How Badly Does Buster Douglas s Title Defence..?

I like Buster but you’re right. It was bad. But the way he got treated by Don King it’s hardly a surprise he came in having had a few too many burgers.

 

Tokyo Douglas is the peak boxer James "Buster" Douglas. Tokyo Douglas is a solid boxer (though probably not for the champion). I agree that this is an upset, but not quite as big as we were presented with. In the years leading up to the fight, a great cult of Mike Tyson's fitness was built.
A upset as close as this is AJ Vs. Andy Ruiz 1.
However, I disagree that it was the biggest upset in sports history. We could discuss the biggest upset in the history of boxing.
In 2004, Greece was the champion of Europe in football. At the opening of the championship, she defeated the host Portugal, as well as in the final. In the knockout stage, Greece knocked out the current European champion, France, and in the semi-finals, the Czech Republic, which played the most efficient and beautiful football in that championship. The Greek national football team has never before, nor since, achieved this kind of success.
I don't think it's the biggest upset in sports history, but it's a big one. It is pretentious to claim what is the biggest upset in sports history; I'm not that much of a sports connoisseur.
The only thing I think is that Greece had less chance than 1:42 for the national teams (on the bookmakers) to become the champion of Europe in football.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Euro_2004#

 

I sort of know what you mean even if I disagree. Let’s just say 30 plus years people are still shocked. If not shocked at least a little surprised. That’s a long time. Like Ali losing to Leon. But Ali was old and Spinks was a known(ish) fighter. Olympics and all. As for Braddock beating Baer well Baer had lost a few before that fight. Ali beating Foreman. At Ali was a former champion and a good one. Douglas was nearly 30. Pretty much unknown outside of fight people. His previous performances were lacklustre. Tyson, well he was unbeaten and was smashing his way to greatness in most peoples eyes when suddenly. TOKYO 1990. That takes some beating. AJ losing to Ruiz. What had AJ proved up to that point. Nowhere near what Tyson had.

 

Arrived for his first defence in woeful shape and appeared to surrender on the deck when it seemed he could’ve arisen. Certainly not one of the best efforts from a first defence Champion.

So, after Tokyo Douglas, we were then exposed to Mirage Douglas. The irony.

 

Bruce Seldon has to be up there he literally crapped his pants against Tyson, and went down on a phantom punch out of fear in the 1st round.

 

I wonder. Can you get knocked out by the sheer thought of getting knocked out? At least Bruce could have made some **** up about being poisoned or some such crap. Outside of Lineal can anyone on here think of a worse resignation of their title. Knocked out by a NON Punch.

 

The whole mood of the event felt as though Douglas entered that ring like he was supposed to lose. That doesn’t take anything away from Evander but Douglas did not fit the part of a “ defending “ champion that night.

 

Gil Clancy once said, "winning a title makes a guy a 25% better fighter "But when Buster weighed in for that fight, I knew he'd regressed back to where he came from.

 

Agreed. BUT. He’s a pro boxer. I wonder if the threat of not getting paid would have a difference. Outside of vacating would he at least have tried knowing he’s not getting paid but still getting billed for accommodation, sparring partners, travelling expenses, sanctioning fees, management deductions and all.