Any hopes of Mike Tyson defending his heavyweight title against George Foreman went up in smoke after one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.
February 11, 1990, is a date forever etched into heavyweight folklore. Tyson travelled to Japan to face massive underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas at the Tokyo Dome, and what fans witnessed was one of the sport’s greatest shocks. An inspired Douglas toppled the fearsome ‘Iron’ Mike, stopping him in the 10th round to claim the undisputed heavyweight championship.
Had Tyson won, his next fight could well have come against the legendary George Foreman, who had crushed Joe Frazier to win the title in 1973. Foreman’s comeback — an unlikely quest to reclaim the sport’s biggest prize — was the stuff of Hollywood and a gift to sportswriters, but a meeting with Tyson carried real danger for both men.
Despite the 17-year age gap, Foreman’s wrecking-ball power remained a threat, as did Tyson’s unmatched explosiveness and ferocity. One man who knew the younger Tyson better than most was Teddy Atlas, part of Cus D’Amato’s team during the fighter’s formative years.
Atlas was asked who would have prevailed had the pair faced one another, and the famed analyst and now podcast host gave a clear verdict:
“Foreman’s style was wrong for Tyson. Tyson would have came in trying to slip and bob and I think it would have been a replay of the fight with Foreman and Frazier. We already know what happened in that.”
‘Big’ George stopped Frazier not once but twice in similar fashion, his brutal punching power overwhelming the smaller Philadelphian on both occasions.