The fight is still remembered as one of the most spectacular upsets in sports history. “It was a relief and then it was upsetting, too, because of how it all came to an end,” Douglas said.Ī short reign, with a long legacy. “Something I always looked forward to becoming one day and then you get it and it turns into a nightmare really quick.”ĭouglas said he was almost relieved when Evander Holyfield knocked him out in the third round of their match-up a little over eight months later, taking the title. “Believe it or not, I was where I really didn't care about anything,” he recalled. The dispute over the fight's outcome - combined with lingering grief over his mother's death shortly before the fight - sent Douglas into a slump, he said. Tyson said the loss was a positive for him in the end, allowing him to learn how to “overcome adversity.” The two have barely crossed paths since the fight. He told late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel in 2015 that it was “Buster's anniversary” to celebrate, not his. Tyson didn't respond to an interview request. ![]() "It made it very uncomfortable and kind of took the ‘f’ out of fun.”Ī message was left at a phone number for King. “Don came at me with a vengeance and I was subpoenaed everywhere I went to," Douglas said. Douglas' victory was ultimately upheld, but not before months of drama and expensive litigation. Tyson and fight promoter Don King challenged Douglas' victory, claiming Douglas had gone down first in the fight but been given more time than allowed to get up. But what followed was anything but a celebration. Only one Las Vegas bookie - whether brave or stupid - would set odds on the fight: 42 to 1.ĭouglas won, stunning the sports world. Tyson was the reigning undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, and a frightening opponent to boot, when he entered the ring against James “Buster” Douglas on Feb. "It might have just been luck, but I can tell you that Coach worked hard for it even if it was luck.” It's crazy that Coach, like, just beat him," he said. “Really, Mike Tyson was the second-most greatest boxer in the world still to this day. ![]() “I mean, I really look up to Mike Tyson, but I don't look up to him as much as Coach," said 11-year-old Colton Matson, who has worked with Douglas since he was 6. His stable of students throughout Columbus' parks and recreation system look up to the man they call simply “coach” as a teacher, friend and hero. The 59-year-old fighter will be celebrated at an anniversary gala Friday in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, where he'll raise money for programs that help others who face seemingly insurmountable challenges. “Right now, everything is looking up,” Douglas said in a recent Associated Press interview, noting he struggles with diabetes. COLUMBUS, Ohio – Thirty years after his startling victory against boxing titan Mike Tyson, Buster Douglas is feeling healthy and basking in the glory he says he was denied at the time.
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