Did anyone think Tyson make have had a chance of turning it around? I'm sure a few thought perhaps Tyson had taken him lightly the first time around, and this fight was going to be different (well it was certainly that)?
Sure were a lot more people liking Commander Vander's chances, weren't there? But you still had a lot of that poor Mike had a bad day at the office type rationalization justifying and overlooking the loss. Funny how some fighters get that and lots of fighters don't. But Tyson fandom still had him as a big favorite going in. I thought Evander was a fantastic bet. And after that first round----Evander picked up right where he left off and the pattern was set. So 2 minutes into the fight it was easy to see the direction things were going to go.
I hoped Tyson might at least make it a more equal fight this time, maybe thinking he'd be deadly serious for this fight and show flashes of his old self. I still think 91 Tyson would have Holy back then, those year's in jail certainly didn't help.
If he would have just brought Rooney back they could have straightened it all out. I heard that so many times from sports fans. Kevin was the Tyson Whisperer.
There were always people who thought Tyson could win. I actually won money from people who wanted to bet on him to beat Lennox Lewis. I mean it's fighting so you never know but Tyson's fans were the best for wanting to bet wildly. I made money privately and at the book on Holyfield II, Lewis and Danny Williams. Betting against Tyson was crazy because people always brought in small bets the week of the fight, it's crazy.
I always believed he had a chance because he could punch. That first fight was pretty one sided. The people that he had around him at that time didn't give me confidence that he could change it
When the rematch was set for May originally I thought that Tyson had a 50/50 provided he prepared properly. Then it was re-scheduled to June 28 because of a supposed Tyson injury, 40/60, Then the reports of him focusing more on strength training, 30/70. Then Team Tyson complaining about Mitch Halpern as referee again, 20/80. And finally Tyson's face when they came together for the refs instructions 5/95.
Tyson was a very slight favourite for the rematch. He prepared better physically (first fight was his heaviest fighting weight at this point) and seemed more focused (less trashtalking), but he completely fell off mentally after the headbutt that opened his eye. Which is a shame because I felt the fight was quite even (I don't buy at all Holyfield so called vast superiority). What should have been a great boxing night turned into a huge disappointement.
