Mike Tyson was a popular boxer during the 1980s and 1990s. He was the youngest Heavyweight champion in boxing history. Tyson was unbeatable in combat sports because of his cardio, movement and knockout power. Not every great fighter is undefeated for life. Few combatants have retired from combat sports with an undefeated record. Rocky Marciano and Khabib Nurmagomedov were among those who retired with a perfect professional record. Tyson’s defeat was the biggest in boxing history.
Tyson’s career was scandalous in the second half of 1980s. He was in a turbulent relationship with the actress Robin Givens and had an abusive marriage. He left his boxing trainer Kevin Rooney. Mike Tyson fought with Bill Clayton, his long-time manager and Don King over contracts. In 1990 he fought James Douglas at the Tokyo Dome, Japan. Douglas entered the fight as a 42 to 1 underdog, but left with the title of World Heavyweight Champion. James Douglas was the first boxer to beat Mike Tyson in the boxing ring.
Buster Douglas, the 7th-ranked Heavyweight going into the fight against Tyson. Douglas was seen by many as a warm up for Tyson, before he faced the No. 1 contender Evander Holyfield. Douglas’ mother died just a few weeks before the fight. Lula Pearl Douglas’ mother died over three weeks before the fight. Douglas’s ex-girlfriend and the mother of Douglas’s son both had severe kidney problems. He was also sick with flu the day before the fight.
Douglas knocked Tyson out in the tenth and final round. Referee Octavio Meira counted him as defeated. Douglas cried in his postfight interview after the knockout win and paid a heartfelt tribute to his mom. Douglas said that his mother was the one who believed in him when no other person did. His win over Tyson is the biggest underdog victory in boxing.
How did James Douglas defeat Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson and James Douglas faced off in the Tokyo Dome for the WBA WBC and IBF titles. Tyson was the clear favorite, while Douglas entered the fight as a 42 to 1 underdog. The match began with a shocking surprise that shocked both the commentators as well as the viewers. Douglas proved that he wasn’t afraid of Tyson. He used quick movements and jabs to stop Tyson from getting inside. In the early rounds, he was the superior boxer.
After the middle rounds, Tyson gained some momentum. Douglas was still a threat to Tyson. He swollen Tyson’s eye in the fifth round by tearing him up. Larry Merchant, a commentator on the fight, said that Tyson faced adversity in his career for the first. Tyson knocked Douglas out with a massive right uppercut in the eighth round.
Douglas did not let it slow him down. He fought back, and with a four punch combo, he almost knocked Tyson out. Tyson, still hurting from the ninth-round fight, took a few jabs before Douglas delivered the four-punch combination to knock him out. Douglas was crowned Heavyweight Champion after the referee counted Tyson out.
