Way-back Playback: Buster Douglas shocks the world by knocking out Mike Tyson

The morning of Feb. 11, 1990, Mike Tyson was widely considered the best boxer in the world. 

By that night, the self-titled "Baddest Man on the Planet" wasn't looking so bad.

The undefeated and undisputed heavyweight champion, Tyson held the WBC, WBA, and IBF titles, sported a spotless 37-0 record with 33 knockouts, won each of his previous six fights by knockout, and was coming off a 93-second knockout victory over Carl Williams in his previous fight.

He was slated to fight 42-1 underdog James "Buster" Douglas in Tokyo. In gambling terms, 42-1 meant the likelihood of an upset was closer to a million to one.

Even the Tyson camp was looking past the fight. Promoter Don King held a press conference less than a month before the bout to announce a fight later that year with Evander Holyfield, which would have been the most lucrative fight in boxing history at the time.

The Douglas fight was viewed as no more than a speed bump on the road to a huge payday.

But Douglas wasn't fazed. He came out swinging, unaffected by the fear that had paralyzed Tyson's previous opponents. In the 10th round, Tyson's undefeated run came to an abrupt halt.

'I knew I could compete against him'

In advance of the 25th anniversary of his unforgettable knockout, Douglas spoke with The Ring Magazine, noting his strategy going into the fight.

"A lot of opponents were too defensive when they fought Tyson," Douglas said. "But I was well aware of his capabilities. I knew I could compete against him but I couldn't win on the retreat.

"You had to give Mike something to think about, so the idea was to get my punches off and not stand in front of him. That strategy was working from the opening bell and as the rounds passed I got more and more confident."

Douglas gave Tyson the worst beating in the ring he had seen at that time, landing dozens of square headshots in the early going. But each time Tyson advanced in search of an equalizer, he was met with a left jab from Douglas.

Did a long count save Douglas?

The champion landed a crushing blow in Round 8 that knocked Douglas to the mat, only for the challenger to be saved by the bell on what the Tyson camp called a long count from referee Octavio Mehran.

Douglas came back in the ninth and retook control of the fight, hurting Tyson badly. The champion stumbled to his corner at the conclusion of the round, his left eye swollen shut.

At 1:22 of Round 10, Douglas made boxing history.

"When I put Mike down with the combination I initially thought he was going to get up," Douglas said. "It's when he started to reach for his mouthpiece that I knew he would run out of time. That told me he was hurt and the referee counted him out.

"Words could never describe the feeling I had. It was a dream come true to become heavyweight champion of the world and carry those belts. It was just unbelievable."

Douglas wouldn't hold the championship long, falling to Holyfield in a mandatory title defense on Oct., 25, 1990, for which he earned a then-record $24 million. He retired six years later, only to mount a short comeback and retire a second and final time in 1999 with a record of 38-6-1.

His lasting impact on the sport is apparent. Even 25 years later, Douglas is remembered for stopping the infamous Mike Tyson for the very first time.