DezHarmony

Butthis story and nine-minute video that goes with it are worthy of it. (As if anyof you are not looking espn.com).

Inthe three decades he spent on sports, including the 23 that I spent as a sportseditor, Buster Douglas beat Mike Tyson in Tokyo in 1989, the ranks of the twoor three times You gotta be kidding. And everyone who has worked in newspapersknows what I mean. That moment when an emergency appeared on the AP wire, witha phrase that just does not believe.

Anaside: I remember only one instance of others on the run, when something quiteunexpected success of the wire. In September 1978, when we were putting out theSunday paper, and one of our guys desk, Gil Hulse, exclaimed, Lord, Lyman Bostock,has been shot! (Bostock be a star player for the California Angels had beenshot dead in Gary, Indiana, after a day game against the White Sox.)

Myrecollection is that the fight occurred just in time to do a term paper WestCoast. We were fighting on the cover, of course, but never, never expected MikeTyson to lose anyone. And especially not to Buster Douglas.

Butas he later saw the replay of the fight, Mike Tyson beat Buster. It was nocoincidence. Mike Tyson had bought Mike Tyson's invincibility, even more thanhe had. He was physically ready to fight, but was not mentally ready for aserious challenge.

Ifyou're of a certain age, remembers that during a year or two, Mike Tyson seemedinvincible. More than any fighter in our lives. Much more than Muhammad Ali.Much more than any other heavyweight in the latter half of the 20th century andperhaps covering the whole century. (Sorry, Joe Louis.) Just one comparison.

Thiswas a man who scared the daylights out of other professional boxers. Michael Spinks,who was world champion was so afraid of Mike Tyson, who seemed almost gratefulto get 90 seconds in his fight and not get up.

MikeTyson has that aura of menace about him as anyone else. It seemed like it wascreated by an evil god to do nothing but destroy people within that squarecircle. And Michael Spinks was smart enough to recognize that. When he got intothe ring with Mike Tyson, there was a risk of death. Really. He was sodangerous.

Andthen, by Buster Douglas beat him when we realized at least a decade of MikeTyson and destruction around the world, was a physical shock.

Itremains a great story. Jeremy Schaap is right about it: “It was a surprisebut not a freak. The guy who was better prepared than had the perfectcombination of skills and physical endowments (particularly the height andreach) won the fight.

Anyway,it was a great story, then as now, and if you care about the show that was oncethe heavyweight boxing, go look at the video.

Tags:2 responses so far

1Dumdad / / February 12, 2010 at 3:04

Iremember the astonishment of Tyson lose. Unthinkable. And, of course, was neverthe same. Suddenly, other boxers were thinking well, it is still big for aheavyweight

2Gil Hulse / / February 12, 2010 at 2:04 pm

Iremember being in the Sun Desktop for Tyson-Douglas, too. But one of myfavorite moments was when, years before our crusty curmudgeon, a news editorleft the room for the wires with his cane in one hand and a copy of wire in theother around midnight and spit, dammit , Jack Benny is dead.

Andwe alone have the news of the morning. Ah, those were the days.