In a recent episode of the Boxing Arabia podcast, Mike Tyson dropped hints regarding his former promoter Don King. Tyson said that King manipulated bouts for and against him, with his defeat to Buster Douglas in 1990 serving as possibly the most severe example.
Tyson made a number of remarks about King on a recent episode of the Boxing Arabia podcast, which also featured John Fury (the father of current WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury).
The focal point of Tyson’s allegations revolved around the 1990 bout in Tokyo against Buster Douglas. Many believe that Douglas received a lenient 10-count, which significantly impacted the outcome of the match.
During the eighth round, Douglas was sent to the canvas with a powerful uppercut. But by the tenth round, the tables turned and Tyson suffered a knockout. This marked the first loss of his iconic career and the match was a monumental upset in boxing history.
Tyson clarified the subject by addressing the underworld activities of professional boxing.
He said: “Don King did that bulls**t; Don King set me up. I never said that before, but it made sense. The 42-1 (odds), I could win this, him and the referee talk that bullsh-t, because I don’t want to tell you what we did before.”
“I’m not going to mention no promoters; there were fights I had where the opponent didn’t know they’re fighting me and the referee. That’s just how it went: people are betting, the odds, they got ahold of the referee; they’re fighting me and the referee.”
“I don’t know, the guy don’t even know then I found out later what’s going on … and then they did it to me.”
Tyson’s claims carry a lot of significance. He has consistently maintained that he approached the bout with a lack of seriousness, even confessing to partying with singer Bobby Brown in Tokyo the night before the match.
Tyson candidly admits to evading training camp in his memoirs, and his team had to search for him in nightclubs. His behavior escalated upon arriving in Japan, showcasing a level of recklessness uncommon for such a high-stakes match.
Tyson’s preparation for the bout against Douglas was far from conventional. He stated, “I think I lost most of the weight from having sex with Japanese ladies. I don’t remember doing any running work for that fight, maybe once or twice. So I lost weight in other ways.”
It’s worth noting that in 1998, Tyson filed a monumental $100 million lawsuit against Don King. He ultimately reached a settlement that resulted in Tyson receiving $14 million.