By DAVE SKRETTA, AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK (AP)—So much for all that discussion that boxing is dead. Or that the recession will finally finish it off, for that matter.
Bob Arum of promoter Top Rank said Thursday that more than 13,000 tickets have been sold for Miguel Cotto’s welterweight title fight against Joshua Clottey, and a sellout is expected on June 13 at Madison Square Garden.
“The response has been absolutely tremendous,” Arum said, adding that $500 ringside seats are already gone. Among those who plan to be in the crowd are Brandon Jacobs and several of his New York Giants teammates.
“The Mets and Yankees are playing that afternoon,” Arum said, “and hopefully the game will be over in time and a lot of them are coming to the fight.”
This will be the sixth time that Cotto, the WBO champion, will fight at the place that bills itself as the sport’s Mecca. It will also be the fourth time he’s fought on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day parade, when thousands of his countrymen typically turn out to support their hero.
Cotto (33-1, 27 KOs) knocked out Zab Judah to their delight two years ago, and beat Paul Malignaggi in his final fight at junior welterweight in 2006. The year before that, Cotto made his Garden debut by knocking out Mohamad Abdulaev in the ninth round.
Cotto is coming off an easy victory over Michael Jennings in February, a rebound fight after a stoppage loss to Antonio Margarito that many now view with skepticism. In the months that followed, Margarito was found to have a plaster-like substance on his hand wraps before a loss to Shane Mosley.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a loss, every kind of event in your life teaches you something, you know?” Cotto said. “I learned a lot from my first loss of my career.”
Clottey (35-2, 20 KOs) represents a significant step up in class from Jennings, whose 34-1 record looked good on paper. Like Margarito, Clottey is considered large for a welterweight and has a style that could cause Cotto problems.
“I never expect an easy fight,” said Cotto, who’s been training in Tampa, Fla., since early April. “I always train very hard for every type of fighter.”
Cotto has been working with Joe Santiago, who took over as trainer after a much-publicized fallout between Cotto and his uncle Evangelista a few months ago.
The two family members had been arguing at the Bairoa Gymnasium in Caguas over where to hold camp and eventually came to blows, and Evangelista later drove to his nephew’s home and threw a cement block through his car window, police said.
Neither decided to pursue criminal charges, and Cotto declined to discuss the current state of their relationship, calling it a family matter.
“I don’t want to talk about that situation,” he said. “I’m here just to prepare myself to fight Joshua Clottey.”
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
(Washington, DC) May 27, 2009- Women in Support Together (W.I.S.T.) along with Rosecroft Raceway will be hosting a series of ALL FEMALE amateur boxing shows beginning on Saturday, June 20, 2009 at 6 p.m. Ms. Bruce has a long history in boxing and was the first to bring an All Female Boxing show to Washington, DC. Amateur female boxers from around the country will be competing in 15 officiated bouts. The main event will be 8 year old Mia Ellis from Baltimore, MD fondly known by fans as “Killer Bee”. Winners will receive trophies.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for the community to see female amateur boxers in action,” said Wanda Bruce, Female Boxing Promoter. “Everyone is welcomed to attend and show support for our female boxers who often get overlooked,” Bruce added. Rosecroft Raceway is located at 6336 Rosecroft Drive, Ft. Washington, MD 20744. Admission to the event is $20-Adults, $10- Kids under 10. There is lots of parking. A portion of the proceeds goes to help Diabetes Association of MD. It is all about the females and helping them with boxing competitions and with life in general.
For more information on this event and to get your fighter registered, log on to www.fightlady.org.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for the community to see female amateur boxers in action,” said Wanda Bruce, Female Boxing Promoter. “Everyone is welcomed to attend and show support for our female boxers who often get overlooked,” Bruce added. Rosecroft Raceway is located at 6336 Rosecroft Drive, Ft. Washington, MD 20744. Admission to the event is $20-Adults, $10- Kids under 10. There is lots of parking. A portion of the proceeds goes to help Diabetes Association of MD. It is all about the females and helping them with boxing competitions and with life in general.
For more information on this event and to get your fighter registered, log on to www.fightlady.org.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Dawson vacates IBF belt to pursue richer fight
PANAMA CITY, Panama (AP)—Light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson has decided to vacate his IBF title after the organization refused to grant an exception to an immediate defense against mandatory challenger Tavoris Cloud.
It’s the second time in recent weeks that one of the federation’s most visible champions has given up its belt to pursue more lucrative bouts. Welterweight Josh Clottey vacated his title last month to fight WBO champ Miguel Cotto on June 13.
Promoter Gary Shaw informed the IBF of Dawson’s decision at its annual convention Wednesday.
“No major television network was willing to buy the fight, (and) the IBF left us little choice,” Shaw said in a statement. “I respect the IBF’s decision, but the fight they were forcing us to do was commercially unviable.”
Dawson (28-0, 17 KOs) easily defended his IBF and IBO titles in a rematch against Antonio Tarver earlier this month. Rather than defend against Cloud, the hard-punching 26-year-old is reportedly eyeing a fight with former champ Glen Johnson, whom Dawson beat in a close unanimous decision early last year.
Dawson has a history of giving up belts for richer fights. He defended the WBC title three times before vacating it to fight Tarver rather than mandatory challenger Adrian Diaconu.
Cloud (19-0, 18 KOs), an exciting but relatively obscure prospect, hasn’t fought since knocking out Julio Cesar Gonzalez in a title eliminator last August.
It’s the second time in recent weeks that one of the federation’s most visible champions has given up its belt to pursue more lucrative bouts. Welterweight Josh Clottey vacated his title last month to fight WBO champ Miguel Cotto on June 13.
Promoter Gary Shaw informed the IBF of Dawson’s decision at its annual convention Wednesday.
“No major television network was willing to buy the fight, (and) the IBF left us little choice,” Shaw said in a statement. “I respect the IBF’s decision, but the fight they were forcing us to do was commercially unviable.”
Dawson (28-0, 17 KOs) easily defended his IBF and IBO titles in a rematch against Antonio Tarver earlier this month. Rather than defend against Cloud, the hard-punching 26-year-old is reportedly eyeing a fight with former champ Glen Johnson, whom Dawson beat in a close unanimous decision early last year.
Dawson has a history of giving up belts for richer fights. He defended the WBC title three times before vacating it to fight Tarver rather than mandatory challenger Adrian Diaconu.
Cloud (19-0, 18 KOs), an exciting but relatively obscure prospect, hasn’t fought since knocking out Julio Cesar Gonzalez in a title eliminator last August.
Tyson family asks for privacy after tot’s death
By JONATHAN J. COOPER, Associated Press Writer
PHOENIX (AP)—The death of Mike Tyson’s 4-year-old daughter in a bizarre accident adds an awful chapter to the boxer’s troubled life.
Exodus Tyson died at a hospital Tuesday, a day after her neck apparently got caught in a cord dangling from a treadmill at her Phoenix home, police said.
Police said Exodus either slipped or put her head in the loop of a cord hanging under the console and suffocated. She was pronounced dead just before noon after being on life support, said police Sgt. Andy Hill, who called the injury a “tragic accident.”
“There are no words to describe the tragic loss of our beloved Exodus,” the family said in a statement. “We ask you now to please respect our need at this very difficult time for privacy to grieve and try to help each other heal.”
Tyson, who has been living in Las Vegas, flew Monday to Phoenix, where he was seen entering the hospital.
The modest house where his daughter was injured contrasts starkly with the lavish lifestyle Tyson had through his tumultuous years of boxing, when he spent tens of millions of dollars and says he had millions more stolen from him by unscrupulous associates.
During two years at the height of his career, he earned $140 million—but he filed for Chapter 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in 2003.
He has been promoting a new documentary about his life and told The New York Times earlier this month he had been sober for 15 months after years of drug and alcohol abuse.
“I don’t know who I am,” he told the newspaper. “That might sound stupid. I really have no idea. All my life I’ve been drinking and drugging and partying, and all of a sudden this comes to a stop.”
Tyson first began boxing in a facility for juvenile delinquents in upstate New York at the age of 12. Eight years later, he became the youngest heavyweight champion ever when he knocked out Trevor Berbick in 1986. But in 1990, he was defeated by James “Buster” Douglas in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history, and soon after was convicted of raping a beauty pageant contestant in Indianapolis.
Tyson, who still denies he raped the woman, served three years in prison.
A few years later, he served three months in jail for beating up two men after a minor car crash in suburban Washington.
As his career continued, so did his bizarre behavior. He bit off a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear during a boxing match and once threatened to eat the children of heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis.
Although Tyson’s children had lived in their unassuming neighborhood for several years, he purchased a separate home in the tony Phoenix suburb of Paradise Valley in 2005 for $2.1 million, selling it two years later for $2.3 million.
In November 2007, Tyson spent 24 hours in Maricopa County’s “Tent City” jail after pleading guilty to one count of cocaine possession and one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence. Police found the drug when they pulled over Tyson’s car after he left a Scottsdale night club.
According to police, Tyson said after his arrest that he bought cocaine “whenever I can get my hands on it.”
At Tyson’s sentencing hearing, nearly a year after the arrest, his attorney David Chesnoff said his client had taken 29 drug tests without a relapse and was attending Alcoholic Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings.
Tyson had become an example of how a person overcomes problems with drugs, a violent past and poor upbringing, Chesnoff said.
“He’s tried his hardest,” his attorney said, “despite coming from almost impossible beginnings.”
Associated Press writers Bob Baum and Terry Tang contributed to this report.
PHOENIX (AP)—The death of Mike Tyson’s 4-year-old daughter in a bizarre accident adds an awful chapter to the boxer’s troubled life.
Exodus Tyson died at a hospital Tuesday, a day after her neck apparently got caught in a cord dangling from a treadmill at her Phoenix home, police said.
Police said Exodus either slipped or put her head in the loop of a cord hanging under the console and suffocated. She was pronounced dead just before noon after being on life support, said police Sgt. Andy Hill, who called the injury a “tragic accident.”
“There are no words to describe the tragic loss of our beloved Exodus,” the family said in a statement. “We ask you now to please respect our need at this very difficult time for privacy to grieve and try to help each other heal.”
Tyson, who has been living in Las Vegas, flew Monday to Phoenix, where he was seen entering the hospital.
The modest house where his daughter was injured contrasts starkly with the lavish lifestyle Tyson had through his tumultuous years of boxing, when he spent tens of millions of dollars and says he had millions more stolen from him by unscrupulous associates.
During two years at the height of his career, he earned $140 million—but he filed for Chapter 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in 2003.
He has been promoting a new documentary about his life and told The New York Times earlier this month he had been sober for 15 months after years of drug and alcohol abuse.
“I don’t know who I am,” he told the newspaper. “That might sound stupid. I really have no idea. All my life I’ve been drinking and drugging and partying, and all of a sudden this comes to a stop.”
Tyson first began boxing in a facility for juvenile delinquents in upstate New York at the age of 12. Eight years later, he became the youngest heavyweight champion ever when he knocked out Trevor Berbick in 1986. But in 1990, he was defeated by James “Buster” Douglas in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history, and soon after was convicted of raping a beauty pageant contestant in Indianapolis.
Tyson, who still denies he raped the woman, served three years in prison.
A few years later, he served three months in jail for beating up two men after a minor car crash in suburban Washington.
As his career continued, so did his bizarre behavior. He bit off a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear during a boxing match and once threatened to eat the children of heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis.
Although Tyson’s children had lived in their unassuming neighborhood for several years, he purchased a separate home in the tony Phoenix suburb of Paradise Valley in 2005 for $2.1 million, selling it two years later for $2.3 million.
In November 2007, Tyson spent 24 hours in Maricopa County’s “Tent City” jail after pleading guilty to one count of cocaine possession and one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence. Police found the drug when they pulled over Tyson’s car after he left a Scottsdale night club.
According to police, Tyson said after his arrest that he bought cocaine “whenever I can get my hands on it.”
At Tyson’s sentencing hearing, nearly a year after the arrest, his attorney David Chesnoff said his client had taken 29 drug tests without a relapse and was attending Alcoholic Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings.
Tyson had become an example of how a person overcomes problems with drugs, a violent past and poor upbringing, Chesnoff said.
“He’s tried his hardest,” his attorney said, “despite coming from almost impossible beginnings.”
Associated Press writers Bob Baum and Terry Tang contributed to this report.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Japan’s Naito retains WBC flyweight title
TOKYO (AP)—Japanese champion Daisuke Naito has defended his WBC flyweight title with a unanimous decision over China’s Xiong Zhaozhong.
Xiong sent Naito to the canvas with a right in the sixth round of Tuesday’s fight, but the Japanese champion recovered despite being cut above both eyes.
Naito improved to 35-2-3 with 22 knockouts while Xiong fell to 12-2-1 (eight KOs).
At 34 years, 8 months, Naito becomes the oldest Japanese boxer to defend a world title.
The match was originally scheduled to take place in Shanghai but was moved to Tokyo three days ago due to promoter-related problems.
Tyson daughter ‘extremely critical’ after accident
By AMANDA LEE MYERS, Associated Press Writer
PHOENIX (AP)—The near-fatal strangulation of boxer Mike Tyson’s 4-year-old daughter appears to be a “tragic accident,” police say.
Exodus Tyson was on life support Tuesday after apparently accidentally hanging herself on a cord dangling from a treadmill in her modest central Phoenix home.
“Somehow she was playing on this treadmill, and there’s a cord that hangs under the console—it’s kind of a loop,” police Sgt. Andy Hill said. “Either she slipped or put her head in the loop, but it acted like a noose, and she was obviously unable to get herself off of it.”
Exodus’ 7-year-old brother found her Monday and told their mother, who was in another room. She took Exodus off the cord, called 911 and tried to revive her.
Responding officers and firefighters performed CPR on Exodus as they rushed her to a nearby hospital, where she was in “extremely critical condition” and on life support, Hill said.
Hill said former heavyweight champion Tyson, 42, had been in Las Vegas but flew to Phoenix immediately after learning of the accident.
“The Tyson family would like to extend our deepest and most heartfelt thanks for all your prayers and support, and we ask that we be allowed our privacy at this difficult time,” the boxer said in a statement.
Brief footage from local TV station KTVK showed Tyson arriving at the hospital in a white button-up and black pants, and looking around with a frown before going inside.
Hill said everything in the investigation pointed to a “tragic accident,” adding that calls involving children is an officer’s most difficult duty.
“Those are the things that stay with you in your career,” he said. “We always hope for a miracle—not to have the worst happen to a child.”
Neighbors said they were surprised and saddened when they heard what had happened.
“It’s terrible,” said Abby St. Jermain, who grew up in the neighborhood and is house-sitting for her parents down the street. “The kids are so sweet. We always see them riding their bikes, playing. They’ve just been wonderful people.”
Dinka Radic, who lives across the street, described Exodus as smart and sweet.
“The little girl, she says ‘You got chocolate in your house?”’ Radic said. “I say ‘Yes,’ and she says, ‘OK, give me some.”’
When she gives the girl the chocolate, Radic said “she just kisses me on my knees. Kiss, kiss, kiss. Very nice.”
PHOENIX (AP)—The near-fatal strangulation of boxer Mike Tyson’s 4-year-old daughter appears to be a “tragic accident,” police say.
Exodus Tyson was on life support Tuesday after apparently accidentally hanging herself on a cord dangling from a treadmill in her modest central Phoenix home.
“Somehow she was playing on this treadmill, and there’s a cord that hangs under the console—it’s kind of a loop,” police Sgt. Andy Hill said. “Either she slipped or put her head in the loop, but it acted like a noose, and she was obviously unable to get herself off of it.”
Exodus’ 7-year-old brother found her Monday and told their mother, who was in another room. She took Exodus off the cord, called 911 and tried to revive her.
Responding officers and firefighters performed CPR on Exodus as they rushed her to a nearby hospital, where she was in “extremely critical condition” and on life support, Hill said.
Hill said former heavyweight champion Tyson, 42, had been in Las Vegas but flew to Phoenix immediately after learning of the accident.
“The Tyson family would like to extend our deepest and most heartfelt thanks for all your prayers and support, and we ask that we be allowed our privacy at this difficult time,” the boxer said in a statement.
Brief footage from local TV station KTVK showed Tyson arriving at the hospital in a white button-up and black pants, and looking around with a frown before going inside.
Hill said everything in the investigation pointed to a “tragic accident,” adding that calls involving children is an officer’s most difficult duty.
“Those are the things that stay with you in your career,” he said. “We always hope for a miracle—not to have the worst happen to a child.”
Neighbors said they were surprised and saddened when they heard what had happened.
“It’s terrible,” said Abby St. Jermain, who grew up in the neighborhood and is house-sitting for her parents down the street. “The kids are so sweet. We always see them riding their bikes, playing. They’ve just been wonderful people.”
Dinka Radic, who lives across the street, described Exodus as smart and sweet.
“The little girl, she says ‘You got chocolate in your house?”’ Radic said. “I say ‘Yes,’ and she says, ‘OK, give me some.”’
When she gives the girl the chocolate, Radic said “she just kisses me on my knees. Kiss, kiss, kiss. Very nice.”
Police: Mike Tyson’s daughter on life support
By AMANDA LEE MYERS, Associated Press Writer
PHOENIX (AP)—Boxer Mike Tyson’s 4-year-old daughter is on life support after she was found with her neck caught in a cord of a treadmill machine Monday, police said.
Exodus Tyson’s 7-year-old brother found her on a treadmill with her neck in the cord that dangles from the console of the exercise machine at their Phoenix home, police Sgt. Andy Hill said, calling it a “tragic accident.”
The boy told Exodus’ mother, who was in another room. She took Exodus off the cord, called 911 and tried to revive her.
Responding officers and firefighters performed CPR on Exodus as they rushed her to a nearby hospital, where she was in “extremely critical condition” and on life support, Hill said.
“Somehow she was playing on this treadmill, and there’s a cord that hangs under the console—it’s kind of a loop,” Hill said. “Either she slipped or put her head in the loop, but it acted like a noose, and she was obviously unable to get herself off of it.”
Hill said former heavyweight champion Tyson had been in Las Vegas but flew to Phoenix immediately after learning of the accident. Police didn’t release the girl’s name.Tyson could not immediately be reached for comment but 42West, a New York City public relations firm representing him, released a statement on the family’s behalf.
“The Tyson family would like to extend our deepest and most heartfelt thanks for all your prayers and support, and we ask that we be allowed our privacy at this difficult time,” the statement said.
Brief footage from local TV station KTVK showed Tyson arriving at the hospital in a white button-up and black pants, and looking around with a frown before going inside.
Hill said everything in the investigation pointed to an accident. “There’s nothing in the investigation that revealed anything suspicious,” he said.
He added that responding to calls involving children is an officer’s most difficult duty.
“Those are the things that stay with you in your career,” he said. “We always hope for a miracle—not to have the worst happen to a child.”
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Naito’s fight against Xiong moved to Tokyo
TOKYO (AP)—Daisuke Naito’s fifth defense of his WBC flyweight title against China’s Xiong Zhaozhong next week has been moved to Tokyo.
The fight was originally to be held in Shanghai on Tuesday, but will now take place in Tokyo on the same day, the Nikkansports newspaper reported Sunday.
Officials at Naito’s Miyata gym were quoted as saying the move was due to a “promoter-related problem.”
Miyata gym had been approached about staging the fight in China by the WBC, which is looking to make inroads in the world’s most populous nation.
Naito, 34, stopped compatriot Shingo Yamaguchi in the 11th round to retain his crown at Tokyo in December, improving his record to 34 wins—22 of them by knockout—two defeats and three draws.
The fight was originally to be held in Shanghai on Tuesday, but will now take place in Tokyo on the same day, the Nikkansports newspaper reported Sunday.
Officials at Naito’s Miyata gym were quoted as saying the move was due to a “promoter-related problem.”
Miyata gym had been approached about staging the fight in China by the WBC, which is looking to make inroads in the world’s most populous nation.
Naito, 34, stopped compatriot Shingo Yamaguchi in the 11th round to retain his crown at Tokyo in December, improving his record to 34 wins—22 of them by knockout—two defeats and three draws.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Champ of underdogs: Douglas healthy, happy at 49
By RUSTY MILLER, AP Sports Writer
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)—Every now and then a few words in a newspaper or on TV take James “Buster” Douglas back 19 years to a Tokyo boxing ring.
He smiles at that memory, and everything he has survived since.
“It’s like I made my mark, it’s proof that I existed on this planet,” he said. “That’s a good thing. I’m really, really proud about that.”
A happy family man, healthy after nearly dying during a diabetic coma 15 years ago, Douglas spends his days in the present. Still, what took place inside the ropes on Feb. 10, 1990, continues to amaze and confound. Even those who lived it have difficulty believing it.
“To tell you the truth, it’s almost something that didn’t happen,” said J.D. McCauley, Douglas’ uncle and corner man. “Then I look at the championship rings on my fingers. It’s funny, it didn’t seem like it happened. You know what I mean? But it did.”
On that winter night in Japan, the largely unknown and mostly ignored Douglas had a broken heart when he touched gloves with the unbeaten and seemingly invincible Mike Tyson.
Iron Mike, long before a spell in prison sent his career and life into a tailspin, was considered a knockout machine. He had a 37-0 record—decking opponents 33 times. The oddsmakers took one look at Douglas’ erratic career and established Tyson as a 42-to-1 favorite. Even that didn’t draw much action on the underdog.
Nicknamed “Buster” by his grandmother because of his youthful spunk, Douglas came into the fight shaken by the death of his beloved, doting mother, Lula Pearl, who had died while he was training for the fight.
Douglas, an athletic 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, had shown flashes of skill in compiling a 29-4-1 record, but most observers felt he was too passive—some even called him too “nice”—to stay upright for long against the vicious, hard-charging and violent Tyson.
They were so wrong. Instead, Douglas pulled off one of the greatest upsets in sports history.
He fought on even terms with Tyson for the first five rounds, gradually gaining in confidence. Then, in the eighth, Tyson caught him with a thunderous uppercut that leveled him. But he got up an instant before the 10 count.
Tyson, overconfident, unfocused or maybe not in top shape, seemed as surprised as the grizzled scribes and announcers at ringside when Douglas continued to hold him at bay. Even those closest to Douglas wondered if he would have the stamina, let alone the heart, to stand up to Tyson because he had had the flu 24 hours before the fight.
Then, in the 10th, it was all over.
Douglas, five inches taller and 11 pounds heavier, flicked jabs in Tyson’s face to keep him from pounding away at his midsection and taking head shots, then countered with punches that dizzied the champ. The lingering image is of Tyson crawling on the mat while struggling to find his mouthpiece as referee Octavio Meyran counted down the final seconds of Tyson’s invincibility.
Amid the chaos in the ring, Douglas was asked how he had pulled off the massive upset. “My mother,” he said, fighting back tears. “My mother.”
When Douglas looks back on that magical year, he fast-forwards through the next nine months. There were appearances on late-night TV, lengthy magazine pieces, countless photo ops and business proposals. In the days when a heavyweight champion was among the most recognized faces in the world, Douglas enjoyed himself and lost his focus. He was out of shape and uninspired when he collected $24.5 million in his title defense against Evander Holyfield, who KO’d him in the third round on Oct. 25, 1990, in Las Vegas.
The years after were not kind. He ate and drank too much and the former high school and college basketball player ballooned to more than 400 pounds, nearly dying after going into diabetic shock in the summer of 1994.
He made it through that trauma, but continued to drift. His once close relationship with manager John Johnson, who had guided his boxing career, ended badly.
His little brother, 35-year-old Robert, was killed in a gunfight in a parking lot outside the Orchid Cleaning Center on Columbus’ Cleveland Avenue in December of 1998. Less than a year later, his father and mentor, former middleweight Bill “Dynamite” Douglas, died of colon cancer at the age of 59.
It took time, but Douglas again got up off the mat.
He and Johnson have mended fences, occasionally meeting to remember the good days. Douglas and his wife, Bertha, moved to Johnstown, a small town not far from Columbus, to raise sons Cardae, known better as B.J., and Artie. Both play football and run track, while B.J., who is about to graduate from high school, also wrestled. Artie, like his dad, was a basketball player as a freshman.
Now 49, Douglas is content watching his kids’ games. He also has a development company that he said will begin construction of retail and housing units next month not far from where he grew up in a tough, downtrodden neighborhood East of Columbus’ thriving downtown.
Douglas said he is happy that his one-time adversary, Tyson, has gotten his due with a recent documentary and a prominent cameo in a soon-to-be-released film. He wishes him nothing but the best.
He’s also regained his health. He weighs only 20 pounds or so more than he did in Tokyo, and tries to fit in time on a treadmill each day. He even has his diabetes under control and has recently co-written a cookbook, “Buster’s Backyard Bar-B-Q Knockout Diabetes Diet.”
Nineteen years later, Douglas’ remarkable upset of Tyson continues to be mentioned as proof that anything’s possible.
“It’s been so long ago, but then you look at those rings and you know it happened,” McCauley said. “As long as you live, they can never take that away from you.”
Occasionally his kids will see a clip of boxing’s biggest upset. It’s a teaching moment for their father.
“I always tell them, ‘You know what? There’s nothing that you can’t do. Whatever you want to try, try, do it. Because you never know,”’ Douglas said with a laugh. “I’m a prime example of that. Never say never, right?”
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)—Every now and then a few words in a newspaper or on TV take James “Buster” Douglas back 19 years to a Tokyo boxing ring.
He smiles at that memory, and everything he has survived since.
“It’s like I made my mark, it’s proof that I existed on this planet,” he said. “That’s a good thing. I’m really, really proud about that.”
A happy family man, healthy after nearly dying during a diabetic coma 15 years ago, Douglas spends his days in the present. Still, what took place inside the ropes on Feb. 10, 1990, continues to amaze and confound. Even those who lived it have difficulty believing it.
“To tell you the truth, it’s almost something that didn’t happen,” said J.D. McCauley, Douglas’ uncle and corner man. “Then I look at the championship rings on my fingers. It’s funny, it didn’t seem like it happened. You know what I mean? But it did.”
On that winter night in Japan, the largely unknown and mostly ignored Douglas had a broken heart when he touched gloves with the unbeaten and seemingly invincible Mike Tyson.
Iron Mike, long before a spell in prison sent his career and life into a tailspin, was considered a knockout machine. He had a 37-0 record—decking opponents 33 times. The oddsmakers took one look at Douglas’ erratic career and established Tyson as a 42-to-1 favorite. Even that didn’t draw much action on the underdog.
Nicknamed “Buster” by his grandmother because of his youthful spunk, Douglas came into the fight shaken by the death of his beloved, doting mother, Lula Pearl, who had died while he was training for the fight.
Douglas, an athletic 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, had shown flashes of skill in compiling a 29-4-1 record, but most observers felt he was too passive—some even called him too “nice”—to stay upright for long against the vicious, hard-charging and violent Tyson.
They were so wrong. Instead, Douglas pulled off one of the greatest upsets in sports history.
He fought on even terms with Tyson for the first five rounds, gradually gaining in confidence. Then, in the eighth, Tyson caught him with a thunderous uppercut that leveled him. But he got up an instant before the 10 count.
Tyson, overconfident, unfocused or maybe not in top shape, seemed as surprised as the grizzled scribes and announcers at ringside when Douglas continued to hold him at bay. Even those closest to Douglas wondered if he would have the stamina, let alone the heart, to stand up to Tyson because he had had the flu 24 hours before the fight.
Then, in the 10th, it was all over.
Douglas, five inches taller and 11 pounds heavier, flicked jabs in Tyson’s face to keep him from pounding away at his midsection and taking head shots, then countered with punches that dizzied the champ. The lingering image is of Tyson crawling on the mat while struggling to find his mouthpiece as referee Octavio Meyran counted down the final seconds of Tyson’s invincibility.
Amid the chaos in the ring, Douglas was asked how he had pulled off the massive upset. “My mother,” he said, fighting back tears. “My mother.”
When Douglas looks back on that magical year, he fast-forwards through the next nine months. There were appearances on late-night TV, lengthy magazine pieces, countless photo ops and business proposals. In the days when a heavyweight champion was among the most recognized faces in the world, Douglas enjoyed himself and lost his focus. He was out of shape and uninspired when he collected $24.5 million in his title defense against Evander Holyfield, who KO’d him in the third round on Oct. 25, 1990, in Las Vegas.
The years after were not kind. He ate and drank too much and the former high school and college basketball player ballooned to more than 400 pounds, nearly dying after going into diabetic shock in the summer of 1994.
He made it through that trauma, but continued to drift. His once close relationship with manager John Johnson, who had guided his boxing career, ended badly.
His little brother, 35-year-old Robert, was killed in a gunfight in a parking lot outside the Orchid Cleaning Center on Columbus’ Cleveland Avenue in December of 1998. Less than a year later, his father and mentor, former middleweight Bill “Dynamite” Douglas, died of colon cancer at the age of 59.
It took time, but Douglas again got up off the mat.
He and Johnson have mended fences, occasionally meeting to remember the good days. Douglas and his wife, Bertha, moved to Johnstown, a small town not far from Columbus, to raise sons Cardae, known better as B.J., and Artie. Both play football and run track, while B.J., who is about to graduate from high school, also wrestled. Artie, like his dad, was a basketball player as a freshman.
Now 49, Douglas is content watching his kids’ games. He also has a development company that he said will begin construction of retail and housing units next month not far from where he grew up in a tough, downtrodden neighborhood East of Columbus’ thriving downtown.
Douglas said he is happy that his one-time adversary, Tyson, has gotten his due with a recent documentary and a prominent cameo in a soon-to-be-released film. He wishes him nothing but the best.
He’s also regained his health. He weighs only 20 pounds or so more than he did in Tokyo, and tries to fit in time on a treadmill each day. He even has his diabetes under control and has recently co-written a cookbook, “Buster’s Backyard Bar-B-Q Knockout Diabetes Diet.”
Nineteen years later, Douglas’ remarkable upset of Tyson continues to be mentioned as proof that anything’s possible.
“It’s been so long ago, but then you look at those rings and you know it happened,” McCauley said. “As long as you live, they can never take that away from you.”
Occasionally his kids will see a clip of boxing’s biggest upset. It’s a teaching moment for their father.
“I always tell them, ‘You know what? There’s nothing that you can’t do. Whatever you want to try, try, do it. Because you never know,”’ Douglas said with a laugh. “I’m a prime example of that. Never say never, right?”
Rigondeaux wins pro debut
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP)—Two-time Olympic gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux won his professional debut with a third-round technical knockout over Juan Noriega on Friday night.
Rigondeaux, who defected from Cuba in February, was not as busy with his punches but still wore down Noriega in their junior featherweight bout at the Fontainebleau Hotel and Resort.
In fact, referee Sam Burgos stopped the fight at 1:09 of the third round after Rigondeaux landed a right to the head without any follow-up shots. Noriega, of Danville, Ark., didn’t dispute Burgos’ call.
“Everything turned out fine,” Rigondeaux said. “My shots landed exactly where I wanted them.
Rigondeaux, 28, immediately showed his dominance when he dropped Noriega with a right to the head 30 seconds into the bout for the fight’s only knockdown.
Rigondeaux carefully measured his punches and the bout had its moments of inaction.
“I didn’t rush my shots but I believe they were effective,” Rigondeaux said. “It was a brief fight and there were no injuries. Hopefully I can fight again very soon.”
Rigondeaux weighed 122 pounds, two more than Noriega.
An Olympic champion in 2000 and 2004, Rigondeaux, 28, left Cuba with Yudel Johnson and Yordanis Despaigne, teammates on the country’s amateur team. Johnson and Despaigne also fought their first professional bouts Friday night.
Johnson barely broke a sweat, scoring a first-round knockout over Greg Weathers of Louisville. Johnson dropped Weathers with a left to the head soon after the opening bell and didn’t let up his attack and floored Weathers with a right-left combination to the head.
Weathers (3-1) failed to shake off the knockdown’s effects and Burgos stopped the middleweight fight at 52 seconds.
Rigondeaux, who defected from Cuba in February, was not as busy with his punches but still wore down Noriega in their junior featherweight bout at the Fontainebleau Hotel and Resort.In fact, referee Sam Burgos stopped the fight at 1:09 of the third round after Rigondeaux landed a right to the head without any follow-up shots. Noriega, of Danville, Ark., didn’t dispute Burgos’ call.
“Everything turned out fine,” Rigondeaux said. “My shots landed exactly where I wanted them.
Rigondeaux, 28, immediately showed his dominance when he dropped Noriega with a right to the head 30 seconds into the bout for the fight’s only knockdown.
Rigondeaux carefully measured his punches and the bout had its moments of inaction.
“I didn’t rush my shots but I believe they were effective,” Rigondeaux said. “It was a brief fight and there were no injuries. Hopefully I can fight again very soon.”
Rigondeaux weighed 122 pounds, two more than Noriega.
An Olympic champion in 2000 and 2004, Rigondeaux, 28, left Cuba with Yudel Johnson and Yordanis Despaigne, teammates on the country’s amateur team. Johnson and Despaigne also fought their first professional bouts Friday night.Johnson barely broke a sweat, scoring a first-round knockout over Greg Weathers of Louisville. Johnson dropped Weathers with a left to the head soon after the opening bell and didn’t let up his attack and floored Weathers with a right-left combination to the head.
Weathers (3-1) failed to shake off the knockdown’s effects and Burgos stopped the middleweight fight at 52 seconds.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Ochoa Looks To Stay Undefeated On "Tinley Park Rumble"
Ochoa Takes Next Step At "Tinley Park Rumble" Towards Reaching GoalMay 21 (Merrillville, In) - On Friday, June 12th at the fight card dubbed "Tinley Park Rumble," welterweight Ed "2 Fast 2 Furious" Ochoa (8-0, 8 KOs) will square off against a rugged ring Jesse Davis (11-12, 8 KOs).
Ochoa vs. Davis is one of the electric fights scheduled for the "Tinley Park Rumble" with Michael "Midnight Stalker" Walker (19-2-2, 12 KOs) vs. "Iron" Orphius Waite (5-0, 3 KOs) as the main event, but it has been Ochoa stealing the shows with his devastating knockouts lately."This is definitely an incredible card to follow up the instant classic that was 'Date With Destiny' card," said Octavius James, C.E.O. of One In A Million Inc. "(Ed) Ochoa is definitely going to be in for a war with Savannah, Tennessee's Davis, but this is just one of those steps he has to take to become the next world champion."
The 27 year-old Hobart resident is coming off a destructive 1st round knockout (2:10) of Chris Hill at "Date With Destiny" that rattled the Hammond Civic Center, but Ochoa looks to bring down Davis and the Tinley Park Convention Center to their foundations.
"We want to step it up every time and Davis has been in there with some really good fighters including Derrick Findley," said Ochoa. "I just know what I possess and what I'm capable of, if fighters want to go through six rounds and they want a beating that long- fine. It takes a lot more to take my zero (in the loss column) away."
Ochoa's dream of eventually becoming a world champion got a shot in the arm when fellow O.I.A.M. stable mate "Merciless" Mary McGee staked claim to her second world title at "Date With Destiny." "It gives me a little more motivation and inspiration and puts a boot under your butt, I just thank Octavius for the opportunity" added Ochoa of seeing McGee win another title.Also scheduled as part of another sensational undercard are Chicago's Bobby Jaskierny (3-1, 2 KOs), the unbeaten Josh Crouch (4-0, 4 KOs), Female Sensation Evette Collazo (4-0, 2 KOs), the always exciting Angel Hernandez (12-3, 10 KOs), and middleweight Meegal Harper (1-0, 1 KO).
Tickets "Tinley Park Rumble" are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at VIP $100, VIP ringside $75, ringside $50 and general admission $30 and they are available from any Ticket Master location at (800)745-3000, (866) 438-7372 or www.TicketMaster.com.
The Tinley Park Convention Center, which is just 25 minutes from Northwest Indiana, doors will open at 7 p.m. with the first bout at 8 p.m.
Exclusive Interviews with Undefeated Heavyweight Ashani Jordan
Photos by Laura De La Torre
Exclusive Podcast Interview
Undefeated Heavyweight Ashanti Jordan
8countNews.com ~ Brad Cooney
8CountNews sat down with Golden Boy Promotions undefeated heavyweight prospect, Ashanti Jordan. This young heavyweight will step back into the ring on May 21st, against David Johnson. Jordan is definitely a fighter that everybody needs to be keeping a close eye on, his future in the heavyweight division is looking very bright. Jordan looks to keep very busy in 2009 and has high hopes of one day becoming the heavyweight champion of the world. Join 8CN and Ashanti Jordan in this exclusive podcast interview! Listen Now.
Interview with Ashanti Jordan
MightyGloves.com ~ Sylvana Ambrosanio and Katschiri Schwalm
Ashanti Jordan is an exciting heavyweight from San Francisco, California who turned pro in March of 2007 after compiling an amateur record of 36-6 and attaining a ranking of number two among heavyweight amateurs nationwide while also competing in the National Golden Gloves tournament. Read More..
Mario Serrano
Publicist
boxingpublicist@aol.com
Exclusive Podcast Interview
Undefeated Heavyweight Ashanti Jordan
8countNews.com ~ Brad Cooney
8CountNews sat down with Golden Boy Promotions undefeated heavyweight prospect, Ashanti Jordan. This young heavyweight will step back into the ring on May 21st, against David Johnson. Jordan is definitely a fighter that everybody needs to be keeping a close eye on, his future in the heavyweight division is looking very bright. Jordan looks to keep very busy in 2009 and has high hopes of one day becoming the heavyweight champion of the world. Join 8CN and Ashanti Jordan in this exclusive podcast interview! Listen Now.
Interview with Ashanti Jordan
MightyGloves.com ~ Sylvana Ambrosanio and Katschiri Schwalm
Ashanti Jordan is an exciting heavyweight from San Francisco, California who turned pro in March of 2007 after compiling an amateur record of 36-6 and attaining a ranking of number two among heavyweight amateurs nationwide while also competing in the National Golden Gloves tournament. Read More..
Mario Serrano
Publicist
boxingpublicist@aol.com
UNDERCARD FEATURES UNDEFEATED WORLD CLASS PROSPECTS IN DANNY GARCIA, TWINS CARLOS AND JUAN VELASQUEZ, ASHANTI JORDAN AND ELOY PEREZLOS ANGELES, MAY 20 - The pride of Gilroy, California, former two-time world featherweight champion Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero, returns to HP Pavilion at San Jose on June 12th to fight in front of his Northern California fans in the main event of ESPN's "Friday Night Fights" against Johnnie Edwards.
"We are excited to bring Robert back to his loyal hometown fans," said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. "He has a huge fan base there and I know they're going to come out in force to cheer him on."
"It's always nice to fight close to home and when I hear those fans roar, it feels like I can knock out anyone," said Guerrero. "I'm looking to make a statement and I expect to put on a great show for my fans on June 12th."
The co-featured bout pits rising junior welterweight star Danny Garcia against Pavel Miranda in an eight round clash. Also in action in separate bouts on June 12th will be hot undefeated prospects Carlos Velasquez, Juan Velasquez, San Francisco's Ashanti Jordan, Eloy Perez of Salinas and San Jose's Anthony Johnson.
Guerrero vs. Edwards, a 10 round junior lightweight bout that headlines a hard-hitting night of world-class boxing, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The ESPN "Friday Night Fights" livetelecast beginning at 10pm ET / 7pm PT will be broadcast on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN360.com.
Tickets, priced at $100.00, $75.00, $50.00 and $25.00, go on sale to the public on Friday, May 22nd at 10 AM PT at the HP Pavilion Ticket Office, all Ticketmaster locations, by phone at 800-745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.
Unbeaten since 2005, Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero (23-1-1, 16 KO's) has been getting better and better with each passing fight. A two-time owner of the IBF World Featherweight Championship, the 26-year-old defended his title twice before deciding to test the waters at 130 pounds in 2009. In his two 2009 bouts, he stopped Edel Ruiz in 43 seconds and had a no decision rendered in his March contest with Daud Yordan when an accidental clash of heads cut Guerrero, making him unable to continue. On June 12th, Guerrero aims to show a national television audience that he's ready for a title shot at junior lightweight.
A native of Aiken, South Carolina, former United States Marine Johnnie Edwards (15-4-1, 8 KO's) has the talent and discipline to go far in the fight game. For proof, just look at his big wins over former world champions Eric Aiken and Freddie Norwood. After some ups and downs in his pro career, the 29-year-old is back on track and looking for big things in 2009 and beyond.
One of Philadelphia's finest, 21-year-old Danny Garcia (12-0, 7 KO's) has the fight world waiting in anticipation every time he steps between the ropes. Unbeaten in 12 pro fights, the former U.S. Olympic team alternate has been upping his level of competition with each bout and is ready for the next test in his career in the form of Tijuana, Mexico's Pavel Miranda (16-3, 8 KO's). The 21-year-old Miranda has kept up a frantic pace in the fight game since turning pro at 16 and on June 12th, the former WBC Youth champion plans on pushing Garcia harder than he's ever been pushed before.
"We are excited to bring Robert back to his loyal hometown fans," said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. "He has a huge fan base there and I know they're going to come out in force to cheer him on."
"It's always nice to fight close to home and when I hear those fans roar, it feels like I can knock out anyone," said Guerrero. "I'm looking to make a statement and I expect to put on a great show for my fans on June 12th."
The co-featured bout pits rising junior welterweight star Danny Garcia against Pavel Miranda in an eight round clash. Also in action in separate bouts on June 12th will be hot undefeated prospects Carlos Velasquez, Juan Velasquez, San Francisco's Ashanti Jordan, Eloy Perez of Salinas and San Jose's Anthony Johnson.
Guerrero vs. Edwards, a 10 round junior lightweight bout that headlines a hard-hitting night of world-class boxing, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The ESPN "Friday Night Fights" livetelecast beginning at 10pm ET / 7pm PT will be broadcast on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN360.com.
Tickets, priced at $100.00, $75.00, $50.00 and $25.00, go on sale to the public on Friday, May 22nd at 10 AM PT at the HP Pavilion Ticket Office, all Ticketmaster locations, by phone at 800-745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.
Unbeaten since 2005, Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero (23-1-1, 16 KO's) has been getting better and better with each passing fight. A two-time owner of the IBF World Featherweight Championship, the 26-year-old defended his title twice before deciding to test the waters at 130 pounds in 2009. In his two 2009 bouts, he stopped Edel Ruiz in 43 seconds and had a no decision rendered in his March contest with Daud Yordan when an accidental clash of heads cut Guerrero, making him unable to continue. On June 12th, Guerrero aims to show a national television audience that he's ready for a title shot at junior lightweight.
A native of Aiken, South Carolina, former United States Marine Johnnie Edwards (15-4-1, 8 KO's) has the talent and discipline to go far in the fight game. For proof, just look at his big wins over former world champions Eric Aiken and Freddie Norwood. After some ups and downs in his pro career, the 29-year-old is back on track and looking for big things in 2009 and beyond.One of Philadelphia's finest, 21-year-old Danny Garcia (12-0, 7 KO's) has the fight world waiting in anticipation every time he steps between the ropes. Unbeaten in 12 pro fights, the former U.S. Olympic team alternate has been upping his level of competition with each bout and is ready for the next test in his career in the form of Tijuana, Mexico's Pavel Miranda (16-3, 8 KO's). The 21-year-old Miranda has kept up a frantic pace in the fight game since turning pro at 16 and on June 12th, the former WBC Youth champion plans on pushing Garcia harder than he's ever been pushed before.
Champ of underdogs: Douglas healthy, happy at 49
By RUSTY MILLER AP Sports Writer
COLUMBUS, Ohio(AP)—Every now and then a few words in a newspaper or on TV take James “Buster” Douglas back 19 years to a Tokyo boxing ring.
He smiles at that memory, and everything he has survived since.
“It’s like I made my mark, it’s proof that I existed on this planet,” he said. “That’s a good thing. I’m really, really proud about that.”
A happy family man, healthy after nearly dying during a diabetic coma 15 years ago, Douglas spends his days in the present. Still, what took place inside the ropes on Feb. 10, 1990, continues to amaze and confound. Even those who lived it have difficulty believing it.
“To tell you the truth, it’s almost something that didn’t happen,” said J.D. McCauley, Douglas’ uncle and corner man. “Then I look at the championship rings on my fingers. It’s funny, it didn’t seem like it happened. You know what I mean? But it did.”
On that winter night in Japan, the largely unknown and mostly ignored Douglas had a broken heart when he touched gloves with the unbeaten and seemingly invincible Mike Tyson.
Iron Mike, long before a spell in prison sent his career and life into a tailspin, was considered a knockout machine. He had a 37-0 record - decking opponents 33 times. The oddsmakers took one look at Douglas’ erratic career and established Tyson as a 42-to-1 favorite. Even that didn’t draw much action on the underdog.
Nicknamed “Buster” by his grandmother because of his youthful spunk, Douglas came into the fight shaken by the death of his beloved, doting mother, Lula Pearl, who had died while he was training for the fight.
Douglas, an athletic 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, had shown flashes of skill in compiling a 29-4-1 record, but most observers felt he was too passive - some even called him too “nice” - to stay upright for long against the vicious, hard-charging and violent Tyson.
They were so wrong. Instead, Douglas pulled off one of the greatest upsets in sports history.
He fought on even terms with Tyson for the first five rounds, gradually gaining in confidence. Then, in the eighth, Tyson caught him with a thunderous uppercut that leveled him. But he got up an instant before the 10 count.
Tyson, overconfident, unfocused or maybe not in top shape, seemed as surprised as the grizzled scribes and announcers at ringside when Douglas continued to hold him at bay. Even those closest to Douglas wondered if he would have the stamina, let alone the heart, to stand up to Tyson because he had had the flu 24 hours before the fight.
Then, in the 10th, it was all over.
Douglas, five inches taller and 11 pounds heavier, flicked jabs in Tyson’s face to keep him from pounding away at his midsection and taking head shots, then countered with punches that dizzied the champ. The lingering image is of Tyson crawling on the mat while struggling to find his mouthpiece as referee Octavio Meyran counted down the final seconds of Tyson’s invincibility.
Amid the chaos in the ring, Douglas was asked how he had pulled off the massive upset. “My mother,” he said, fighting back tears. “My mother.”
When Douglas looks back on that magical year, he fast-forwards through the next nine months. There were appearances on late-night TV, lengthy magazine pieces, countless photo ops and business proposals. In the days when being the heavyweight champion made you one of the most recognized faces in the world, Douglas enjoyed himself and lost his focus. He was out of shape and uninspired when he collected $24.5 million in his title defense against Evander Holyfield, who KO’d him in the third round on Oct. 25, 1990, in Las Vegas.
The years after were not kind. He ate and drank too much and the former high school and college basketball player ballooned to more than 400 pounds, nearly dying after going into diabetic shock in the summer of 1994.
He made it through that trauma, but continued to drift. His once close relationship with manager John Johnson, who had guided his boxing career, ended badly.
His little brother, 35-year-old Robert, was killed in a gunfight in a parking lot outside the Orchid Cleaning Center on Columbus’ Cleveland Avenue in December of 1998. Less than a year later, his father and mentor, former middleweight Bill “Dynamite” Douglas, died of colon cancer at the age of 59.
It took time, but Douglas again got up off the mat.
He and Johnson have mended fences, occasionally meeting to remember the good days. Douglas and his wife, Bertha, moved to Johnstown, a small town not far from Columbus, to raise sons Cardae, known better as B.J., and Artie. Both play football and run track, while B.J., who is about to graduate from high school, also wrestled. Artie, like his dad, was a basketball player as a freshman.
Now 49, Douglas is content watching his kids’ games. He also has a development company that he said will begin construction of retail and housing units next month not far from where he grew up in a tough, downtrodden neighborhood East of Columbus’ thriving downtown.
Douglas said he is happy that his one-time adversary, Tyson, has gotten his due with a recent documentary and a prominent cameo in a soon-to-be-released film. He wishes him nothing but the best.
He’s also regained his health. He weighs only 20 pounds or so more than he did in Tokyo, and tries to fit in time on a treadmill each day. He even has his diabetes under control and has recently co-written a cookbook, “Buster’s Backyard Bar-B-Q Knockout Diabetes Diet.”
Nineteen years later, Douglas’ remarkable upset of Tyson continues to be mentioned as proof that anything’s possible.
“It’s been so long ago, but then you look at those rings and you know it happened,” McCauley said. “As long as you live, they can never take that away from you.”
Occasionally his kids will see a clip of boxing’s biggest upset. It’s a teaching moment for their father.
“I always tell them, ‘You know what? There’s nothing that you can’t do. Whatever you want to try, try, do it. Because you never know,”’ Douglas said with a laugh. “I’m a prime example of that. Never say never, right?”
COLUMBUS, Ohio(AP)—Every now and then a few words in a newspaper or on TV take James “Buster” Douglas back 19 years to a Tokyo boxing ring.
He smiles at that memory, and everything he has survived since.
“It’s like I made my mark, it’s proof that I existed on this planet,” he said. “That’s a good thing. I’m really, really proud about that.”
A happy family man, healthy after nearly dying during a diabetic coma 15 years ago, Douglas spends his days in the present. Still, what took place inside the ropes on Feb. 10, 1990, continues to amaze and confound. Even those who lived it have difficulty believing it.
“To tell you the truth, it’s almost something that didn’t happen,” said J.D. McCauley, Douglas’ uncle and corner man. “Then I look at the championship rings on my fingers. It’s funny, it didn’t seem like it happened. You know what I mean? But it did.”
On that winter night in Japan, the largely unknown and mostly ignored Douglas had a broken heart when he touched gloves with the unbeaten and seemingly invincible Mike Tyson.
Iron Mike, long before a spell in prison sent his career and life into a tailspin, was considered a knockout machine. He had a 37-0 record - decking opponents 33 times. The oddsmakers took one look at Douglas’ erratic career and established Tyson as a 42-to-1 favorite. Even that didn’t draw much action on the underdog.
Nicknamed “Buster” by his grandmother because of his youthful spunk, Douglas came into the fight shaken by the death of his beloved, doting mother, Lula Pearl, who had died while he was training for the fight.
Douglas, an athletic 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, had shown flashes of skill in compiling a 29-4-1 record, but most observers felt he was too passive - some even called him too “nice” - to stay upright for long against the vicious, hard-charging and violent Tyson.
They were so wrong. Instead, Douglas pulled off one of the greatest upsets in sports history.
He fought on even terms with Tyson for the first five rounds, gradually gaining in confidence. Then, in the eighth, Tyson caught him with a thunderous uppercut that leveled him. But he got up an instant before the 10 count.
Tyson, overconfident, unfocused or maybe not in top shape, seemed as surprised as the grizzled scribes and announcers at ringside when Douglas continued to hold him at bay. Even those closest to Douglas wondered if he would have the stamina, let alone the heart, to stand up to Tyson because he had had the flu 24 hours before the fight.
Then, in the 10th, it was all over.
Douglas, five inches taller and 11 pounds heavier, flicked jabs in Tyson’s face to keep him from pounding away at his midsection and taking head shots, then countered with punches that dizzied the champ. The lingering image is of Tyson crawling on the mat while struggling to find his mouthpiece as referee Octavio Meyran counted down the final seconds of Tyson’s invincibility.
Amid the chaos in the ring, Douglas was asked how he had pulled off the massive upset. “My mother,” he said, fighting back tears. “My mother.”
When Douglas looks back on that magical year, he fast-forwards through the next nine months. There were appearances on late-night TV, lengthy magazine pieces, countless photo ops and business proposals. In the days when being the heavyweight champion made you one of the most recognized faces in the world, Douglas enjoyed himself and lost his focus. He was out of shape and uninspired when he collected $24.5 million in his title defense against Evander Holyfield, who KO’d him in the third round on Oct. 25, 1990, in Las Vegas.
The years after were not kind. He ate and drank too much and the former high school and college basketball player ballooned to more than 400 pounds, nearly dying after going into diabetic shock in the summer of 1994.
He made it through that trauma, but continued to drift. His once close relationship with manager John Johnson, who had guided his boxing career, ended badly.
His little brother, 35-year-old Robert, was killed in a gunfight in a parking lot outside the Orchid Cleaning Center on Columbus’ Cleveland Avenue in December of 1998. Less than a year later, his father and mentor, former middleweight Bill “Dynamite” Douglas, died of colon cancer at the age of 59.
It took time, but Douglas again got up off the mat.
He and Johnson have mended fences, occasionally meeting to remember the good days. Douglas and his wife, Bertha, moved to Johnstown, a small town not far from Columbus, to raise sons Cardae, known better as B.J., and Artie. Both play football and run track, while B.J., who is about to graduate from high school, also wrestled. Artie, like his dad, was a basketball player as a freshman.
Now 49, Douglas is content watching his kids’ games. He also has a development company that he said will begin construction of retail and housing units next month not far from where he grew up in a tough, downtrodden neighborhood East of Columbus’ thriving downtown.
Douglas said he is happy that his one-time adversary, Tyson, has gotten his due with a recent documentary and a prominent cameo in a soon-to-be-released film. He wishes him nothing but the best.
He’s also regained his health. He weighs only 20 pounds or so more than he did in Tokyo, and tries to fit in time on a treadmill each day. He even has his diabetes under control and has recently co-written a cookbook, “Buster’s Backyard Bar-B-Q Knockout Diabetes Diet.”
Nineteen years later, Douglas’ remarkable upset of Tyson continues to be mentioned as proof that anything’s possible.
“It’s been so long ago, but then you look at those rings and you know it happened,” McCauley said. “As long as you live, they can never take that away from you.”
Occasionally his kids will see a clip of boxing’s biggest upset. It’s a teaching moment for their father.
“I always tell them, ‘You know what? There’s nothing that you can’t do. Whatever you want to try, try, do it. Because you never know,”’ Douglas said with a laugh. “I’m a prime example of that. Never say never, right?”
Cuban defector Rigondeaux to make pro debut
MIAMI (AP)—Former heavyweight contender Jorge Luis Gonzalez blazed the trail 18 years ago.
Gonzalez was the first noteworthy member from the Cuban amateur boxing system to defect in search of professional titles. Since Gonzalez abandoned Cuba following his second Pan American Games gold medal, the list of high-profile defectors has become lengthy, with mixed professional results.
Now it is Guillermo Rigondeaux’s turn to show whether his amateur accomplishments will parlay into professional success. Rigondeaux, 28, is the latest and perhaps most accomplished Cuban amateur boxer to leave the island.
Rigondeaux, who defected in February along with two other national team members, will make his pro debut Friday night at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach. He is scheduled to face Juan Noriega of Danville, Ark. in a four-round super-bantamweight bout.
“I am happy that my debut will be here, where there are many Cubans supporting me,” Rigondeaux said. “Now we will see if I am as good as people anticipate of me. I came here to be a world champion.”
Rigondeaux, a veteran of more than 300 amateur bouts, was the top bantamweight in the world over a five-year span. He won Olympic gold medals in 2000 and 2004 and world championships in 2001 and 2005.
Before the 2008 Olympics, Rigondeaux was favored to join countrymen Teofilo Stevenson and Felix Savon as three-time Olympic gold medalists. Rigondeaux instead attempted an ill-fated defection with teammate Erislandy Lara during the 2007 Pan American Games in Brazil.
Both boxers were repatriated to Cuba. Lara, now unbeaten in five professional fights, defected in March 2008.
Banned from the country’s amateur system when he returned from Brazil, Rigondeaux successfully left Cuba with Yudel Johnson and Yordanis Despaigne in February.
Johnson, a 2004 Olympic silver medalist, and Despaigne also will make their professional debuts Friday.
“I came to the United States to realize a dream and accomplish great results as a professional fighter,” said Despaigne, bronze medalist in the 2001 and 2003 world championships. “Something which motivates me is that (unbeaten super-middleweight) Andre Dirrell, someone I faced as an amateur, has accomplished much. That shows me I can also make it big in professional boxing.”
Despaigne’s first professional opponent will be Reshawn Scott of Philadelphia. Johnson will face Greg Weathers of Louisville in his inaugural bout.
Rigondeaux and his teammates hope to follow Joel Casamayor, Juan Carlos Gomez, Diobelys Hurtado and Yuriorkis Gamboa as Cuban defectors turned professional world champions.
Casamayor, a 1992 Olympic gold medalist in Barcelona, won professional world titles in two separate weight classes. Gomez and Hurtado, who defected in 1994, also captured belts in the cruiserweight and super-lightweight divisions, respectively.
In only two years since defecting, Gamboa already has a world title. Gamboa, a 2004 Olympic gold medalist, won a super-featherweight belt April 24.
But for all the heights reached by the early defectors and Gamboa, there are Cuban boxers who couldn’t replicate their amateur accomplishments as professionals. Even Gonzalez fell short of his goal.
Although he landed a title fight against then-heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe in 1995, Gonzalez failed to capitalize on his opportunity. Bowe stopped Gonzalez in six rounds and Gonzalez quickly descended from the heavyweight rankings.
Gonzalez was the first noteworthy member from the Cuban amateur boxing system to defect in search of professional titles. Since Gonzalez abandoned Cuba following his second Pan American Games gold medal, the list of high-profile defectors has become lengthy, with mixed professional results.
Now it is Guillermo Rigondeaux’s turn to show whether his amateur accomplishments will parlay into professional success. Rigondeaux, 28, is the latest and perhaps most accomplished Cuban amateur boxer to leave the island.
Rigondeaux, who defected in February along with two other national team members, will make his pro debut Friday night at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach. He is scheduled to face Juan Noriega of Danville, Ark. in a four-round super-bantamweight bout.
“I am happy that my debut will be here, where there are many Cubans supporting me,” Rigondeaux said. “Now we will see if I am as good as people anticipate of me. I came here to be a world champion.”
Rigondeaux, a veteran of more than 300 amateur bouts, was the top bantamweight in the world over a five-year span. He won Olympic gold medals in 2000 and 2004 and world championships in 2001 and 2005.
Before the 2008 Olympics, Rigondeaux was favored to join countrymen Teofilo Stevenson and Felix Savon as three-time Olympic gold medalists. Rigondeaux instead attempted an ill-fated defection with teammate Erislandy Lara during the 2007 Pan American Games in Brazil.
Both boxers were repatriated to Cuba. Lara, now unbeaten in five professional fights, defected in March 2008.
Banned from the country’s amateur system when he returned from Brazil, Rigondeaux successfully left Cuba with Yudel Johnson and Yordanis Despaigne in February.
Johnson, a 2004 Olympic silver medalist, and Despaigne also will make their professional debuts Friday.
“I came to the United States to realize a dream and accomplish great results as a professional fighter,” said Despaigne, bronze medalist in the 2001 and 2003 world championships. “Something which motivates me is that (unbeaten super-middleweight) Andre Dirrell, someone I faced as an amateur, has accomplished much. That shows me I can also make it big in professional boxing.”
Despaigne’s first professional opponent will be Reshawn Scott of Philadelphia. Johnson will face Greg Weathers of Louisville in his inaugural bout.
Rigondeaux and his teammates hope to follow Joel Casamayor, Juan Carlos Gomez, Diobelys Hurtado and Yuriorkis Gamboa as Cuban defectors turned professional world champions.
Casamayor, a 1992 Olympic gold medalist in Barcelona, won professional world titles in two separate weight classes. Gomez and Hurtado, who defected in 1994, also captured belts in the cruiserweight and super-lightweight divisions, respectively.
In only two years since defecting, Gamboa already has a world title. Gamboa, a 2004 Olympic gold medalist, won a super-featherweight belt April 24.
But for all the heights reached by the early defectors and Gamboa, there are Cuban boxers who couldn’t replicate their amateur accomplishments as professionals. Even Gonzalez fell short of his goal.
Although he landed a title fight against then-heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe in 1995, Gonzalez failed to capitalize on his opportunity. Bowe stopped Gonzalez in six rounds and Gonzalez quickly descended from the heavyweight rankings.
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