Mike Tyson vs Buster Douglas Full Fight
This day 11 February 1990, as Iron Mike Tyson loses to James Buster Douglas. Tyson faced off against a decent opponent in Douglas to defend his IBF, WBA, WBC world heavyweight titles. When the pair met in the Tokyo Dome, Tokyo city Japan. In a fight where Tyson was the huge favourite coming in.
Tyson was yet to be beaten in his professional career inside the ropes. And for many pundits and fans seemed all but invincible. So when Buster Douglas was scheduled to take on Iron Mike in Japan. The bookies saw it as yet another easy win for the undisputed champion.
But Douglas wasn’t simply there to make up the numbers and had other plans. Adding to that, Tyson’s private life was in disarray. With his wife at the time adding untold pressure. And by all accounts going into the fight, Tyson had not been taking his training seriously. And a combination of those factors was to lead to him losing for the first time in his professional career, shocking the entire boxing world.
Ironically, the next fight in the career of Douglas would lead to a loss by the next man to beat Tyson, Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield. Tyson would bounce back from defeat with four straight wins. Before eventually being sent to prison after being convicted of rape.
A turbulent period in the life and times of one of the most devastating heavyweights in boxing history.
Fight Stats
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- Mike Tyson 220½ lbs
- James Douglas 231½ lbs
- KO at 1:22 in round 10 of 12
- Location: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan
- Referee: Octavio Meyran
- Judges: Larry Rozadilla 82-88, Ken Morita 87-86, Masakazu Uchida 86-86
- World Boxing Council Heavyweight Title (10th defence by Tyson)
- World Boxing Association Heavyweight Title (9th defence by Tyson)
- International Boxing Federation Heavyweight Title (7th defence by Tyson)