The iconic defeat, against boxer James Douglas, marked a before and after in his career
Mike Tyson it was the best for a time boxer of the world in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Tyson is one of the athletes who made the most headlines in the late twentieth century, not only for his successes in the ring, but also for his behavior outside of it.
His fame, undefeatedness, and popularity brought him into a world of excess; and little by little the American deteriorated in his career. In 1990, with a record 37 wins and zero losses, Tyson finally fell to the canvas for his crazy life.
He was the youngest heavyweight champion in the world in history, barely 20 years old when he won. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he won all three world tires and was the World Boxing Council champion between 1986 and 1990.
31 years ago, on February 11, 1990, James Douglas grabbed the WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight titles from Mike Tyson and defeated him in the 10th round in a fight in Japan.
Mike Tyson (left) fighting Roy Jones Jr. AFP Photo
Mike himself explained in his autobiography: A sexual marathon in Japan caused Tyson to arrive with poor performance and without much preparation.
“On January 8, 1990, I got on a plane to fly to Tokyo. Kick and shout. He didn’t want to fight; all that interested me back then was partying and having sex with women. I didn’t find Douglas a big challenge. I didn’t even bother to watch his fights on video. I could have easily beaten anyone who knocked him out, ”Tyson said.
Tyson did not have to leave his Tokyo hotel. There he organized a sex party with other women, even though he had traveled to battle with his wife.
“Besides having sex with the maids, I saw this young Japanese woman who I had sex with the last time I was in Japan. Robin (his wife) went shopping and I went to the back of the hotel where this young woman had a room… So that was my education for Douglas ”, the American explained.
Mike couldn’t stop, I didn’t care that he was hours away from a memorable fight: “The day before the fight, I also had two maids at the same time. And then two more girls, one by one, the night before the fight, ”he confessed.