why was tyson- douglas in tokyo?

[Adamj1987]

forgive my ignorance but i'd never thought about it until someone asked me over the weekend and i hadnt an answer. was there a big sponsor pulling it that way or something?


cheers

[Cutman Scabbers]

$$$

Height of the bubble economy in Japan.

[Adamj1987]

$$$

Height of the bubble economy in Japan.

thought it would be money but i didnt know why

[yancey]

That fight was on home tv in America and I remember growing increasingly amazed with each round.

By about the 4th or 5th, it starting to dawn on me that we were witnessing a monumental upset.

To answer the question, I'm sure it was all about $$$.

[Adamj1987]

That fight was on home tv in America and I remember growing increasingly amazed with each round.

By about the 4th or 5th, it starting to dawn on me that we were witnessing a monumental upset.

To answer the question, I'm sure it was all about $$$.

i was 3 at the time so i dont have any memory of it

[Goodnight, Irene]

Im embarrassed to say I read The Last Great Fight only a few months ago, but I cant recall any mention of why Japan was chosen.

[yancey]

Maybe it was the Geisha girls.

[dempseyfire]

$$$

Height of the bubble economy in Japan.

Yep. People forget that the common perception in the late 80s would be that Japan would be the next world super-power. Just look at Back to the Future II when they go to the future (which is 2015; under 3 years frim now) . . what nationality is Marty's boss . . Japanese!!

[Goodnight, Irene]

"McFry!!!!"

D

[bollox]

Tyson's bubble in the US was starting to burst by that point and his outside the ring antics wee affecting his box office appeal so when the big dollars were offered they jumped at the opportunity

[Controversial]

Tyson fought in the same arena in Tokyo two years before he fought Douglas, against Tony Tubbs.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Tyson fought in the same arena in Tokyo two years before he fought Douglas, against Tony Tubbs.

And it was a hit.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Pitiful surrender on Tubbs' part, BTW.

[mrbassie]

Because you just damn well can't get good sushi in Vegas. There I said it. Feel better now.

[Cutman Scabbers]

$$$

Height of the bubble economy in Japan.

Yep. People forget that the common perception in the late 80s would be that Japan would be the next world super-power. Just look at Back to the Future II when they go to the future (which is 2015; under 3 years frim now) . . what nationality is Marty's boss . . Japanese!!

http://www.amazon.com/Japan-Number-One- ... 1583484108

[Diamond WEAPON]

Tyson fought in the same arena in Tokyo two years before he fought Douglas, against Tony Tubbs.

And it was a hit.

"Well if Japan outlawed the harpooning of whales, it sounds like Tyson hadn't heard about it." - Larry Merchant

[Goodnight, Irene]

Youd think a name like, "Tubbs," would motivate a man to keep in shape.

Look at Kevin Bacon. He knows the stakes.

[Bricks]

forgive my ignorance but i'd never thought about it until someone asked me over the weekend and i hadnt an answer. was there a big sponsor pulling it that way or something?


cheers

It was a residue of The Cayton-Jacobs project to have Mike fight around the world ....which was something Don King bought to the HW division.

For those who were not around at the time, Tyson as HW champion was the biggest name in sport, bigger than a Woods or Federer or Jordan...or even C Ronaldo.

There was money there in the land of the samurai and they had a fascination for Tyson who seemed utterly unbeatable as we entered his 4th year as world champion.

[flatnoseflynn]

Pitiful surrender on Tubbs' part, BTW.

Totally outclassed you mean.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Let us know when you've watched it.

[dempseyfire]

Let us know when you've watched it.

Pitiful surrender? Tubbs came to fight, did OK the first round, and then just got KTFO. Nothing cowardly about his performance at all . . he showed much more fight in less than 2 rounds vs Mike than Smith did in 12.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Tubbs getting, "KTFO,"

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fqk42SsptGU

[Goodnight, Irene]

Let us know when you've watched it.

Pitiful surrender? Tubbs came to fight, did OK the first round, and then just got KTFO. Nothing cowardly about his performance at all . . he showed much more fight in less than 2 rounds vs Mike than Smith did in 12.

Tubbs took some real blows in there, I'll give you that.

The, "knockout punch," certainly wasnt among them.

[Bricks]

Tyson's bubble in the US was starting to burst by that point and his outside the ring antics wee affecting his box office appeal so when the big dollars were offered they jumped at the opportunity

Japan was desperate to have him back though. The cayton charm offensive in Japan 2 years earlier had been a huge hit with the japanese. They loved Tyson...........a shame the teen and early 20 something groupie population of Tokyo also loved him and his entourage so much.......boxing history may have been very different. He and his entourage went through countless numbers of japanese women in his "training camp"...estimates are in the hundreds

[bollox]

Yeah that sounds about right. His management like D'Amato, ignored almost every shenanigan he got up to because of his earning power. I wonder if Rooney was dumped as trainer because he spoke up about it (he seemed a no nonsense type of dude)