Question about the Tyson-Buster Douglas fight...?

Question

did anyone watch tonight on Espn? I've seen that one a couple times on youtube, and knowing how dominate Tyson was and how flat he looked against Douglas, do you think Don King tried to fix the fight somewhat, or at mininum told Tyson to fight easy early and make it intersting? This is probably the biggest upset in boxing history and biggest upsets in the history of sports. Vegas wouldn't even give betting odds. I think even if the fight was fixed, Tyson was suppose to win, but just make it interesting and allow Buster a moral victory of going the distance. What do you think?

Answer 1

This fight was all about Buster Douglas.  He was a lazy dude, and always started training camp 4 weeks late.  He always showed up blubbery and out of shape.  The same happened with Tyson in Tokyo.  However, what few folks remember, is that Tyson came down with an illness, I think it was called pleurisy, something to do with the lungs.  The fight was delayed 4 weeks and that got Douglas on schedule for the first time in his life.  Buster showed up the fittest he ever had, and for the first and only time in his life, harnessed 100% of his boxing ability and put down Iron Mike.  Folks say Tyson wasn't ready, but the dude did go 10 rounds.  Folks that are out of shape don't do that.  What do I think?  Buster turned in his best possible performance and beat Tyson down.  If Buster had the mind to train like Evander Holyfield, he'd have been a very successful heavyweight champion with many title defenses.

Answer 2

No I think Tyson took Douglas to lightly and did not train

Answer 3

This was a big upset in boxing,but the biggest upset in the history of sport?

No, the biggest upset in the history of sport was the New York Giants beating the Patsy's in the Super Bowl!

Answer 4

Tyson lost because Tyson wasn’t the same fighter since Don King fired Kevin Rooney (Tysons first trainer) Rooney and Tyson had a number system (Rooney would yell out number combinations and Tyson would on instinct throw that punch. The reason was because Rooney could see the openings on the opponent t and yell it to Tyson.

I believe if Tyson had stayed with Rooney he may go undefeated his whole career, if he avoided Evander Holyfield. With in a year of Kevin Rooney getting fired Tyson started to fade, His head movement first, then his bob n weave, then his jab until he was just a one punch wonder.

Douglas exposed it, he kept his jab in Tysons face all night and give Tyson credit for heart because he kept coming.

AND! a little side note, Douglas was knocked down in the 8th round i think it was for 12 seconds. Don King raised h**l about the long count and tried in the courts to have the decision overturned and the loss removed from Tyson record (Obviously not a set up, King would have made Millions and Millions if Tyson beat Douglas, because his next opponent after Douglas was supposed to be Evander Holyfield because Holyfield was the number on contender, instead Holyfeild fought Douglas and Tyson went to jail.

NO way in h**l King set up the Douglas fight, although i do believe he may have had a part in Tyson going to prison because he Knew Tyson was on his way down, but a Tyson out of Prison would sell millions..and did it ever. Tysons Bum of the Month club began.

Until he ran into Commander Vander of course.

It was definatly the biggest upset in sports history, absolutly, Douglas was a 45 to 1 underdog at one point before the fight, Thats unmatched in any sport if you go by Vegas odds.

My uncle was a big gambler on fights and I remember that he couldnt find a sports book or bookie in town that would take a bet on the fight.

To Adam R, your right that Tyson faced much better opposition then Douglas before he fought him, but to say Holmes? Holmes had been retired 2 years when he came back to fight Tyson and before that he lost two fights to Spinks, he was fat and slow. You cant give Tyson credit for beating Holmes, thats like giving Holmes credit for beating Ali.

Heres a big list of fighters that were better then Douglas that Tyson fought prior to Douglas.  

Trevor Berbick,James Smith,Pinklon Thomas, Tony Tucker,Tyrell Biggs,Tony Tubbs,Frank Bruno,Carl Williams,

Douglas's only notable wins before Tyson were a decision over a slow out of shape Berbick and a long boring decision win over Oliver McCall.

Answer 5

I wasnt born when the fight happened, but I've seen the fight on ESPN classic. You can tell that Mike just came for a payday against a fighter that was lazy. But Douglas was very motivated for this fight. What really got Douglas motivated for the fight is that his mother died a week or two before the fight and he dedicated the fight with Mike to his mother. And as you can see, I took out all that fustration on Mike.

Answer 6

The truth is that Buster Douglas was the better man that night that he beat Tyson.  He came into the fight mentally and physically prepared having dedicated it to his late mother who had recently passed before their fight.  He was focused and had a great fight plan.  He was also arguably the best fighter Tyson had fought to that point and one that had no fear of standing up to Tyson and actually fighting him.  Yes Tyson probably wasn't into the fight particfularly mentally but he was in fighting shape.  He very well may have taken Douglas lightly and didn't ever have an answer all night to the Douglas jab.  Many times during the fight, Douglas not only outboxed Tyson but actually outpunched him as well.  It proved to the world that Tyson was not unbeatable and any fighter that has an off night, can indeed get beaten.  It happened to greats before Tyson and is one of the reason the sport of boxing is so great.  Douglas was great the night he beat Tyson and should be given due credit for what he accomplished.  He thoroughly beat Mike Tyson that night in Tokyo and though it was a momumental upset, was neither a fix or a fluke as the better man won that night.

Answer 7

You are talking absolute sh*t.

Have you any idea how many people would have to be involved to 'fix' a fight of that magnitude? Both fighters, both corners, the promoter, all the money people involved, and every single one of them would have to keep quiet afterwards.

Not just that, but you seriously want to sit there and allege that Tyson took that beating for ten rounds and then took a dive?

Wouldn't it have been easier for him to go down sooner, before Buster Douglas beat the sh*t out of him?

Truth of the matter is that Tyson, like the rest of us, had been conned into thinking he was invincible, and went into that fight ill prepared.

Matter of fact, Tyson was never that good to start with; he lost to Douglas 18 years ago, since then he only won THIRTEEN more fights, and those victories came against all-time greats like Francois Botha, Lou Savarese and Clifford Etienne.

Answer 8

NO FIX.  There are a million reasons why that theory is ridiculous.  I'll give you just one.  

If the fight was fixed there would have been an immediate rematch and Tyson would have won.  I've watched the fight many times and saw the same thing.  

Tyson ran all over the place after Japanese prostitutes while Buster trained.   He knew Tyson would take him lightly.   Tyson tried his trademark "scare the pants off you" stare.  That didn't work.   He came after Douglas like he stole something.   That didnt' work.   Look at how Buster fought back in the first round.   That was no fix.

Buster just fought the fight of his life and Mike didn't have a "Plan B".  Those clowns in his corner, who should all be locked up for impersonating trainers, didn't have a clue what to do.   Snowell, who should know better, just pressed a condom full of water on Mike's eye while that other jackass,  the one with the stupid hat who can't speak one clear sentence in English,  kept repeating  "hit him Mike".     "YOU hit him!"    It's sad that guy ever got paid ONE DOLLAR from Mike.  ............Well, actually it was Don who paid him.   He just used Mike's money to do it.  

I saw Don's payroll list.  Prison rape is more dignified than what he did to Mike, or should I say what Mike allowed him to do.  

Buster Douglas just whipped Mike Tyson's @$$ that night.   It's that simple.

Answer 9

not fixed.  how you say Tyson look flat?  tyson put that pumpkinhead on the canvas for 14 seconds.

Not fixed, Tyson winning was in Don King be$t intrest.  Look closer at the fight b4 sayin sumthin silly.

Answer 10

wow um elmer fud and tough guy are wrong.yeah tyson was sick but he was going through battles with his wife lost his trainer.i think all of the outside kind of got to tyson.he didn't train as hard as he use to and  besides he put douglas on the mat in the 9th round and i think douglas was down 10 seconds.that was the longest count i have ever seen.buster douglas wasn't a great champ he was a loser that was full of heart because his mom had just died and he trained hard.he didn't even last 2 rounds with holyfield.you put tyson in that ring a year before that fight happened and tyson with no stress ko's him in 4 rounds or less.buster was at the right place at the right time.toughguy said buster was the best tyson had been in a ring with up to that point........WHAT.did you forget larry holmes,micheal spinks.you mean to tell me that larry holmes wasn't as good as buster douglas.

Answer 11

there is no way don king would fix the fight, the douglas fight was a joke fight leading up to a huge showdown with holyfield in 91', and king would of made millions, you can tell by looking at how soft tyson's stomach and waist looked that he was out of shape and had to make a decent weight by crash dieting, tyson did not realize douglas, who's track record up to that point had been less than stellar, would come in so motivated and ready to fight

Answer 12

No, I think Tyson just got his head handed to him by a better, highly motivated fighter. Like Bowe, Douglas had all the tools to be a great champion, but just lacked the focus and heart (except for that glorious night!)

Answer 13

Man it was not fixed at all, At that night douglas was just the better trained, motivated  fighter.

Tyson barley trained smoked,  drank and partyed weeks leading up to the fight, he thought that it would be another easy 1-2 chump. But it wasent.

If you look in to douglas he wasent even that good of a fighter

I mean he lost the heavy weight title at his next fight to evander holyfeild, Douglas was a c**p fighter.

Only reason he beat mike was because mike was more

into women drugs and goin to party's. Instead of training and

defending his title.

Tyson was the man from 85' until 90, mostly because that's when cus d'mato was with him(R.I.P).

And if he ever saw tyson

smoking or drinking he would of slapped him upside the head.

Answer 14

Watch the tape & when Buster is down look at the official who  starts the knock down counts. He was at 4 or 5 when the ref started at 1. Buster should have been counted out, watch the tape & see it for yourself.

This was a 30 to 1 odds in favor of Mike winning, nobody but Buster thought he had a chance, his mother had just passed which gave him motivation. He had for this 1 fight the heart & desire to win which nobody including Mike thought he had. Mike didn't take him as a threat & he screwed up.