Any hopes of Mike Tyson defending his heavyweight title in opposition to George Foreman went up in smoke after one of many greatest upsets in boxing historical past.
February 11, 1990, is a date perpetually etched into heavyweight folklore. Tyson travelled to Japan to face large underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas on the Tokyo Dome, and what followers witnessed was one of many sport’s best shocks. An impressed Douglas toppled the fearsome ‘Iron’ Mike, stopping him within the tenth spherical to assert the undisputed heavyweight championship.
Had Tyson received, his subsequent battle may properly have come in opposition to the legendary George Foreman, who had crushed Joe Frazier to win the title in 1973. Foreman’s comeback — an unlikely quest to reclaim the game’s greatest prize — was the stuff of Hollywood and a present to sportswriters, however a gathering with Tyson carried actual hazard for each males.
Regardless of the 17-year age hole, Foreman’s wrecking-ball energy remained a menace, as did Tyson’s unmatched explosiveness and ferocity. One man who knew the youthful Tyson higher than most was Teddy Atlas, a part of Cus D’Amato’s crew in the course of the fighter’s childhood.
Atlas was requested who would have prevailed had the pair confronted each other, and the famed analyst and now podcast host gave a transparent verdict:
“Foreman’s model was fallacious for Tyson. Tyson would have got here in attempting to slide and bob and I believe it could have been a replay of the battle with Foreman and Frazier. We already know what occurred in that.”
‘Huge’ George stopped Frazier not as soon as however twice in related style, his brutal punching energy overwhelming the smaller Philadelphian on each events.
