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why was tyson- douglas in tokyo?

Posted: 08 Jul 2012, 14:31
by 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 :TU:

Re: why was tyson- douglas in tokyo?

Posted: 08 Jul 2012, 14:34
by Cutman Scabbers
$$$

Height of the bubble economy in Japan.

Re: why was tyson- douglas in tokyo?

Posted: 08 Jul 2012, 14:40
by Adamj1987
Cutman Scabbers wrote:$$$

Height of the bubble economy in Japan.
:TU:

thought it would be money but i didnt know why

Re: why was tyson- douglas in tokyo?

Posted: 08 Jul 2012, 14:49
by 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 $$$.

Re: why was tyson- douglas in tokyo?

Posted: 08 Jul 2012, 14:54
by Adamj1987
yancey wrote: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

Re: why was tyson- douglas in tokyo?

Posted: 08 Jul 2012, 17:43
by 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.

Re: why was tyson- douglas in tokyo?

Posted: 08 Jul 2012, 17:58
by yancey
Maybe it was the Geisha girls.

Re: why was tyson- douglas in tokyo?

Posted: 08 Jul 2012, 19:05
by dempseyfire
Cutman Scabbers wrote:$$$

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!! :OhYes:

Re: why was tyson- douglas in tokyo?

Posted: 08 Jul 2012, 19:17
by Goodnight, Irene
"McFry!!!!"

:DD

Re: why was tyson- douglas in tokyo?

Posted: 08 Jul 2012, 19:28
by 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

Re: why was tyson- douglas in tokyo?

Posted: 08 Jul 2012, 19:53
by Controversial
Tyson fought in the same arena in Tokyo two years before he fought Douglas, against Tony Tubbs.

Re: why was tyson- douglas in tokyo?

Posted: 08 Jul 2012, 20:15
by Goodnight, Irene
Controversial wrote:Tyson fought in the same arena in Tokyo two years before he fought Douglas, against Tony Tubbs.
And it was a hit.

Re: why was tyson- douglas in tokyo?

Posted: 08 Jul 2012, 20:15
by Goodnight, Irene
Pitiful surrender on Tubbs' part, BTW.

Re: why was tyson- douglas in tokyo?

Posted: 08 Jul 2012, 21:10
by mrbassie
Because you just damn well can't get good sushi in Vegas. There I said it. Feel better now.

Re: why was tyson- douglas in tokyo?

Posted: 08 Jul 2012, 21:15
by Cutman Scabbers
dempseyfire wrote:
Cutman Scabbers wrote:$$$

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!! :OhYes:

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

Re: why was tyson- douglas in tokyo?

Posted: 09 Jul 2012, 09:24
by Diamond WEAPON
Goodnight, Irene wrote:
Controversial wrote: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

Re: why was tyson- douglas in tokyo?

Posted: 09 Jul 2012, 09:30
by Goodnight, Irene
Youd think a name like, "Tubbs," would motivate a man to keep in shape.

Look at Kevin Bacon. He knows the stakes.

Re: why was tyson- douglas in tokyo?

Posted: 09 Jul 2012, 09:44
by Bricks
Adamj1987 wrote: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 :TU:
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.

Re: why was tyson- douglas in tokyo?

Posted: 09 Jul 2012, 16:58
by flatnoseflynn
Goodnight, Irene wrote:Pitiful surrender on Tubbs' part, BTW.

Totally outclassed you mean.

Re: why was tyson- douglas in tokyo?

Posted: 09 Jul 2012, 18:36
by Goodnight, Irene
:lol:

Let us know when you've watched it.

Re: why was tyson- douglas in tokyo?

Posted: 09 Jul 2012, 18:46
by dempseyfire
Goodnight, Irene wrote::lol:

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.

Re: why was tyson- douglas in tokyo?

Posted: 09 Jul 2012, 19:44
by Goodnight, Irene

Re: why was tyson- douglas in tokyo?

Posted: 10 Jul 2012, 03:53
by Goodnight, Irene
dempseyfire wrote:
Goodnight, Irene wrote::lol:

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.

Re: why was tyson- douglas in tokyo?

Posted: 10 Jul 2012, 07:38
by Bricks
bollox wrote: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

Re: why was tyson- douglas in tokyo?

Posted: 10 Jul 2012, 07:45
by 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)