Buster Douglas
Buster Douglas | |
---|---|
Born | James Douglas April 7, 1960 Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
Statistics | |
Weight(s) | Heavyweight |
Height | 6 ft 3+1⁄2 in (192 cm) |
Reach | 83 in (211 cm) |
Stance | Orthodox |
Boxing record | |
Total fights | 46 |
Wins | 38 |
Wins by KO | 25 |
Losses | 6 |
Draws | 1 |
No contests | 1 |
James "Buster" Douglas (born April 7, 1960) is an American former
Douglas was a 42-to-1 underdog going into his 1990 fight against Tyson, who was undefeated and considered to be the best boxer in the world for his domination of the division over the previous three years. Defying expectations, Douglas would
Early life
The son of professional boxer
Professional career
This section of a poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous. )Find sources: "Buster Douglas" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2017) |
Douglas debuted on May 31, 1981, defeating Dan O'Malley in a four-round bout. He was managed by former Ohio State University assistant football coach John Johnson. Douglas won his first five fights before coming into a fight with David Bey weighing 20 pounds heavier than he usually had for his previous bouts. Bey handed Douglas his first defeat by knocking him out in the second round. After six more fights, all of which he won, Douglas fought Steffen Tangstad to a draw on October 16, 1982. He was penalized two points during the course of the fight, which proved to be the difference on the judges' scorecards.
After the draw, Douglas beat largely journeyman fighters for the next 14 months. Two of his wins were knockouts of Jesse Clark, whom Douglas had also stopped in 1981. Douglas needed just seven total rounds of fighting in the three bouts combined to score the three KOs. In his last fight of 1983, Douglas was dominating opponent Mike White, but White knocked him out in the ninth round.
On November 9, 1984, Douglas was scheduled to face heavyweight contender Trevor Berbick in Las Vegas. Berbick withdrew from the bout three days before it was to take place; Randall "Tex" Cobb elected to take the fight on short notice in Berbick's stead. Douglas defeated the former heavyweight contender by majority decision. The next year, he fought up-and-coming contender Jesse Ferguson. Douglas fought just three times in 1986, defeating former champion Greg Page and fringe contender David Jaco in two of the bouts. This earned him a shot at the International Boxing Federation championship that was stripped from Michael Spinks for refusing to defend it against Tony Tucker. Douglas started well against Tucker and was ahead on points, but he ran out of stamina and suffered a technical knockout in the tenth round.
After the Tucker defeat and a series of disagreements, James split with his father; the Douglas family was shattered. James started business from scratch and hand-picked another team for himself, particularly a new trainer. This helped him win his next four fights. After the false start in 1984, Douglas finally fought Berbick in 1989, winning a unanimous decision. He followed that up with a unanimous decision victory over future heavyweight champion Oliver McCall, which earned him a shot at Mike Tyson for the undisputed heavyweight championship. Tyson became the universally recognized champion after knocking out Spinks in one round in 1988. (Douglas fought on the undercard of that event, defeating Mike Williams by seventh-round TKO.)
Undisputed heavyweight champion
The Tyson fight was scheduled for February 11, 1990 at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo. Almost all observers assumed that the bout would be another quick knockout for the champion; no fighter had taken Tyson beyond the fifth round since 1987. Many thought it was a tune-up for Tyson before a future mega-fight with undefeated Evander Holyfield, who had recently moved up to heavyweight after becoming the first undisputed world cruiserweight champion in the history of that weight class. Douglas's chances of lasting deep into the fight against Tyson, let alone winning, were so lightly regarded that only one Las Vegas betting parlor even bothered to establish odds for the fight. That lone casino, the Mirage, made Douglas a 42-to-1 underdog.
Douglas's mother, Lula Pearl, died of a stroke 23 days before the title bout at the age of 46.[4] Douglas had promised his mother that he would beat Mike Tyson before she had passed away. Douglas, who had trained hard, surprised the world by dominating the fight from the beginning, using his 12-inch reach advantage to perfection. He seemingly hit Tyson at will with jabs and right hands and danced out of range of Tyson's punches. The champion had not taken Douglas seriously, expecting another easy knockout victory just as the overwhelming majority of neutral observers had. He was slow, declining his usual strategy of moving his head and slipping his way inside. Rather, Tyson set his feet and threw big, lunging hooks in efforts to stop Douglas with one punch.
By the fifth round, Tyson's left eye was swelling shut from Douglas's many right hands and ringside
In the eighth round, Tyson landed a right uppercut that knocked Douglas down. The referee's count created controversy as Douglas was on his feet when the referee reached nine, but the official knockdown timekeeper was two seconds ahead. In the ring, however, the final arbiter of the ten-count is the referee, and a comparison with the count issued to Tyson two rounds later revealed that both fighters had received long counts.[5]
Tyson came out aggressively in the ninth round and continued his attempts to end the fight with one big punch, hoping Douglas was still hurt from the eighth-round knockdown. Both men traded punches before Douglas landed a combination that staggered Tyson back to the ropes. With Tyson hurt and dazed, Douglas unleashed a vicious attack to try to finish him off but, amazingly, Tyson withstood the barrage and barely survived the round.
In the tenth round, the damage Douglas had inflicted upon Tyson finally began to take its toll on the champion. Douglas dominated the round from the outset. While setting Tyson up with his jab, Douglas scored a huge uppercut that snapped Tyson's head upward. He followed with a rapid four-punch combination to the head, knocking Tyson down for the first time in the champion's career. Tyson struggled to his knees and picked up his mouthpiece, which was lying on the mat next to him. He awkwardly tried to place it back into his mouth. The image of Tyson's mouthpiece hanging crookedly from his lips would become an enduring image from the fight. He was unable to beat the referee's ten-count, and Douglas was the new world heavyweight champion.[6]
As Douglas said in an interview years later, “I thought Tyson was getting up until I had seen him looking for that mouth piece and then I knew that he was really hurt. So anytime you know you only got ten seconds to get up so you aren’t going to worry about anything but just getting up first. So when I had seen him looking around for that mouth piece I knew he was really hurt.”[7]
Douglas's joy over the victory soon turned to confusion and anger as manager John Johnson informed him in the dressing room that Tyson and
Losing the title
Although the IBF immediately recognized Douglas as its champion, the WBA and WBC initially refused due to Tyson's protest.[9] However, Tyson withdrew his protest four days later amid worldwide public outcry and demands from boxing commissions around the world, and Douglas was officially recognized as undisputed heavyweight champion.[10][11]
While still champion, Douglas appeared on the February 23, 1990 episode of the World Wrestling Federation's
The defeated Tyson clamored for a rematch and Douglas was offered more money than he had ever made for a fight. Not wanting to deal with Tyson's camp or his promoter
Douglas came out rather sluggish, and was thoroughly dominated by Holyfield during the first two rounds. In the third round Douglas attempted to hit Holyfield with a hard uppercut that he telegraphed. Holyfield avoided the uppercut and knocked an off-balance Douglas to the canvas with a straight right to the chin. Douglas merely lay flat on his back, motionless and disoriented, as referee Mills Lane stopped the fight. Buster Douglas retired after that bout.
Later career
Douglas vs Holyfield was a reported $24.6 million payday for Douglas. Doing little for the next several years, Douglas gained weight, reaching nearly 400 pounds. It was only after he nearly died during a diabetic coma that he decided to attempt a return to the sport. He went back into training and made a comeback. He was successful at first, winning six straight fights, but his comeback almost came to a halt in a 1997 disqualification win over
A fight with light-heavyweight champion Roy Jones Jr. was touted in the late 1990s, although ultimately fell through.[13] In 1998, having bounced back into a minor stardom, Douglas was knocked out in the first round of a fight with heavyweight contender Lou Savarese, for the low regarded IBA heavyweight title. Douglas subsequently had two more fights, winning both, and retired in 1999 with a final record of 38–6–1.
In the media
Douglas made a guest appearance in the 1990s cop show Street Justice.
Douglas made his feature film acting debut in the Artie Knapp science fiction comedy film Pluto's Plight.
The 1988 arcade game
In 1995,
On February 23, 1990, Douglas made a special appearance as a guest referee on WWF's
Douglas's upset against Tyson is the inspiration for
Honors
Douglas is one of the few non-students to be honored by
Professional boxing record
46 fights | 38 wins | 6 losses |
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By knockout | 25 | 5 |
By decision | 12 | 1 |
By disqualification | 1 | 0 |
Draws | 1 | |
No contests | 1 |
No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
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46 | Win | 38–6–1 (1) | Andre Crowder | TKO | 1 (10), 1:11 | Feb 19, 1999 | Memorial Auditorium, Burlington, Iowa, U.S. | |
45 | Win | 37–6–1 (1) | Warren Williams | KO | 1 (10), 2:56 | Dec 12, 1998 | Bank of America Centre, Boise, Idaho , U.S.
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|
44 | Loss | 36–6–1 (1) | Lou Savarese | KO | 1 (12), 2:34 | Jun 25, 1998 | Foxwoods Resort Casino, Ledyard, Connecticut, U.S. | For vacant IBA heavyweight title |
43 | Win | 36–5–1 (1) | Quinn Navarre | TKO | 4 (10), 2:25 | Jul 13, 1997 | Grand Casino, Biloxi, Mississippi, U.S. | |
42 | Win | 35–5–1 (1) | Louis Monaco | DQ | 1 (10), 3:00 | May 13, 1997 | Grand Casino, Biloxi, Mississippi , U.S.
|
Monaco disqualified for hitting after the bell |
41 | Win | 34–5–1 (1) | Brian Scott | KO | 6 (10), 0:30 | Mar 30, 1997 | Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, U.S. | |
40 | Win | 33–5–1 (1) | Dicky Ryan | UD | 10 | Feb 12, 1997 | New York City, New York , U.S.
|
|
39 | Win | 32–5–1 (1) | Rocky Pepeli | UD | 10 | Jan 10, 1997 | Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, U.S. | |
38 | Win | 31–5–1 (1) | Tony LaRosa | RTD | 3 (10), 3:00 | Jun 22, 1996 | Etess Arena , Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
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37 | Loss | 30–5–1 (1) | Evander Holyfield | KO | 3 (12), 1:10 | Oct 25, 1990 | The Mirage, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Lost WBA, WBC, and IBF heavyweight titles |
36 | Win | 30–4–1 (1) | Mike Tyson | KO | 10 (12), 1:22 | Feb 11, 1990 | Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan | Won WBA, WBC, and IBF heavyweight titles |
35 | Win | 29–4–1 (1) | Oliver McCall | UD | 10 | Jul 21, 1989 | Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
34 | Win | 28–4–1 (1) | Trevor Berbick | UD | 10 | Feb 25, 1989 | Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | |
33 | Win | 27–4–1 (1) | Mike Williams | TKO | 7 (10), 2:45 | Jun 27, 1988 | Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
32 | Win | 26–4–1 (1) | Jerry Halstead | TKO | 9 (10) | Apr 16, 1988 | Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | |
31 | Win | 25–4–1 (1) | Percell Davis | RTD | 9 (10) | Feb 24, 1988 | Pioneer Hall, Duluth, Minnesota , U.S.
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|
30 | Win | 24–4–1 (1) | Donnie Long | KO | 2 (10), 2:18 | Nov 19, 1987 | Downtown Sheraton, Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | |
29 | Loss | 23–4–1 (1) | Tony Tucker | TKO | 10 (15), 1:36 | May 30, 1987
|
Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | For vacant IBF heavyweight title |
28 | Win | 23–3–1 (1) | Dee Collier | UD | 10 | Sep 6, 1986 | Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | |
27 | Win | 22–3–1 (1) | David Jaco | UD | 10 | Apr 19, 1986 | Las Vegas Hilton , Winchester, Nevada, U.S.
|
|
26 | Win | 21–3–1 (1) | Greg Page | UD | 10 | Jan 17, 1986 | Atlanta, Georgia , U.S.
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25 | Loss | 20–3–1 (1) | Jesse Ferguson | MD | 10 | May 9, 1985 | Caesars Boardwalk Regency , Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
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|
24 | Win | 20–2–1 (1) | Dion Simpson | KO | 1 (8), 3:01 | Mar 27, 1985 | Steel Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
23 | Win | 19–2–1 (1) | Randall Cobb | MD | 10 | Nov 9, 1984 | Riviera, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | |
22 | NC | 18–2–1 (1) | David Starkey | NC | 1 (10) | Jul 9, 1984 | East Dallas Club, Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | NC after both boxers' corners stormed the ring |
21 | Loss | 18–2–1 | Mike White | TKO | 9 (10) | Dec 17, 1983 | Sands Hotel and Casino, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
20 | Win | 18–1–1 | Eugene Cato | TKO | 1 (8) | Sep 28, 1983 | Sands Hotel and Casino, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
19 | Win | 17–1–1 | Dave Johnson | MD | 10 | Jul 5, 1983 | Sands Hotel and Casino, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
18 | Win | 16–1–1 | Henry Porter | TKO | 2 (8), 1:36 | Apr 28, 1983 | Sands Hotel and Casino, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
17 | Win | 15–1–1 | Jesse Clark | KO | 2 (8) | Apr 16, 1983 | Catholic Central Highschool, Muskegon, Michigan, U.S. | |
16 | Win | 14–1–1 | Leroy Diggs | TKO | 7 (10) | Mar 29, 1983 | Tropicana, Atlantic City, New Jersey , U.S.
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|
15 | Win | 13–1–1 | Jesse Clark | KO | 2 (8) | Mar 9, 1983 | V.I.P. Club, Niles, Ohio, U.S. | |
14 | Win | 12–1–1 | Tim Johnson | KO | 1 (8) | Nov 20, 1982 | Infinity Club, Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | |
13 | Draw | 11–1–1 | Steffen Tangstad | UD | 8 | Oct 16, 1982 | Chicago, Illinois , U.S.
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|
12 | Win | 11–1 | Mel Daniels | TKO | 1 (6) | Apr 24, 1982 | War Memorial Arena, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
11 | Win | 10–1 | Rick Enis | MD | 6 | Apr 8, 1982 | Sherwood Club, Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. | |
10 | Win | 9–1 | Marvin Earle | TKO | 2 (6) | Feb 15, 1982 | Stan & Ollie's Lounge, Kalamazoo, Michigan, U.S. | |
9 | Win | 8–1 | Donny Townsend | UD | 6 | Feb 13, 1982 | Central Tech High School, Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
8 | Win | 7–1 | Hubert Adams | KO | 1 (6) | Jan 23, 1982 | Morgan High School, McConnelsville, Ohio, U.S. | |
7 | Win | 6–1 | Don Johnson | TKO | 3 (6) | Dec 23, 1981 | Memorial Civic Center, Canton, Ohio, U.S. | |
6 | Loss | 5–1 | David Bey | TKO | 2 (4) | Nov 6, 1981 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , U.S.
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|
5 | Win | 5–0 | Jesse Clark | KO | 3 (4) | Oct 23, 1981 | Swayne Hall, Toledo, Ohio, U.S. | |
4 | Win | 4–0 | Abdul Muhaymin | TKO | 5 (6), 1:56 | Oct 14, 1981 | Tyndall Armory, Indianapolis, Indiana , U.S.
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3 | Win | 3–0 | Mike Rodgers | TKO | 3 (4) | Sep 27, 1981 | Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | Professional debut according to some sources |
2 | Win | 2–0 | Mike Lear | UD | 4 | Jul 24, 1981 | Mount Vernon Plaza, Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | |
1 | Win | 1–0 | Dan O'Malley | TKO | 3 (4) | May 31, 1981 | Mount Vernon Plaza, Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | Listed by some sources as an exhibition |
See also
- List of heavyweight boxing champions
- List of undisputed boxing champions
References
- ^ Mike Tyson vs Buster Douglas, 1990, archived from the original on 2021-05-25, retrieved 2021-05-25
- ^ "Men's Basketball Hall of Fame". Coffeyville Community College. Retrieved 25 June 2011.[dead link]
- ^ "A changed Buster Douglas reconnects with true self". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
- ^ "Timeline James "Buster" Douglas". The Columbus Dispatch. 2007-06-08. Archived from the original on 2011-05-23. Retrieved 2008-05-30.
- ^ Anderson, Dave (1990-02-12). "SPORTS OF THE TIMES; Referee's Count Is What Counts". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-02-07.
- ^ "The Lineal Heavyweight Boxing Champs". The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 2009-06-03.
- ^ "Buster Douglas on the Tyson vs Douglas fight". boxingmemories.com. Archived from the original on 2011-04-18. Retrieved 2011-04-18.
- ^ Berger, Phil (12 February 1990). "Protest and confusion on Douglas vs Tyson". The New York Times. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
- ^ Berger, Phil (February 12, 1990). "Boxing Officials Could Overturn Defeat of Tyson". The New York Times. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
- ^ "What They Really Meant to Say Was..." Los Angeles Times. February 14, 1990. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
- ^ Berger, Phil (February 14, 1990). "Tyson Concedes; Wants Rematch". The New York Times. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
- ^ Thomas, Jerome (January 25, 2020). "Bruce Prichard on How Buster Douglas Beating Mike Tyson Screwed Up The Main Event III, Scrambling to Replace Tyson With Douglas". 411Mania. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ "Will He Be A Tyson Chicken?". Sports Illustrated. 1998-05-04. Archived from the original on 2008-12-08. Retrieved 2008-12-07.
- ^ Q Magazine The Killers: Brandon Flowers Fights Back From The Brink Retrieved 23 September 2019.
- ^ The "i"-Dot Tradition Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, OSU Marching and Athletic Bands Online
- "Buster Douglas's Knockout BBQ". Fox News. 2010-07-20.
External links
- Boxing record for Buster Douglas from BoxRec (registration required)
- Cyber Boxing Zone
- ESPN.com
- Video of Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson
- Christof Gertsch, Mikael Krogerus: Der letzte Kampf. In: ; German)