The all-time stunner in Tokyo sent shockwaves around the globe and is still viewed as the biggest upset in boxing, if not all of professional sports. Each person has a story to tell him about where they were when Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson as a 42-to-1 underdog to become boxing’s undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. A night, when Buster Douglas gave hope to all fighters for years and even generations to come, that anything is possible.Watch Video: Video: Buster Douglas, former heavyweight champ, talks about his ultimate goalįew days have passed over the last three decades without at least one stranger stopping Buster Douglas on the street. Thus, knocking Buster off the world title stage, once and for all.įight fans and observers in the 60s had their shocker of young unbeaten Cassius Clay beating the menacing Sonny Liston to take the title, and start his iconic reign as Heavyweight champ through the rest of the 1960s and into the 70s.Īnd, those of us fortunate enough to be old enough to have watched and understood what Tyson did to the rest of the heavyweight division in the mid-late 1980s understand the magnitude of what Douglas did to him in Tokyo.īut, it doesn’t lessen the historical significance of February 11th. Tyson came out of the joint in 1995 and reclaimed the Undisputed Championship before Evander Holyfield upset him in November of 1996 and he was never champion again.Īs for Douglas, his time in the limelight was fleeting and actually, it was also Holyfield who dispatched the out-of-shape Douglas with one punch in the third round in October of 1990. He went to prison in Indiana on a rape conviction with the guilty verdict being announced almost to the exact hour in February 1992 on the second anniversary of his loss to Douglas. Time marched on from that crazy night, but was not kind to Tyson. No matter the upsets before or since, there was nothing quite like Douglas stunning Tyson in February of 1990. Lampley was right just over 30 years ago. Say it now gentlemen, James “Buster” Douglas, Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the world.” “Let’s go ahead and call it the biggest upset in the history of the sport…. While talking to stunned colleagues Larry Merchant and Hall of Fame fighter Sugar Ray Leonard, Lampley uttered: Tyson wobbled to his feet putting his mouth guard in backwards at the count of 9 and when referee Octavio Meyran looked into his eyes, he amazingly waved the fight off, as a technical knockout.įamed boxing play-by-play man Jim Lampley called the fight for HBO and his quote in the aftermath of Douglas’s remarkable upset knockout still resonates three decades later. That staggered Tyson and eventually, another left hook connected on Tyson’s jaw and put him down for the first time in his professional career. However, Douglas remained composed and eventually landed a massive right uppercut of his own early in the 10th round. And, even with his left eye almost closed shut “Iron Mike” was still dangerous with one punch knockout capability in the latter rounds. Thus, setting up the dramatics to come.ĭouglas was tested when Tyson knocked him down in the 8th round of fight.
With his size, longer reach, a steady left jab, plus, repeated straight right hands and right hooks to the head, Douglas continued to win round after round early. Many of the greatest knockouts, this one included are available on YouTube.
Never before had anyone in Tyson’s professional career stood up to and hurt Tyson the way that Douglas did. In a performance that was every bit as impressive as it was shocking, Douglas dominated Tyson from the beginning of their scheduled 12-round Undisputed Heavyweight title fight. Hear us by clicking below:ĭouglas entered the ring in the “Toyko Dome” baseball stadium as a 42-1 Underdog, but an hour later he was arguably the most famous sports figure in the world. And we commemorated Douglas’ stunning win on our “Big Fight Weekend” podcast this week.Īntione Williams of “GOAT Boxing Promotions” joined the show to discuss just how the upset of Tyson happened and why it’s still so impactful three decades later. Friday night marked the 32nd anniversary of the greatest upset in Heavyweight boxing history (and maybe the sport’s history), as James “Buster” Douglas knocked out the seemingly invincible, unbeaten Mike Tyson in Tokyo, Japan.
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