How A Mother’s Love Defeated A Prime Mike Tyson

‘The Baddest Man on The Planet’ Mike Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) was at his prime during the late 80s and early 90s and his very name was enough to send shivers down the spines of his opponents. But, even the strongest behemoths are no match for a mother’s love. In fact, it was a mother’s love that gave Tyson the first loss of his professional career.

Tyson who was the then-undefeated, undisputed heavyweight champion, faced James ‘Buster’ Douglas (38-6-1, 25 KOs) in a sensational showdown at the Tokyo Dome, on February 11, 1990. Despite a host of controversies at that time, Tyson was still the most dominant name in the heavyweight division. Douglas, on the other hand, was the underdog with most fans siding with Tyson.

Meanwhile, Douglas’ mother, Luna, was one of his biggest supporters and was looking forward to witnessing the fight. However, she suffered a stroke a few weeks prior to the fight.

“She had been sick for some time, but it just got worse and worse. Even then, I didn’t know it was as bad as it had gotten. When she came over to my house about a week before I left to talk to me and see how I was mentally, she was really bad then,” he said in an interview with VladTV.

Douglas later received a call that she was being taken to the hospital. When he got there, he found out that his mother had passed away at the age of 46.

The fight must go on

Despite the tragedy Douglas did not postpone the fight. The fight was iconic to say the least. From the get-go, Douglas showed no fear despite facing one of the most feared names in the sport. He displayed a lot of spring in his body movement and was not worried about letting his punches fly whenever he saw the opportunity to attack Tyson.

During the tenth round, Douglas connected Tyson with a brutal uppercut, knocking him out. In losing, Tyson forfeited his WBA, WBC, IBF, and The Ring heavyweight titles.

Meanwhile, Douglas believes that his mother was equally responsible for his victory. “She was telling her friends before she passed that I was gonna win. Mom’s intuition,” he said.

Joshua Ben Joseph

Joshua Ben Joseph is a Boxing writer renowned for his unparalleled coverage of live events and insightful interviews with prominent athletes in the world of combat sports. With a career spanning over several years, he has authored more than 800 articles. As an experienced editorial cartoonist and investigative journalist, Joshua has a keen eye for detail and a passion for delivering quality content. Aside from his writing, Joshua is an avid powerlifter and solo traveler, embodying the same spirit of determination and exploration that he brings to his work. With a deep love for the sport of boxing that dates back to childhood, he is committed to delivering the highest quality content and helping to build a more transparent and credible industry.

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