THROWBACK: “He Wasn’t Able to Get Up!”- When James Douglas Handed Mike Tyson His First Loss

February 11th, 1990 was the day boxing took a turn. It is a day that cannot be forgotten too easily even if one tries. The world saw one of the biggest upsets in combat sports history when James Douglas handed Mike Tyson his first loss.

Iron Mike was never quite the same following his loss to Buster. Tyson brought a spectacular 37-0 record to the Tokyo dome that day. While winning his first 33 fights by knockout. Including one of his finest performances against previously undefeated Michael Spinks within 91-seconds. 

On the other hand, Douglas made his way into the ring with a not so great 29-4-1 record. Often considered to be a talented but inconsistent fighter. Buster earned a fight with Mike after winning against Trevor Berbick and Oliver McCall. However, no one thought of him as a threat to Tyson.

This was one of the biggest reasons as to why the fight took place in Tokyo. The U.S. audience grew weary of shelling out top dollar to watch Tyson drill another helpless fighter to the ground before the bell rang.

Going into this fight Tyson did not seem very focused. His personal life in shambles, coming out of a divorce with Robin Givens, firing trainer Kevin Rooney and more.

Douglas simply refused to lose to Mike Tyson. In addition, the latter had done nothing to prepare for his fight due to the nature of his stay in Tokyo. Therefore, after weeks of “sleeping with Geisha girls”, as reported by The Independent, Tyson walked into the ring to witness a massacre.

However, nothing compares to what Douglas had gone through ahead of their fight. Douglas stepped up to Tyson just weeks after losing his mother. Douglas later revealed that his mother was the only one who felt he could take the title off of Tyson’s hands.

Perhaps inspired to win the title to honor his mother. James Douglas walked into the ring in great shape, a remarkable plan and weeks of rigorous training.

With the help of a significant reach advantage, over the 5’10” Tyson, Douglas kept Iron Mike at bay with a series of hard-hitting and well-timed jabs.

Seemingly unprepared for what Douglas brought to the ring that day, both Tyson and his team were worried. However, Tyson’s infamous uppercut sent Douglas to the canvas. And Douglas took every last second of the allotted 10 seconds to find his feet. Something that became a point of contention for Tyson’s team.

“I finished him up with a combination. I hit him with four terrific shots. He wasn’t able to get up.”- James Douglas told Associated Press.

The ninth and tenth round saw James Douglas taking charge and putting an end to the fight. The first time someone knocked Tyson down became the first loss of his career as well.

The win saw him making the rounds of TV talk-shows and earned him a parade in his hometown.

Where were you when this fight happened?