[Bored5000]

WRT to the Tyson-Douglas fight, I just finished reading Tyson's amazing autobiography. He obviously talks extensively about that fight in the book. He wrote that he was so into partying and his crazy private life at the time that he had no idea Douglas' mother died shortly before the fight or that Douglas was motivated for the fight.

Tyson's training team told him repeatedly in Japan that they saw Douglas out running in his combat boots and seemingly working like a dog every day to get in shape for the fight. But Tyson was dismissive of the stories because past history had shown that Douglas was a slob who would quit as soon as things got tough in the fight.

Tyson wrote that he was such an "arrogant prick" during his prime that if he had heard the story about Douglas' mom dying, Tyson probably would have said that Douglas was going to join her after the fight. Tyson also wrote that Douglas fought a hell of a fight, but Tyson knew it was a one-time occurence. As soon as Tyson saw how fat Douglas was for his title defense against Evander Holyfield, Tyson knew that Holyfield would knock out Douglas in short order.

Compared to some of the fighters Tyson extensively praises in the book, he doesn't seems have to have much respect for Douglas because Douglas got the one giant payday against Holyfield and couldn't be bothered to get into even semi-decent shape for that fight.