Tyson/Buster: 25 years on, arguably the biggest shock in modern sports!

I was a little kid back then so I knew the whole story years later.
I just rewatched the fight yesterday.
What can I say? Buster Douglas was absolutely perfect boxer that night.

Double jab, great speed, footwork, combinations, nice uppercuts, hooks and strait punches.

He KO'd Tyson with the straight left (an extremely rare case for ortodox-stance fighter). Yes, Douglas had great powerful straight left. The variety of his punches was amasing.

Tyson is one of my favourite HWs of all time, a great boxer without any doubt, but that night he was dominated and badly beaten.

Douglas won literally every round besides 8th, and the score on one card was right (88-82 Douglas) whereas others somehow scored it as an even fight.

As a Tyson fan I'm disappointed with the result of the fight.

I believe it's the biggest upset of all-time in boxing.

 

I was elated when Douglas waxed him, I hated Tyson, felt happy for Buster considering he lost his Mother shortly before the fight::-(

Too bad.Douglas sat on the title for almost a year, before defending it against a motivated Holyfield, and even then showed up fat, flabby..

 

I was always a huge Tyson fan, but I wasn't even concerned about this fight. Tyson was disposing of guys so easily in those days, I just assumed he'd destroy this old journeyman toot-sweet.

I'll never forget, my Dad called me the next morning about 9AM, asked me if I heard about the Tyson fight. I said no, he said the guy whipped Tyson last night. I said, "okay, Dad, I'm not biting on that." He said, "no, really, this guy Buster Douglas knocked Tyson out!" I said what?

I remember seeing a little thing on the news before the fight, they showed Douglas running in Ohio I think was where he was from, they said he was taking some decongestants because he had a cold. I thought, he better be extremely clear-headed when he takes on the crazy freight train he's about to face! I still can't believe it really happened!

 

there is truth in this even today, althought Tyson has helped partially destroy his legacy

 

I don't think it was luck on Douglas part that he won, he was train and in shape, and Tyson was not in fighting shape.

I not even sure how the judges score the bout in the manner they did. Tyson got his butt kick from round 1, until the knockout. A break of course in 8 when Tyson got the knockdown.

I do recall King saying Tyson should still be champ because of the long count BS thing he pull. The sad part was, I forgot which Alpha title it was, almost went with King on that one. Can you just think of that? Tyson gets ko, and only losses 2 of his 3 belts, because the org didn't agree with the outcome.

 

SRL: "Oh, good uppercut!"
Lampley: What an uppercut and down goes Tyson!"

(Pause while the official counts)

(Tyson fumbles for the mouthpiece)

Merchant: He...!?
SRL: I-....It's over!!"
Lampley: ....Mike Tyson has been knocked out.

The pause in the commentary is what stands out, when they, like everyone else were trying to comprehend what was taking place and put it into words.

 

I was 14 when Tyson was beat by Douglas so I went through a lot of my childhood thinking Tyson was invincible like all the boys back then.

When he lost it was weird, it was not the way my mind was programmed almost, It was like the world had turned upside down basically. It was so surreal it was unbelievable, like something you knew to be a solid fact became a totally opposite of what you thought it was.

 

I vividly remember watching that fight like it was yesterday. I thought Tyson looked lethargic from the start, and thought his demise was practically inevitable, although I had renewed hope when he scored the surprise knockdown at the end of the 8th. But fact is that he was taking a beating from start to finish. And yet, because he had never been beaten as a pro, for some reason it still came as an utter shock to me when he went down. I was crushed. In hindsight, that clip of Greg Page dropping him in sparring resonated even more strongly, and I remembered Lampley's/Merchant's comments that rumors were that Tyson was not right.

People think Tyson was done after that, but that is not true. He blasted through Tillman and Stewart, and showed his toughness, chin, heart, and condition in two wars with the really big and powerful Ruddock, who was fight sharp and had explosive power.

 

^ Tyson was done post prison. He was never close to what he was pre incarceration. He did look good against those fighters you named.

As for the fight itself I missed it when it happened. I was supposed to go to a buddy's house that was way over on the other side of town and thought over an hour to get there and the fight will be over before I sit down. Lol.

Tyson was flat. Whatever the reasons were he was flat. Taking nothing away from Douglas who along with Schmeling I believe put together the two best HW performances as monumental underdogs you will ever see.

 

I would have been 10 years old and remember watching it on HBO with my Dad.I recall disbelieving of what I had just witnessed and my Dad nearly chocked on the beer he was sipping on.A great moment in sports!:good

 

I recall the rubbish Kevin Rooney spoke on some documentary. He says Douglas started the bout has a scared, nervous fighter but got braver the longer the fight went on. Absolute tripe, Douglas started the fight with authority and confidence, he dominated the fight from the opening bell.

 

Put Frazier or Marciano's heart in Douglas' body and you just might have the perfect heavyweight. That version of Buster could have (not would have) beaten any HW past or present. Unfortunately he didn't have the mental discipline/desire to apply himself consistently. But for that one night he looked like a complete heavyweight if there ever was one.

 

I think you're overestimating his abilities bigtime there, Ali would have toyed with him. Foreman would bulldoze him, hell even Holyfield would have always defeated him.