The entire boxing world came to a halt after Mike Tyson lost his heavyweight title to Buster Douglas in 1990. In what is still considered boxing’s biggest upset, the underdog Douglas knocked Tyson out in the 10th round, handing him his first ever professional defeat.
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Many speculated on how Douglas was able to beat a prime Iron Mike. Tyson himself believed he was robbed, claiming Douglas got an extended count after going down in the 8th round. However, the former champ gave an even more surprising reason as to why he lost the fight. In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel back in 2015, Tyson shared his thoughts on the 25th anniversary of the fight.
Initially, Iron Mike shrugged off the loss. Although, he made a perplexing revelation after Kimmel insisted on explaining his approach before the fight. Tyson admitted he had slept with all the hotel maids, days before the fight. He also stated that he could have been more focused.
“I had to hit all the maids, hitting means having s*x with them, I don’t want you to think I’m hitting them,” said Tyson hilariously, trying to explain to Kimmel the context.
Kimmel joked with Tyson, stating that he had no choice in the matter. Although this might purely be banter from Tyson, if not, it might have actually caused Tyson his first-ever defeat and things could have been different for him if he stayed focused.
How did Buster Douglas beat Mike Tyson?
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After Cus D’Amato’s death, Tyson was left without a coach and a father figure. Many say his increasing fame soon got to his head. With no one to keep him in check, Iron Mike even began slacking off in training. He didn’t bother with conditioning drills and partied too often. The result of the same showed in his fights, as he started relying only on his power.
Tyson did not take Douglas seriously. He felt that he could rely on his power alone to get the job done. However, Tyson would get a reality check at the Tokyo Dome as he could not finish a relentless Douglas who overcame the mighty Tyson in an upset unrivaled to this day.
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Do you think Tyson could have won if he did things differently? Let us know in the comments.
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