What if Buster Douglas had stayed in shape?

[Ade L]

What if the same Buster Douglas who KO'd Tyson showed up for the Holyfield fight?

[birdman77]

It's a thought I've always had. He had the size and strength to matchup with many good fighters in those days.

I don't know if he was really a bum's bum in the ring. I know for that Tyson fight he was on a definite emotional high due to his mother passing.

I still think Holyfield had the skills at that time to beat him. Holyfield was in his absolute prime shape and a little was over 6'2" so it's not like other fighters towered over him like they did Tyson. Meaning, Holyfield could jab very effectively and had good movement. Buster did not move well.

Bittersweet that Buster won the Tyson fight though. Tragedy and then all of the training. Buster coulda remained contender for years after that even if couldn't ever beat Holyfield. Not a bad career.

[Ambling Alp II]

Holyfield probably would still have won, but it would have been a great fight. Douglas wasn't just out of shape, he wasn't there mentally either. It's too bad. As fans, we may have missed a classic.

[Cutman Scabbers]

It would have been a much more competitive fight. Douglas would not have gotten stopped.

[Clint Magnum]

Buster's ability that night gets slightly overlooked against what many say was a poor Tyson. Tyson had his problems for sure but the Douglas that turned up against Tyson would have given any HW in history trouble.
He came into the ring warmed up yet relaxed, totally focused and unintimidated. He had excellent balance and sharp, fast, stingingly accurate jabs. Lovely fast uppercuts, switch hitting, he was awesome that night.
I never ever saw that result coming & I never tire of watching that fight. It's one of the only Tyson fights where I am more interested in watching Tyson's opponent rather than Tyson.

[drunkenpiper36]

Different fight..Same outcome.

[HomicideHenry]

With Buster, it was all about his mind and his heart.

He was in tip top shape for Tucker, and he gave up the fight.

I imagine a similar occurence would of taken place with Holyfield.

[Tuan_Jim]

If Buster Douglas had stayed in shape he wouldn't be Buster Douglas. But ultimately he must have been one of the most naturally gifted big men we have ever seen. 6'4'' and yet so fluid, fast and athletic. Great jab, power, punch variety . . . everything. In shape and in the mood a man to be feared.

I think the real question here is: What if you could put Billy Douglas's brain inside Buster Douglas's head? A sort of Billy-James 'Frankenstein' Douglas fighter. That combination might be the most frightening, unbeatable heavyweight in history!

[p4p1]

Thought he looked amazing the night he beat Tyson, yeah I know all the Tyson excuses but it doesn't change the fact he was fast, sharp and powerful. I really do wonder if a motivated Tyson could of beat him that night that's how good I thought he looked. It must be said though that I have never seen such a change from one fight to the next though(From the Tyson fight to Holyfield fight.)

[Tuan_Jim]

p4p1

Have you ever read 'The Last Great Fight'? An account of Douglas/Tyson, Douglas' career, Billy Douglas, even contributions from Mike Tyson himself. It's a fascinating read. Essentially because of dad's fighting exploits, Buster grew up as a comfortable middle class kid. He was basically an easy going, happy-go-lucky nice guy who took up boxing for a lark. Boxing was never the be-all and end-all to him, it was just a job.

He got by for eight years mostly on his freakish natural gifts, beat Mike Tyson, became more famous than he ever wanted to be, and was rewarded with a 24mil payday vs Holyfield. His performance in that fight doesn't surprise me at all. While Tyson, Ruddock, Holyfield and Bowe were bashing each other around he was drinking champagne and gobbling shrimp on his yacht!

[p4p1]

p4p1

Have you ever read 'The Last Great Fight'? An account of Douglas/Tyson, Douglas' career, Billy Douglas, even contributions from Mike Tyson himself. It's a fascinating read. Essentially because of dad's fighting exploits, Buster grew up as a comfortable middle class kid. He was basically an easy going, happy-go-lucky nice guy who took up boxing for a lark. Boxing was never the be-all and end-all to him, it was just a job.

He got by for eight years mostly on his freakish natural gifts, beat Mike Tyson, became more famous than he ever wanted to be, and was rewarded with a 24mil payday vs Holyfield. His performance in that fight doesn't surprise me at all. While Tyson, Ruddock, Holyfield and Bowe were bashing each other around he was drinking champagne and gobbling shrimp on his yacht!

I have seen it but just never gotten around to buying it but it sounds like I will have to get it now. Sounds great, Douglas was a huge natural talent shame for boxing that it wasn't as you said his be all and end all, but on the other hand he has money and no brain damage so that's a win

[Roars Like Me]

This may seem odd so apologies in advance but his Mum died 3 week prior to the bout. So all perspective was in place for him. That must have been so hard to deal with and that far outweighed a fight with Tyson, a point he alluded to it post fight too.
There had to be a huge ammount of 'I don't care what happpens' filled with 'I ain't scared of anything right now including Mike'.
Whilst a horrible thing for Buster to deal with, it put him into a hard mindset.

[Cutman Scabbers]

If Buster Douglas had stayed in shape he wouldn't be Buster Douglas. But ultimately he must have been one of the most naturally gifted big men we have ever seen. 6'4'' and yet so fluid, fast and athletic. Great jab, power, punch variety . . . everything. In shape and in the mood a man to be feared.

I think the real question here is: What if you could put Billy Douglas's brain inside Buster Douglas's head? A sort of Billy-James 'Frankenstein' Douglas fighter. That combination might be the most frightening, unbeatable heavyweight in history!

[Heartbreak_Kid79]

Fair play to Buster... he caught Tyson on an off-night and did the unthinkable.
However Holyfield is a far superior boxer to even an 'in-shape' Buster

If Tyson had his head screwed on.... he'd beat Douglas in a say a 1991 rematch

[Othro]

He would've been able to sustain a longer beating from Holyfield

[gilgamesh]

The only difference in the Holyfield vs Douglas bout if Douglas would've been in the same shape he was in for the Tyson bout is Douglas may have lasted to the 6th or 7th round before being stopped instead of KO'd in 3.

If he had thrown the same uppercut from far away and missed by a mile the way he did though. Whether he was in shape or not, the result caused by that counterpunch that decked him would've probably been the same.