Holyfield and even give the before Steward Lennox trouble? What are your thoughts of this topic
the douglas on tyson night would be a top 20 heavy if he could have fought like that his entire career. he was brilliant that night.
It was a one off deal for Douglas on a lot of levels. he always had classy gifts and size but he could only fight with so much passion and hunger the one time. Truly great fighters can tap into that zone more often but that level of desire has to be absolute. After that fight he had realised an ambition and the fire would never be there again. I have gone on record saying Douglas had turned a corner after the tucker fight, he was getting spots on Tyson under cards and was very consistently producing world class performances at that time. Maybe if Buster was bank rolled from the start and he had been nurtured along as a superstar in the making he would have looked a lot better from the beginning, and would have had more in the tank to produce the post tucker form for much longer. However, without the set backs, false starts and no disillusionment to conquer he would not have been able to summon the ruthless desperation that contributed to the Tokyo night. A fully trained career "house fighter" version of buster Douglas would have been some fighter though. Douglas being able to produce Tokyo form as a defending champion would have kept his title a long time, maybe until age beat him. Perhaps only a younger Lennox Lewis could have beat him - but there is no way Douglas could have that desire again. He already was disillusioned.
OK first off in my view Tyson was near his very best that night, just look at round 8, you see the head movement, combinations and speed. A great win and better than Holyfield's wins over Tyson. Tyson fans make every excuse to take credit away from this win, it needs to be given respect Buster was incredibly talented and skilled and potential to be an ATG, in my view he was great for a night. Look at the defensive lateral movement that negates Tyson and the countering. How many in history can pull those moves off. He's outright 1 of the fastest in history despite his 6'3 82inch reach frame. Look how he puts his punches together so fluidly. The heavy rangy jab as he moves. The counter uppercut But it seemed his father forced him into the sport and he didn't have a real passion for it. After the Tucker fight, which was a very good losing performance, he really seemed to improve and train harder as Choklab noted. He raised his game again against Tyson. Then he He was unfortunate to come up against maybe the very best, sharpest version of Holyfield in his next fight after Tyson. He completely gave up on boxing, retiring after that and eating himself into an insulin induced coma. Here's a biography, a bit too much of a focus on Tyson for my liking but insightful none the less http://youtu.be/b27Dc5uAqoM http://youtu.be/_TpXF0OLO3s http://youtu.be/g0Ce5lcOw8w http://youtu.be/-d6oSRAjulY http://youtu.be/c3mc4fUX0ao
Thanks for sharing now as far as taking away from Douglas win I do not at all it was a great win for Douglas. Physically Tyson was at his peak but unprepared which was a fault of his and his camp who were a bunch of yes men. Tyson was more of a head hunter and neglected what got him there in the first place beside his power which was his skills and head movement which was up to par when he was still with Rooney. And even with that in consideration I think the Douglas in Toyko would have given any version of Tyson a difficult time with the movement, defense, reach, combos, Jab and will to win and at that time Douglas had more motivation fighting like a man with nothing to lose(his mother's passing) and he was willing to give it his all which he never shown again.
A boxer that is unprepared is a weakness in their game and it is a pre-fight consideration. It can possibly ending up becoming as important as a jab or upper body movement during a bout. That, and with those ko guys you really have to watch out when they get ko's anyway whenever they are going in less than 100%.
Buster was great that night. If he kept that up, to me it was most of that mentality that he refused to lose to this monster in Tyson, he definitely could have had a longer reign.
I think Douglas has the style to beat Bowe, with his jab, fast hands and movement. I think he could give Lewis all kinds of problems too. The Holyfield he fought was just too quick and sharp for him although he was much slower after gaining 15lbs, but if he faced an older Holyfield and was at his best he could win a UD
I honestly think that the Douglas fight, was one of the best performences that I have seen from Holyfield. He was firing on all cylinders, had the right fight plan, and was motivated. I suspect that he was always going to be too much for Douglas that night.
Probably. This may have been Holyfield in his peak condition and at his most focused. Unfortunately he wasn't in there with a more willing opponent that night.
The enigma of Buster illustrates why the mental aspect is so important to boxing greatness. In Tokyo, Douglas was on the mental plateau of greatness, up there with Ali, Louis, Marciano, inspired by his Mama. By the time of his first defense, he had long returned to his normal--relatively mediocre--mindset, never to soar again. Douglas had about as much talent as any contemporary not named Mike Tyson. But great fighters come up with a mentality of greatness, tried and proven true throughout a career in the ring. Buster accessed such things but for one glorious night.
Yeah the Holyfield of that fight was phenominal and maybe even a fully prepared Douglas would have had trouble with that version going perhaps to a rematch with Holyfield later. That's the sad part about what if we know a fighter has potential to be great but they destroy themselves before their opponent does. Like the likes of Ike Ibeabuchi who at the time threw the most punches at heavyweight in his fight with Tua at 976. He showed great stamina for a big man and a great chin but his personal life got involved and sadly we never got to see how far he could have gone at his peak
Agreed the mental aspect is so important in boxing **** life in general you have to be equipped with the right mentality in order to strive in whatever you do. Douglas found that for one night but after that one glimpse he never got that back. It was more of circumstantial motivation than just straight self motivation. The same with Tyson when had Ronney in his corner it worked for him but when he lost all that once got him to the top and had to act on his own it went downhill. A strong mind will find a way to overcome things despite whatever circumstance they may go through
