Tyson/Douglas - Legendary HBO Nights

[britbox]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnstZV734Eg[/video]

This was one of the biggest shocks in sporting history IMO. I was stunned at the time.

 

[Kieran]

It's the Rosol of the boxing game...

 

[Kieran]

It's actually quite a beautiful film, isn't it? It has the makings of a movie, so much of it seems like fiction. The beast who beat the Hollywood nymph, the underdog who wasn't given a chance, Tyson's corner not having the equipment to deal with a swelling, heroism and cool by Douglas, the messy and ugly aftermath...

 

[brokenshoelace]

It's the Rosol of the boxing game...

It's a little more unbelievable than that. I'd say Soderling is a more apt comparison.

 

[Kieran]

It's the Rosol of the boxing game...

It's a little more unbelievable than that. I'd say Soderling is a more apt comparison.

You think Soderling was more unbelievable than Rosol?

It was an incredible moment, though. I think everyone remembers it and I was one of the idiots who followed the news after and thought there'd been a rip-off, that the Douglas count went to 13. I'm glad now that I was wrong. Douglas also comes out of the film very well, nice bloke and a better boxer than he was given credit for...

 

[brokenshoelace]

It's the Rosol of the boxing game...

It's a little more unbelievable than that. I'd say Soderling is a more apt comparison.

You think Soderling was more unbelievable than Rosol?

Absolutely. A loss in the second week of Roland Garros to a guy Nadal had just beaten 6-1 6-0 two weeks earlier?

The Rosol thing was on grass, in only the second match of the tournament (meaning before Nadal picked things up), where it's more possible to get blown off the court by an on fire player with a huge serve and powerful groundies. Soderling/Nadal was the most I've ever been shocked during a sporting event.

 

[Kieran]

Really? I consider Rosol to be the second biggest shock in tennis after N.O. Body dumped Becker out of W in 1987.

But anyway, Buster's win was a giant seismic shock to the sporting firmament. All the Rocky Marciano unbeaten runs, the Ali status at the top, Tyson seemed like he's rough his way through everything and leave lawsuits, starlets and blood on the canvas in his wake. And then he didn't...

 

[Riotbeard]

Really? I consider Rosol to be the second biggest shock in tennis after N.O. Body dumped Becker out of W in 1987.

But anyway, Buster's win was a giant seismic shock to the sporting firmament. All the Rocky Marciano unbeaten runs, the Ali status at the top, Tyson seemed like he's rough his way through everything and leave lawsuits, starlets and blood on the canvas in his wake. And then he didn't...

I agree. Rosol was much more of a nobody than Soderling, although at this point and early round wimby victory over rafa isn't much of a shock, so rosol is devalued in that it happened 3 years in a row.

 

[Kieran]

2 years in a row. Losing on the Tuesday of the second week, and in the fourth round, isn't the same...

 

[DarthFed]

Really? I consider Rosol to be the second biggest shock in tennis after N.O. Body dumped Becker out of W in 1987.

But anyway, Buster's win was a giant seismic shock to the sporting firmament. All the Rocky Marciano unbeaten runs, the Ali status at the top, Tyson seemed like he's rough his way through everything and leave lawsuits, starlets and blood on the canvas in his wake. And then he didn't...

I agree. Rosol was much more of a nobody than Soderling, although at this point and early round wimby victory over rafa isn't much of a shock, so rosol is devalued in that it happened 3 years in a row.

World of difference between beating Rafa on grass vs. beating him on clay. Soderling was much more shocking. That was back in the day where it was stunning news if anyone outside Roger won a set vs. Nadal at RG. I consider it the biggest upset I've seen in tennis by a very wide margin.

I think all things considered Tyson vs. Douglas was still a bigger upset, the biggest I've seen in sports. Tyson was just plain invincible, pure unadulterated violence, a lion fighting men (you get the point). Buster Douglas just figured to be another early round casualty there to collect a nice paycheck for lasting a round or two with the monster.

At the time I was too young to appreciate what Tyson was before prison but when you go back and watch his fights I am still stunned that he lost to Buster. Hell, I'm stunned he could lose to anyone really. Mike was just born to fight, really born to destroy anyone dumb enough to be in his way, just a complete animal it seemed unfair. It wasn't just that one uppercut could knock someone senseless but basically nothing damaged him. Just watching his highlights you see his opponents don't have much problem with landing punches but it didn't phase him in the least. All it did was make him more aggressive and no one wanted to see that. And then came the Douglas fight and suddenly he was never the same during the match or after prison. Jail will take its toll but that wasn't the only reason.

 

[britbox]

^Never invincible mate - that's why he lost.

Here is my take on Mike Tyson... He was one of (if not THE) most exciting fighters I've ever seen. The guy was dynamite... box office. I've seen (I think) every Tyson fight that's been televised. I loved him as a fighter.

But here is the big BUT... he was overrated. I use that word with caution as I'm only applying to his place in the history of the sport. He wasn't the best ever. He cleaned up a very weak division... that needed cleaning up BADLY. In that sense, he was a saviour of the heavyweight division.

I believe Lewis, Holyfield and possibly even Bowe would have beaten ANY version of Tyson. Sure, we can look at the prowling figure of a young Iron Mike... but who did he beat? A shell of the legend that was Larry Holmes and Michael Spinks. Otherwise, we are talking about caretakers of the belts who really had no business having a belt in the first place... Trevor Berbick???

Ruddock gave Tyson kittens and he was destroyed by Lewis in two rounds. Watch the Tyson/Smith fight and it offsets some of the first round bum a month knockouts. Watch the Douglas fight and of course, watch the Holyfield fights. Hell, even his win over Tyrell Biggs should have set some alarm bells ringing.

Micheal Spinks was a top fighter and I'll always acknowledge Tyson for that one - even if Spinks was really a light heavy.

I'm not slighting Tyson... I loved watching him. However, in the cold reality of day, he lost all his career defining fights. Holyfield, Lewis...

He's a legend and deservedly so. He's box office and deservedly so. But he wasn't the best of his peer group and far from invincible.

 

[Kieran]

Holyfield wasn't a full blown heavyweight when Iron Mike was first wreaking havoc. But there's two tysons: pre- and post-. And between these there's the figure of Gus D'Amato. I think when Tyson was focussed and young and hungry and sharp, he wasn't only beating "weak competition" (nice concept, might nick it someday ) - he was demoloshing them.

It's impossible to say what he'd have been like against Lewis, Holyfield, etc, at that stage of his career. He was a brutal force of nature, perhaps the most destructive we've seen since the seventies. But he definitely lost his edge and his fire, and so he lost against great fighters who were more disciplined than he was...

 

[DarthFed]

^Never invincible mate - that's why he lost.

Here is my take on Mike Tyson... He was one of (if not THE) most exciting fighters I've ever seen. The guy was dynamite... box office. I've seen (I think) every Tyson fight that's been televised. I loved him as a fighter.

But here is the big BUT... he was overrated. I use that word with caution as I'm only applying to his place in the history of the sport. He wasn't the best ever. He cleaned up a very weak division... that needed cleaning up BADLY. In that sense, he was a saviour of the heavyweight division.

I believe Lewis, Holyfield and possibly even Bowe would have beaten ANY version of Tyson. Sure, we can look at the prowling figure of a young Iron Mike... but who did he beat? A shell of the legend that was Larry Holmes and Michael Spinks. Otherwise, we are talking about caretakers of the belts who really had no business having a belt in the first place... Trevor Berbick???

Ruddock gave Tyson kittens and he was destroyed by Lewis in two rounds. Watch the Tyson/Smith fight and it offsets some of the first round bum a month knockouts. Watch the Douglas fight and of course, watch the Holyfield fights. Hell, even his win over Tyrell Biggs should have set some alarm bells ringing.

Micheal Spinks was a top fighter and I'll always acknowledge Tyson for that one - even if Spinks was really a light heavy.

I'm not slighting Tyson... I loved watching him. However, in the cold reality of day, he lost all his career defining fights. Holyfield, Lewis...

He's a legend and deservedly so. He's box office and deservedly so. But he wasn't the best of his peer group and far from invincible.

Of course he wasn't invincible, no one is. But he definitely seemed to be before the fight with Buster. As for the rest, well it is hypothetical. Tyson lost to everyone under the sun after prison. I do think we were robbed of seeing prime Tyson vs. the likes of Holyfield, Lewis and Bowe. I think Lewis would have been tough for Mike, he was a big and tall man and quick for his size. That's a big reach advantage to help fend off the Tyson onslaught. I agree that Tyson was incredible box office, he was just plain vicious and people like that.

But you guys know boxing more than I do, we didn't bother getting pay per view growing up so I was reduced to watching the occasional Friday night fights and some replays of older fights. Enjoyed them but it'd have been cool to see some of the big bouts growing up.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Enjoy.. This is Hilarious!

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/09/11/nsfw-mike-tyson-explodes-on-canadian-tv.html

 

[DarthFed]

^ Dude was kind of asking for it, not going to lie but that is hilarious.

 

[Kieran]

Yeah, that wasn't awkward even a bit... :laydownlaughing

 

[the AntiPusher]

Yeah that dude lucky Mike didnt just punch his lights out.. That was the stupiest question I have ever seen someone ask in that situation..That was a foul,,,too hilarious

 

[Kieran]

It was provocative, wasn't it? The question was designed to get that response and the clown who asked it was lucky Mike didn't stand up. I wonder what happened when they took their break - maybe the presenter legged it into make-up and locked the door... :snigger

 

[britbox]

The host was way out of order in my opinion - he was looking for the publicity angle and then basically threw his arms up in the air in indignation at Tyson's response.