On February 11, 1990, in Tokyo, Japan, Buster Douglas was tasked with taking down the undisputed heavyweight champion, Mike Tyson. Many pundits assumed Douglas was a warm-up to the forthcoming Evander Holyfield fight. Therefore, the native of Columbus, Ohio, wasn’t given much of a chance.
But Douglas did make a promise to his dying mother, Lula Pearl, before the fight, vowing to vanquish Tyson. Pearl died of a stroke 23 days before the scheduled fight, motivating Douglas further.
Then, a funny thing happened. In that fight in Tokyo, Douglas took down the champion in the tenth round, winning the title for himself. The fight included the Columbus native beating Tyson’s left eye mercilessly, eventually closing it shut. This never happened before: nobody was ever able to stand toe-to-toe with “Iron Mike” and take much punishment. Yet, here we were, with Douglas hoisting the heavyweight championship belt.
What Happened to Buster Douglas After?
Suddenly, Buster Douglas became an overnight sensation, appearing on programs such as WWE’s The Main Event III with Hulk Hogan and “Macho Man” Randy Savage. He also “dotted the ‘i'” with the Ohio State Marching Band, a feat reserved for students. Life was good for the champion, for he was a massive hit with the public.
However, there was an interesting decision that came after his Tyson bout. Douglas chose to take on Holyfield himself instead of Tyson, leading to a mismatched fight. On October 25, 1990, the heavyweight champion was overwhelmed by Holyfield, losing in three rounds to the Alabama native.
After the fight, Buster Douglas retired from boxing, ballooning to nearly 400 lbs and nearly dying in a coma. This motivated the former champion to get back in shape and take his life back.
But that wasn’t the only struggle he had after his boxing career. The city of Columbus filed a $459,538.05 lawsuit against the former boxer for back taxes, interest, and penalties. On top of that, Buster Douglas lost his brother, Robert, to a gunfight in a Columbus parking lot on December 14, 1998. For the former champion, he hit rock bottom.
What If Buster Douglas Fought Tyson in the Rematch?
Initially, Buster Douglas chose Evander Holyfield as his first title defense because he was reluctant to deal with Tyson and promoter Don King. The two proved to be perilous towards Douglas, causing him great distress. As a result, the former undisputed champion fell off a cliff.
But what would’ve happened if Douglas took up Tyson on his rematch? Would it have been the same result or would “Iron Mike” have the last laugh? The public will never know the answer.
However, it’s safe to say Mike Tyson would’ve come out swinging against the Columbus native. Tyson tended to dust himself off and try again, which he unsuccessfully did against Holyfield. But Douglas took plenty of punishment in the Tokyo fight, leading some to believe he could do it again.
As it stands, Buster Douglas’s career will be known as one of 15 minutes of fame. The former undisputed champion quickly rose to the top, only to come crashing down shortly after. Therefore, his name will be associated with some of the biggest one-hit wonders in the world.
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Jacob Walters is a boxing/MMA writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @IceColdWJacob
