Rocky lives! : heavyweight boxing upsets of the 1990s

Boxing fans love the upset, seeing the underdog surprise the heavy favorite and take the fight to him, winning over the fans andperhaps even more importantthe judges. Sylvester Stallone mined that emotion through his long series of Rocky films. Rocky is fiction, however. The men in Rocky Lives! are real. David E. Finger, a writer for top boxing website FightNews.com, presents chronologically seventy-five heavyweight boxing upsets of the 1990s. Some involve boxers still fighting today; others contain a cautionary tale of once-great boxers chasing one last payday. There are also the early-round disasters of wannabes and athletes who switched to boxing in midstream. Perhaps the biggest upset of the decade occurred just forty-two days into it, as Buster Douglas drew inspiration from his recently deceased mother to deliver a monumental upset of Mike Tyson, the self-proclaimedand, at the time, most agreed"baddest man on the planet." HBO commentator Larry Merchant labeled it "the greatest upset in boxing history." Finger presents this fight and seventy-four others with amazing detail, looking back at the prefight hype and "common sense" perception, describing the fight preparation of each boxer, analyzing the fight itself, and discussing the aftermath. He explains why the upset was so upsetting, and describes the continued careers of both boxers. From the Tyson-Douglas, Foreman-Moorer, and Lewis-McCall top-dollar fights to low-level curiosities like former New York Jet Mark Gastineau getting embarrassed or Eric "Butterbean" Esch taking to the ring, David Finger presents the best heavyweight upsets the 1990s have to offer. Youll read about crooked promoters drugging opponents, a convicted felon hoping victory in the ring will win him leniency, and a forty-five-year-old preacher looking to exorcise a two-decade-old demon. Rocky Lives! brings all the knockouts and slugfests right into your home. 1990: James Buster Douglas Ko10 Mike Tyson -- Mark Wills Ko6 Greg Page -- Mike The Bounty Hunter Wu10 Pinklon Thomas -- John Sargent Tko8 Yuri Vaulin -- 1991: Oliver Mccall Tko9 Bruce Seldon -- Levi Billups Wu10 James Bonecrusher Smith -- Nathaniel Fitch Tko1 Terry Davis -- 1992: Larry Holmes Wu12 Ray Mercer -- Jerry Arentzen Tko4 Paul Roma -- Jerry Arentzen Tko4 Paul Roma -- Jerry Jones Wu10 Carl The Truth Williams -- Lionel Butler Wdq4 David Dixon -- Tim Doc Anderson Wu5 Mark Gastineau -- Jimmy Lee Smith Tko7 Mark Carrier -- Everett Bigfoot Martin Ws10 Tim Witherspoon -- Lionel Butler Ko1 Tony Tubbs -- Ron Cranmer Wu6 Jerry Quarry -- Lennox Lewis Tko2 Donovan Razor Ruddock -- 1993. Mike The Bounty Hunter Wu12 Tyrell Biggs -- Lawrence Poncho Carter Tko7 Pinklon Thomas -- Jesse Ferguson Wu10 Merciless Ray Mercer -- Mike Weaver Wu10 Bert Cooper -- Jeremy Williams Tko2 Danell Nicholson -- Mike The Duke Dixon Tko2 Alex Garcia -- Jimmy Ellis Ko1 Tony Tubbs --^ Carl Mcgrew W6 John Hogg Man Sargent -- William Morris Wu8 Tim Puller -- Ladislao Mijangos Tko1 Jimmy Ellis -- Michael Bentt Tko1 Tommy The Duke Morrison -- Evander Holyfield Wm12 Riddick Bowe -- Dan Dancuta Wu3 James Bonecrusher Smith -- 1994. William Morris Ws8 Ray Anis -- Stanley Wright Tko8 Peter Mcneeley -- Ed Donaldson Ko2 Quinn Navarre -- Michael Moorer Wm12 Evander Holyfield -- Nate Tubbs Ko2 Corrie Sanders -- Craig Payne Tko6 Samson Po'uha -- Doug Davis Wu8 Craig Tomlinson -- Oliver Mccall Tko2 Lennox Lewis -- John Carlo Tko1 Leon Spinks -- George Foreman Ko10 Michael Moorere -- Josh Imadiyi Tko2 Tom The Bomb Glesby -- Bobby Crabtree Tko1 King Ipitan -- 1995. Robert Hawkins Wu4 Jerry Ballard -- Franco Wanyama Ws10 James Thunder -- Marion Wilson Ws10 Mike The Bounty Hunter -- Brian B-52 Yates Ko2 Earnie Shavers -- Mitch Rose Tko2 Butterbean -- 1996. Maurice Mo Harris Wu8 David (izon) Izonritei -- Darroll Wilson Ko3 Shannon Briggs --^ James Pritchard Tko4 Greg Suttington -- Lou Monaco Tko5 Hurricane Peter Mcneeley -- Jesse Ferguson Wu10 Bobby Joe Harris -- Craig Petersen Tko8 Alex Stewart -- Peter Hrivnak Tko2 Jukka Jarvinen -- Evander Holyfield Tko11 Mike Tyson -- Brian Scott Ko2 Courage Tshabalala -- 1997. John Ruiz Ws12 James Thunder -- Bert Cooper Tko1 Richie Melito -- Levi Billups Ko6 Terrence Lewis -- Darroll Wilson Ko4 Courage Tshabalala -- Ike Ibeabuchi Wu12 David Tua -- Lyle Mcdowell Ws12 Trevor Berbick -- Robert Hawkins Tko10 Gary Bell -- Paul Rocky Ray Ko2 Phillips Michael Dokes -- 1998. Michael Murray Tko3 Kevin Mcbride -- Joe Bugner Tko1 James Bonecrusher Smith -- Terry Verners Tko3 Alonzo Highsmith -- Ross Puritty Tko11 Wladimir Klitschko -- Jesse Ferguson Ws10 Obed Sullivan -- 1999. Julius Francis Tko3 Pele Reid -- Artis Pendergrass Ws10 Greg Page -- Israel Cole W10 David Bostice -- Dick Ryan Tko10 Brian Nielsen -- Maurice Harris Wu10 Jeremy Williams -- Jeff Pegues Tko5 Joe Hipp. David E. Finger. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 323) And Index. PHOTOGRAPHS 12 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 13 INTRODUCTION 14 CHAPTER ONE: 1990 16 CHAPTER TWO: 1991 40 CHAPTER THREE: 1992 52 CHAPTER FOUR: 1993 92 CHAPTER FIVE: 1994 146 CHAPTER SIX: 1995 200 CHAPTER SEVEN: 1996 220 CHAPTER EIGHT: 1997 258 CHAPTER NINE: 1998 292 CHAPTER TEN: 1999 310 EPILOGUE 336 BIBLIOGRAPHY 338 INDEX 340 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 352 It was supposedly the easiest title defense "Iron" Mike had taken since he won the title in 1986.