Page "Buster Douglas" Paragraph 12

Tyson came out aggressively in the dramatic ninth round and continued his attempts to end the fight with one big punch hoping that Douglas was still hurt from the 8th round knockdown.

Both men traded punches before Douglas connected on a multi-punch combination that staggered Tyson back to the ropes.

With Tyson hurt along the ropes Douglas unleashed a vicious attack to try to finish off a dazed Tyson but, amazingly, Tyson withstood the punishment and barely survived the 9th round.

Douglas dominated the tenth round from the outset.

While setting Tyson up with his jab Douglas scored a huge uppercut, followed by a rapid combination, and knocked Tyson down for the first time in his career, making boxing history.

Tyson struggled to his knees and picked up his mouthpiece lying on the mat next to him.

He awkwardly attempted to place it back into his mouth.

The image of Tyson with the mouthpiece hanging crookedly from his lips would become an enduring image from the fight.

He was unable to beat the referee's count, and Douglas was the new heavyweight champion of the world.

As Buster Douglas said in an interview years later '“ I thought Tyson was getting up until I had seen him looking for that mouth piece and then I knew that he was really hurt.

So anytime you know you only got ten seconds to get up so you aren ’ t going to worry about anything but just getting up first.

So when I had seen him looking around for that mouth piece I knew he was really hurt .”.

By contrast, during Douglas's knockdown two rounds earlier, the fighter shows to be ready do continue early in the count ( he bangs his fist against the canvas in frustration at letting Tyson have landed the crucial counterpunch, showing no signs of being seriously hurt ).

Douglas, however, clearly waits for the referee to count to 8 before getting up.