“Get Him, Buster!”

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February 11, 1990

One of those nights I can recall in vivid detail and there was absolutely zero reason to expect that it would be a memorable night.

Mike Tyson, the heavyweight champion, was fighting another tomato can, Buster Douglas, in Japan.

There was no reason to even want to watch the fight. Tyson was going to take him out in the first round.

Guaranteed!

Now, the thing about it is that Tyson had taken the boxing world by storm.

We had paid good money to watch him knock out one guy after another. Michael Spinks was a great hope for all of us who wanted to see Tyson lose.

Iron Mike knocked him out in the first round.

Same thing happened, again and again.

Buster Douglas?

Never heard of him.

We were gathered at the big house on the hill.

We talked Mom into watching it.

Buster not only survived round one, he thrived, but not one of us believed that he would survive much longer.

Then the impossible happened;

Buster put Tyson on his ass!

That’s when everyone in the gathering exploded with glee. Could he actually do it?

Well, Mom was certainly into it.

“Go, Buster! Go!! Knock him out!!!”

The fight continued, and then 💥 BAM!

Tyson landed a punch that sent Buster sprawling to the canvas.

You could hear a pin drop. We were all so disappointed.

But Buster got up!

If I close my eyes, right now, I can see my Mom (who probably hasn’t watched 5 fights in her whole life) at the edge of her seat.

“Chop him down!” Mom cheered as Buster put a few punches together…

…and it actually happened!

Tyson sat on the floor of that ring and tried to find his mouthpiece.

We went crazy…

…and to this day, it’s the most amazing sporting event I’d ever seen.

Buster Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson.

The greatest upset in sports history.

“Go Buster! Get him, Buster!!” Mom wailed.

What a night.

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