James "Buster" Douglas: Unlikely Heavyweight Champion

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23 Mar 2024

James "Buster" Douglas

Early life

James "Buster" Douglas was born on April 7, 1960, in Columbus, Ohio. He was the son of William Douglas, a bricklayer, and Lula Pearl Douglas, a homemaker. Douglas had 10 siblings.
Douglas began boxing at the age of 10. He was a natural athlete and quickly rose through the amateur ranks. In 1981, he won the gold medal at the Pan American Games.

Professional career

Douglas turned professional in 1981. He won his first 24 fights, 14 of them by knockout. In 1987, he fought for the WBC heavyweight title against Tony Tucker. Douglas lost the fight by a unanimous decision.
Douglas rebounded from the loss to win his next 10 fights. In 1990, he was given the opportunity to fight for the undisputed heavyweight title against Mike Tyson. Tyson was undefeated and considered to be one of the greatest boxers of all time.

Later career

Douglas continued to fight until 1999. He never regained the heavyweight title, but he did win the WBC Continental Americas heavyweight title in 1998.
Douglas retired from boxing in 1999 with a record of 37-6-1, with 24 knockouts. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011.

Legacy

James "Buster" Douglas is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. His victory over Mike Tyson is one of the most iconic moments in sports history. Douglas is an inspiration to all underdogs, and his story shows that anything is possible if you believe in yourself.

Personal life

Douglas is married and has four children. He lives in Columbus, Ohio.

Interesting facts

Douglas is the only boxer to have knocked out Mike Tyson.
Douglas was the first boxer to win the undisputed heavyweight title as an underdog.
Douglas was named the 1990 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated.

Some of his most notable fights:

James Douglas vs. Mike Tyson (February 11, 1990): The fight between Tyson and Douglas took place on February 11, 1990, in Tokyo, Japan. Douglas was a 42-to-1 underdog. However, he pulled off one of the biggest upsets in sports history, knocking out Tyson in the 10th round.
James Douglas vs. Evander Holyfield (October 25, 1990): Holyfield won by 3rd-round knockout to win the undisputed heavyweight championship.
James Douglas vs. Lou Savarese (June 19, 1998): Douglas won by 1st-round knockout.