Do you remember where you were when Douglas knocked Tyson out?

Do you remember where you were when Douglas knocked our Tyson?

  • Yes

    Votes: 8 61.5%
  • No

    Votes: 5 38.5%

  • Total voters
    13
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KMK

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Can you help me do a little research? I am not a big boxing fan, but I definitely remember Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas. I watched it on Pay per View at my friend Brian's house. (His father was a boxing fan and had already paid for it.)
 
Tyson v Spinks was the laughing stock of summer of 88. I remember that more clearly. You could actually show the whole fight in one news break.
 
I recall the moment in boxing very clearly. I was with a close Christian friend (who has now, departed from the faith) and his father, who has since died. It was a grand evening! We were in Pompano beach, Fl.
 
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I recall that not being pay-per-view. That started pay-per-view. My parents had Showtime & HBO. I was in a Christian metal band. I lived at home still and we practiced in parents' basement.

Our guitar player and singer had girlfriends. Our drummer and I did not. So we decided to watch Tyson cream this nobody because it was live that night. Boy do I remember. I remember Tyson knocking Douglas down thinking "beginning of the end". Couldn't believe when Tyson went down and when he didn't get up.

Last live match I watched because they went pay-per-view and we wouldn't pay.

That's how I remember it.
 
I was checking out at Kroger when the cashier told me. I was never a big Tyson fan. He never fought any of the best fighters of his era when he was in his prime.
 
I know who Tyson was (ear biting rapist Muslim unless you are talking about chicken), but draw a blank as to Douglas.
 
I was at a friends house eating pizza king pizza on the campus of Ball State University
 
I had to google it. I didn't even know Tyson had been knocked out.

At least I know where I was at the time: in or near a barn in south-central Montana, either stoking a wood stove or out checking cows for the start of calving season.
 
I recall that not being pay-per-view. That started pay-per-view. My parents had Showtime & HBO.

That may be true. At the time, neither my roommates and I, nor any of my other buddies could afford HBO, so it felt like PPV.
 
Interesting, Ken. I don't remember specifically, but remember in general. Tyson hit like a mule and few survived it. Douglas was sure to lose. Tyson was humbled, whether he recognized it or not. I would prefer not to take a shot from either guy, if given the choice. What sparked this memory?
 
I follow Mike Tyson because people in high school sometimes called me White Mike Tyson because I was stocky like him and spoke softly but liked to fight. Tyson had the GREATEST ability of all time but not the discipline, so it was like a self-directed crash dive....self-destruction. He could have been the greatest if not for himself.
 
I follow Mike Tyson because people in high school sometimes called me White Mike Tyson because I was stocky like him and spoke softly but liked to fight. Tyson had the GREATEST ability of all time but not the discipline, so it was like a self-directed crash dive....self-destruction. He could have been the greatest if not for himself.

He was certainly good, but he avoided the best fighters during his prime. Instead he mostly lured long out of their prime fighters like Larry Holmes into big money fights they had no intention of extending any longer than necessary, or he simply picked on much lesser fighters. He never fought George Foreman, Michael Moorer, Riddick Bowe, or Lennox Lewis, and he only fought Holyfield when he needed the fight to get back on top. Of course we all know how that worked out.
 
He was certainly good, but he avoided the best fighters during his prime. Instead he mostly lured long out of their prime fighters like Larry Holmes into big money fights they had no intention of extending any longer than necessary, or he simply picked on much lesser fighters. He never fought George Foreman, Michael Moorer, Riddick Bowe, or Lennox Lewis, and he only fought Holyfield when he needed the fight to get back on top. Of course we all know how that worked out.

I'm not a diehard fan. However, I think some numbers might show why he didn't face those guys.

Tyson got his first title shot when he was 27-0.

When Tyson lost the title....

Moorer wasn't a heavyweight yet. He was light heavyweight.

Lewis was only 7-0. No reason to take him on yet.

Bowe was only 14-0. Same kind of thing.

So it seems perhaps Tyson lost before these guys had quite earned their place.

They were developing resumes still.

When Holyfield crossed over from light heavyweight to heavyweight, Tyson was 35-0.

How many bouts should Holyfield have at that level before getting a crack at the titles? He was 5-0 as a heavyweight when Mike lost.

When Mike fought Holyfield, Tyson was not climbing back, he was back on "top". Tyson won the WBA title and the very next fight defended against Holyfield (and lost it to Holyfield).

Foreman? I think we get a bit speculative. Foreman came out of retirement in 1987 and after returning he was 20-0 when Mike lost the title. I'm not sure George was beating up the top contenders. Look at the names. Any impressive? Plus he was 17 years older than Mike. Did Mike avoid him for fear or for George's sake? George was 38 years old when he came out of retirement. Shouldn't have a shot immediately. By the time he accumulated that record when Mike lost George was 41. It's speculative. Idk.

Anyway, thought that info might shed some light on why he didn't fight them in his prime.
 
I'm not a diehard fan. However, I think some numbers might show why he didn't face those guys.

Tyson got his first title shot when he was 27-0.

When Tyson lost the title....

Moorer wasn't a heavyweight yet. He was light heavyweight.

Lewis was only 7-0. No reason to take him on yet.

Bowe was only 14-0. Same kind of thing.

So it seems perhaps Tyson lost before these guys had quite earned their place.

They were developing resumes still.

When Holyfield crossed over from light heavyweight to heavyweight, Tyson was 35-0.

How many bouts should Holyfield have at that level before getting a crack at the titles? He was 5-0 as a heavyweight when Mike lost.

When Mike fought Holyfield, Tyson was not climbing back, he was back on "top". Tyson won the WBA title and the very next fight defended against Holyfield (and lost it to Holyfield).

Foreman? I think we get a bit speculative. Foreman came out of retirement in 1987 and after returning he was 20-0 when Mike lost the title. I'm not sure George was beating up the top contenders. Look at the names. Any impressive? Plus he was 17 years older than Mike. Did Mike avoid him for fear or for George's sake? George was 38 years old when he came out of retirement. Shouldn't have a shot immediately. By the time he accumulated that record when Mike lost George was 41. It's speculative. Idk.

Anyway, thought that info might shed some light on why he didn't fight them in his prime.

Both Holyfield and Foreman were seeking a Tyson fight pretty aggressively, and were repeatedly denied. Its a pretty well known fact that Tyson rarely fought any elite fighters. This article outlines his competition through the years. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...tyson-is-not-a-top-10-heavyweight-of-all-time
 
I'm not a diehard fan. However, I think some numbers might show why he didn't face those guys.

Tyson got his first title shot when he was 27-0.

When Tyson lost the title....

Moorer wasn't a heavyweight yet. He was light heavyweight.

Lewis was only 7-0. No reason to take him on yet.

Bowe was only 14-0. Same kind of thing.

So it seems perhaps Tyson lost before these guys had quite earned their place.

They were developing resumes still.

When Holyfield crossed over from light heavyweight to heavyweight, Tyson was 35-0.

How many bouts should Holyfield have at that level before getting a crack at the titles? He was 5-0 as a heavyweight when Mike lost.

When Mike fought Holyfield, Tyson was not climbing back, he was back on "top". Tyson won the WBA title and the very next fight defended against Holyfield (and lost it to Holyfield).

Foreman? I think we get a bit speculative. Foreman came out of retirement in 1987 and after returning he was 20-0 when Mike lost the title. I'm not sure George was beating up the top contenders. Look at the names. Any impressive? Plus he was 17 years older than Mike. Did Mike avoid him for fear or for George's sake? George was 38 years old when he came out of retirement. Shouldn't have a shot immediately. By the time he accumulated that record when Mike lost George was 41. It's speculative. Idk.

Anyway, thought that info might shed some light on why he didn't fight them in his prime.

Why would Foreman's record reset? Is that the rule?
 
Why would Foreman's record reset? Is that the rule?

I wouldn't think it would wholly "reset". However, he was retired for 10 years. He was 28 when he retired. He went out on a loss to Jimmy Young who was 20-5-2. Now at 38, when should he get a title shot against a 20-year-old undefeated champ in his prime?

I don't know those answers but I'm sure such things were talked about.
 
My wife and I were coming home late on a date, and my dad had a satellite TV and we hung around watching it. I remember saying to dad that Douglas was doing pretty good, and the next thing we saw was the end of Tyson's career. in my opinion the upset of all time in sports history. Tyson was a beast.
 
He would be just like Floyd Merriwether in this regard, as each of them picked a good time to be champ. as they fought mostly bums.


Perhaps, but many believe his management purposely kept him from fighting elite fighters. As it stands, the only truly elite fighter he ever fought was Holyfield, and he was 0-2.
 
What sparked this memory?

He could have been the greatest if not for himself.

in my opinion the upset of all time in sports history.

I was meditating on how earthly blessings bestowed upon those who are not in Christ are actually curses. One reason for this is that they precipitate an inglorious fall. The more talent/wisdom/might/wealth etc. are bestowed on the corrupt, the greater their fall. In mankind's corrupt state, we glory more in the fall of others, than in their ascension.

This has nothing to do with whether Mike Tyson is a Christian or not. My point is that more people remember Tyson's loss to the 42-1 underdog, Douglas, than remember the day Tyson became the first heavyweight to own all three major belts. The latter was was part of his ascension, the former was part of his fall.

In hindsight, it may be true that Tyson was overrated, but that was not the perception of the general public at that time. His name was mentioned in the same breath as Jordan and Gretsky.
 
Perhaps, but many believe his management purposely kept him from fighting elite fighters. As it stands, the only truly elite fighter he ever fought was Holyfield, and he was 0-2.
I think that there were very few elite boxers around in his time, and just look at the ones at time of Ali. Frazier, Norton, Foreman, to name a few.
Think that is also same deal with FM, as he has not fought yet likes of a Duran, Hearns, and a Leonard.
 
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