Tyson-Douglas : the inside story of the upset of the century

No one gave James "Buster" Douglas much of a chance when he faced "Iron" Mike Tyson on February 11, 1990, in the Tokyo Dome. Tyson was Godzilla, and Buster wasn't expected to be anything more than a moth for Tyson to swat away, much less Mothra. Douglas had four losses already and 42-1 odds against him in this bout. One reporter, going through Japanese customs, announced he was in town for business. When asked how long he would be working, he laughed and responded "Oh, about a minute." The match lasted longer than that, though. When it was over, it was the greatest upset in boxing history. Buster Douglas was the new heavyweight champion of a shocked, surprised, and stunned world. Here is the inside story of just how the biggest of underdogs, dealing with the recent death of his mother, dethroned the invincible Tyson. John Johnson, Douglas's manager for this slugfest and most of his career, takes the reader into the ring in Tokyo and details the beginning of Douglas's career - how he positioned himself to be the champ - as well as the post-fight fall that started with a loss in his first defense of the title. Johnson and coauthor Bill Long interviewed people who were in the ring, at ringside announcing the match, and in the crowd both covering the bout or just watching it for the expected devastation. Announcers Jim Lampley, Larry Merchant, and Sugar Ray Leonard discuss their memories, and men in both corners detail the in-fight machinations for both Tyson and Douglas. Mike Tyson's loss to Buster Douglas truly rocked the world and threw heavyweight boxing into a tumult that still resonates today.

No one gave James “Buster” Douglas much of a chance when he faced “Iron” Mike Tyson on February 11, 1990, in the Tokyo Dome. Tyson was Godzilla, and Buster wasn’t expected to be anything more than a moth for Tyson to swat away, much less Mothra. Douglas had four losses already and 42-1 odds against him in this bout. One reporter, going through Japanese customs, announced he was in town for business. When asked how long he would be working, he laughed and responded “Oh, about a minute.”

The match lasted longer than that, though. When it was over, it was the greatest upset in boxing history. Buster Douglas was the new heavyweight champion of a shocked, surprised, and stunned world.

Here is the inside story of just how the biggest of underdogs, dealing with the recent death of his mother, dethroned the invincible Tyson. John Johnson, Douglas’s manager for this slugfest and most of his career, takes the reader into the ring in Tokyo and details the beginning of Douglas’s career—how he positioned himself to be the champ—as well as the post-fight fall that started with a loss in his first defense of the title.

Johnson and coauthor Bill Long interviewed people who were in the ring, at ringside announcing the match, and in the crowd both covering the bout or just watching it for the expected devastation. Announcers Jim Lampley, Larry Merchant, and Sugar Ray Leonard discuss their memories, and men in both corners detail the in-fight machinations for both Tyson and Douglas.

Mike Tyson’s loss to Buster Douglas truly rocked the world and threw heavyweight boxing into a tumult that still resonates today.

"How big of an upset was James "Buster" Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson for the heavyweight title? Forget Tyson's 37-0 record. Forget his 33 knockouts, many in less than a round and in devastating fashion. Consider this: After Las Vegas posted odds of 42-1, betting was still so strong on Tyson that many sports books wouldn't accept bets on the fight." "John Johnson pairs with Bill Long now to tell the inside story of the bout and how Douglas stunned the world one afternoon in Tokyo. Johnson looks back at how he and Douglas started working together, goes over the ups and downs of Buster's boxing career, and discusses the lead-up and preparation for the famous fight. Johnson and Long talk with folks from Tyson's corner to get their side of things and with ringside observers to get their memories as well. Finally, Johnson reminisces about the post-fight euphoria and discusses the fallout of the fight and why Douglas lost in his first and only title defense."--Jacket. Content: Down goes Tyson -- Loyalty -- The coach -- The meeting -- Tyson -- Cus -- Snowell -- Tokyo -- Pre-fight -- Ringside -- Round one -- Round two -- Round three -- Round four -- Round five -- Round six -- Round seven -- Round eight -- Round nine -- Round ten -- Controversy -- The afterglow -- Larry King -- Letterman -- A hometown celebration -- Don King returns -- Larry merchant -- What next? -- Betrayal? -- Seventeen years later.