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Did anyone watch the Tyson vs Douglas replay?

JohnnySurfin

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Aug 11, 2018
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I had forgotten what an epic brawl that was.

For that one moment in time,Buster came to play.

that dude was big,tall and in shape that night,and when he finally unloaded on Tyson...

When Iron Mike hit the pavement and his mouth piece came flying out...

wOw
 
Had never seen it - watched - Buster was not afraid of Tyson which was not always the case.
 
Tyson had been distracted during that time with personal issues, plus he had hooked up with Don King. Should I say anymore?
 
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Buster did the one thing that no other opponent had done . He wasn’t pissing himself and shaking in his boots when Tyson came down the aisle . Same with Evander. I watched a reply of Tyson V Holyfield 1 and in the second Round Mike swarmed him and Evander stood toe to toe and rocked him badly with a right hook . There was a look in Mike’s face that I never saw in his career even against Douglas . He was finished and from that round on Evander whipped him like Mike stole his wallet . Mike was all about the aura and the fear . Buster and Evander weren’t phased by it at all . What’s so amazing to me is how amazing Buster looked against Tyson in Tokyo and how terrible he looked when Evander Knocked him out in his first defense . He must have gained 40lbs and Evander looked like a dang Gladiator. I guess that’s what happens when fame and money go to your head .
 
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Buster Douglas had a jab that Tyson could not figure out. Most boxers use the jab to set up their power punches. Buster Douglas is one of the few boxers who has actually recorded knockouts with a jab. Tyson eventually got frustrated at his inability to get inside and throw combinations. Instead, he started lunging, trying to load up with one knockout punch.

I remember how surreal it was watching that fight live. You knew Douglas was clearly beating Tyson's a$$, but you also suspected in the back of your mind that Tyson was going to eventually land that power punch and end the fight. When Douglas went down (in the 8th?) we all thought the clock had struck midnight for Cinderella. When Douglas eventually knocked him out, it was hard to believe what I was watching. It was similar to the feeling I had when our Gamecocks were laying the wood to Duke in Greenville.
 
I sat in the lobby of bates west watching ESPN TALK at the end of the rounds and give updates.

I couldn’t believe Douglas was hanging around.
When they announced he won, students were walking in to Bates and saw the news and asked me what happened and I told countless students Tyson had lost and no one could believe it.
 
That was a surreal fight to watch. No one had ever hung with Tyson like that. IIRC, that was the first time in Tyson's professional career that he had even been knocked down, much less gotten KO'd.
 
Tyson had been distracted during that time with personal issues, plus he had hooked up with Don King. Should I say anymore?
percent correct! Tyson even wrecked his Ferrari around a telephone pole 3 weeks before the fight. His life was in shambles. And he had Don King with him, who got him to fire Kevin Rooney I knew it was over then.
 
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percent correct! Tyson even wrecked his Ferrari around a telephone pole 3 weeks before the fight. His life was in shambles. And he had Don King with him, who got him to fire Kevin Rooney I knew it was over then.
But hadn't Buster Douglas recently lost his mother before this match? I may be misremembering, but I'm also too lazy to do the research in this case. But if true, all the outside influences would cancel each other out.

Having said that, there's no doubt who the overall better boxer was.
 
But hadn't Buster Douglas recently lost his mother before this match? I may be misremembering, but I'm also too lazy to do the research in this case. But if true, all the outside influences would cancel each other out.

Having said that, there's no doubt who the overall better boxer was.
Yes he did but it made him focus on the goal of beating Tyson and winning the world championship to honer his mom. So I don’t put the two in the same category, some people handle things well when tragic events happen in their life and some don’t, and in this case Buster was able to use his moms death to propel him to do something great. Some people take their problems to work and some people bottle things up inside, and put all their energy into the Job. Remember how Brett Favre played the day after his father died? He was spectacular and there’s other similar moments in sports where tragedy brought triumph. Tyson couldn’t handle that pressure and it wrecked his life for a while, not only in the ring but outside of it as well.
 
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I also remember how people in the days following the fight notes how Tyson’s corner had mismanaged the swelling on his left eye (I believe it was the left). Seems I remember his “cut guy” was new and not as experienced. By the later rounds he was a one eyed fighter. I remember watching the fight and, like other said, kept waiting for Tyson to land that one killer punch.
 
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I also remember how people in the days following the fight notes how Tyson’s corner had mismanaged the swelling on his left eye (I believe it was the left). Seems I remember his “cut guy” was new and not as experienced. By the later rounds he was a one eyed fighter.
I dont remember if his cut man was new, but they clearly went into that fight unprepared and never expected him to need a cut man. They didnt even have an end-swell device, which is basically a hunk of stainless steel that sits on ice during the rounds. It's a fundamental part of the cut man's tool box and can be used to reduce swelling between rounds. Instead, his corner filled either a latex glove or condom with ice-water and was putting that against Tyson's face. It looked ridiculous.
 
I would encourage you to watch Mike Tyson when he had Kevin Rooney and Cus D’Amato. He was a great fighter with defense and offense. He was extraordinarily hard to hit. Douglas’s could hit him because after D’Amato died and Tyson/King fires Kevin Rooney, his defense went downhill and he became a statue. Buster’s jab wouldn’t have mattered two years before because his hands and head were in motion. He became without Rooney and D’Amato a shell of himself. If he hadn’t lost to Douglas, he would have lost to any other in shape long armed puncher because he had no defense.
 
I would encourage you to watch Mike Tyson when he had Kevin Rooney and Cus D’Amato. He was a great fighter with defense and offense. He was extraordinarily hard to hit. Douglas’s could hit him because after D’Amato died and Tyson/King fires Kevin Rooney, his defense went downhill and he became a statue. Buster’s jab wouldn’t have mattered two years before because his hands and head were in motion. He became without Rooney and D’Amato a shell of himself. If he hadn’t lost to Douglas, he would have lost to any other in shape long armed puncher because he had no defense.
Exactly! He lost that head movement once he fired Rooney. Don King thought Tyson didn’t need a good trainer, he just thought Tyson was invincible and was shocked to see Tyson needed guidance in the ring. Which most fighters do, King ruined Tyson by surrounding him with people who didn’t know much about the sport. King knew Mike wasn’t that smart and he used it against him. It was hard watching that unfold.
 
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percent correct! Tyson even wrecked his Ferrari around a telephone pole 3 weeks before the fight. His life was in shambles. And he had Don King with him, who got him to fire Kevin Rooney I knew it was over then.


Tyson has admitted his life was in shambles for most of his fights.
 
I dont remember if his cut man was new, but they clearly went into that fight unprepared and never expected him to need a cut man. They didnt even have an end-swell device, which is basically a hunk of stainless steel that sits on ice during the rounds. It's a fundamental part of the cut man's tool box and can be used to reduce swelling between rounds. Instead, his corner filled either a latex glove or condom with ice-water and was putting that against Tyson's face. It looked ridiculous.
This is correct. I have been on the receiving end of an enswell. Nothing beats the swab up the nose, though.
 
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I always wondered how Ali vs Tyson would have played out and then Buster Douglas rolled the tape. A ‘boxer’ versus a ‘puncher’ if you can avoid the power shots (not easy with Tyson in his prime) boxing skills will win out.

Heck, what do I know...great fight and unfortunately Buster never did anything after that. Holyfield did file all that away and exposed Tyson again (2X) later.
 
I was in college and my roommates buddy took me with him to his bookies house. I was talked into buying in on a pool for the fight and Drew Buster Douglas and 10th round. I was so pissed at my buddy for talking me into it at the time. 50 dollars was real money back then. Needless to say I was the happiest man on the planet that night. I won like 2300 bucks and was very generous with the beer and liquor for the rest of the semester.
 
I always wondered how Ali vs Tyson would have played out and then Buster Douglas rolled the tape. A ‘boxer’ versus a ‘puncher’ if you can avoid the power shots (not easy with Tyson in his prime) boxing skills will win out.

Heck, what do I know...great fight and unfortunately Buster never did anything after that. Holyfield did file all that away and exposed Tyson again (2X) later.

Exactly , as great as Mike was I argue that he might have been the most overrated athlete of our generation . He was fun to watch but in all honesty who did he beat ?? Spinks ?!? Razor Ruddock?!! A 90 year old Larry Holmes?! I would argue the only 2 elite fighters he faced were Evander and Lennox Lewis and he got destroyed . He bit Evander because he was getting worked and he knew he was gonna get Koed again . Again not diminishing his greatness but I would have loved to seen Tyson against Frazier , Norton and Foreman and Holmes in their prime .
 
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Exactly , as great as Mike was I argue that he might have been the most overrated athlete of our generation . He was fun to watch but in all honesty who did he beat ?? Spinks ?!? Razor Ruddock?!! A 90 year old Larry Holmes?! I would argue the only 2 elite fighters he faced were Evander and Lennox Lewis and he got destroyed . He bit Evander because he was getting worked and he knew he was gonna get Koed again . Again not diminishing his greatness but I would have loved to seen Tyson against Frazier , Norton and Foreman and Holmes in their prime .
Tyson was unbeatable before Cuss died.. Nobody even wanted to fight him.. Tyson's downfall was Don King and Robin Givens. Cuss kept him close and knew how to handle him.
 
Tyson was unbeatable before Cuss died.. Nobody even wanted to fight him.. Tyson's downfall was Don King and Robin Givens. Cuss kept him close and knew how to handle him.

I agree Tyson was an animal with Cuss and Rooney but honestly who did he really beat ?? Who was the best opponent Tyson defeated . Spinks ?? I also think that the post prison Tyson was just not the same fighter . They set him up with chumps and I really think his camp thought Evander had seen his better days . They were seriously mistaken . I would love to have seen Holyfield v Tyson earlier in their careers when it was supposed to happen . Would have been a hell of a fight .
 
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percent correct! Tyson even wrecked his Ferrari around a telephone pole 3 weeks before the fight. His life was in shambles. And he had Don King with him, who got him to fire Kevin Rooney I knew it was over then.
You and me both. Tyson had fools (we called them run dmc at the time) in his corner that night/day/whatever it was; it was in Japan iirc. When Rooney went so did the discipline and focus; Tyson just stomped around looking for the single shot the rest of his career.

Also, Douglas got a long count earlier in that fight.
 
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Tyson was the most overhyped and protected by his fans fighter ever. While he was a physical phenom he lacked what it took to win a fight with a equally tough guy who wasn't intimidated by him. He beat an over the hill Berbick, 40 year old Holmes, light hw Spinks, and really no great fighters during his span. When he got to Holyfield and Lewis who were both older than him he was annihilated by them. He never ever beat a guy after being in trouble during the fight. He was a great highlight fighter but wasn't even the top fighter of his generation and for sure not of alltime.
 
Tyson was the most overhyped and protected by his fans fighter ever. While he was a physical phenom he lacked what it took to win a fight with a equally tough guy who wasn't intimidated by him. He beat an over the hill Berbick, 40 year old Holmes, light hw Spinks, and really no great fighters during his span. When he got to Holyfield and Lewis who were both older than him he was annihilated by them. He never ever beat a guy after being in trouble during the fight. He was a great highlight fighter but wasn't even the top fighter of his generation and for sure not of alltime.

I think most people recognize that Tyson was not a great fighter.

But he captured the imagination unlike almost any other athlete. I was glued to the screen whenever he was in the ring. It was like waiting for a bomb to go off.
 
Tyson was the most overhyped and protected by his fans fighter ever. While he was a physical phenom he lacked what it took to win a fight with a equally tough guy who wasn't intimidated by him. He beat an over the hill Berbick, 40 year old Holmes, light hw Spinks, and really no great fighters during his span. When he got to Holyfield and Lewis who were both older than him he was annihilated by them. He never ever beat a guy after being in trouble during the fight. He was a great highlight fighter but wasn't even the top fighter of his generation and for sure not of alltime.
I’m not particularly a huge Tyson fan, but Carl The Truth Williams, James Quick Tillis, Bonecrusher Smith, but mostly Pinklon Thomas disprove your points. The people that defeated Tyson were Desiree Washington and Robin Givens.
 
I’m not particularly a huge Tyson fan, but Carl The Truth Williams, James Quick Tillis, Bonecrusher Smith, but mostly Pinklon Thomas disprove your points. The people that defeated Tyson were Desiree Washington and Robin Givens.

Those mentioned were very average heavyweights in a very weak division at the time. When Lewis, Holyfield and Bowe came to the division the cream rose to the top.
 
I think most people recognize that Tyson was not a great fighter.

But he captured the imagination unlike almost any other athlete. I was glued to the screen whenever he was in the ring. It was like waiting for a bomb to go off.
Correction. Tyson was a great fighter and puncher. His boxing skills were average to above average. When he got rid of D'Amato, he went down the drain. Actually, when he got rid of Rooney, he went down the drain. Larry Merchant will tell you that. And I trust that guy.
 
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