Mike Tyson was considered a future Boxing Hall-of-Famer during his peak in the late 1980s. And now he is just that, having been voted in during his first year of eligibility ? and deservedly so, even though some skeptics question his credentials because of his spates of erratic behavior in and out of the ring. But what if Tyson had not been knocked out in the 10th round by Buster Douglas on Feb. 11, 1990, in boxing?s greatest upset to date? Would Tyson have ascended to greater heights in the all-time heavyweight rankings?
Before Douglas laid him out in the 10th, Tyson had floored his eventual conqueror in the eighth. Some observers thought the referee gave Douglas a long count. What if Douglas had failed to beat that count, and became yet another Tyson knockout victim? Would ?Iron Mike? have gone on to fulfill his potential to achieve true greatness?
Maybe ? just maybe ? Tyson would have recognized the trouble Douglas gave him as a wake-up call. Maybe ? just maybe ? Tyson would have worked to regain the mental and physical focus on his craft that had carried him to the championship.
Chances are, however, that Mike?s chaotic circumstances outside boxing and his shortcomings in strength of character would have dragged him down even if he had come from behind to defeat Douglas. Within a year, someone ? be it Riddick Bowe, Lennox Lewis or Evander Holyfield ? would have taken advantage of the weaknesses Buster exposed.
During the 21 years that have passed since the Great Upset, other pivotal ?What-if? moments have occurred. Here are four of them.
Nov. 20, 2010: What if Sergio Martinez had missed the punch that flattened Paul Williams in the second round of their second fight? The bout would have probably turned into a replay of their first encounter, in which both fighters tasted the canvas and Williams came away with a disputed decision. Martinez, who had momentum on his side, stood a good chance of winning the rematch via another close decision. That would have set up a rubber match. Maybe Martinez would have landed that punch then. If not, chances are it would have come down to another close decision, capping a trilogy similar to the one between Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera.
May 8, 2004: Suppose the referee had ended the first fight between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez after Marquez hit the deck three times in the first round? Well, if that had happened, there would be no third Pacquiao-Marquez bout coming up on Nov. 17. There would not have even been a second bout. Had the first fight been stopped in the first round, Marquez would not have had the chance to battle back and hold Manny to a draw. Pacquiao and Marquez would have gone on to accomplish pretty much what they have to date ? minus two additional meetings with each other.
Sept. 18, 1999: What if Oscar De La Hoya had opted to stand and fight during the last three rounds of his welterweight-title unification showdown with Felix Trinidad? De La Hoya was ahead on points going into the 10th round. He built his lead by boxing the heavy-handed Trinidad rather than taking a chance on trying to match his opponent?s power. In the final three rounds, perhaps believing that he was way ahead on the scorecards, Oscar switched his strategy from ?hit-and-don?t-get-hit? to ?don?t-get-hit-and-don?t-hit.? But that choice backfired, as the scorecards were closer than he thought. In the end, Trinidad won a majority decision: 115-113, 115-114 and 114-114. If De La Hoya had mustered some championship-rounds offense, he would have won the fight. But Oscar?s glory would have been short-lived. Shane Mosley was waiting in the wings, and Mosley always had De La Hoya?s number.
March 17, 1990: Suppose Referee Richard Steele had not stopped the first Julio Cesar Chavez-Meldrick Taylor fight with a mere two seconds left in the 12th and final round? Over the first 11 stanzas, two of the judges had Taylor well ahead by scores of 107-102 and 108-101. The third judge favored Chavez by 104-105. Chavez was coming on strong, and would surely have taken the 12th round. But Taylor would still have won by split decision. Steele endured a flood of criticism for snatching victory away from Taylor. But Meldrick was never the same after the damage Chavez inflicted, and winning the decision would not have changed that consequence. Taylor?s career would have still gone downhill, and Chavez would have continued his journey to greatness.
Boxing is filled with ?What-If? moments that make for fascinating speculation and interesting discussions. An intriguing ?What-If? scenario is coming up on July 2: What if Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye manage to stay healthy and actually meet in the ring?
Charles R. Saunders is the author of several books including Sweat and Soul: The Saga of Black Boxers in the Maritimes from the Halifax Forum to Caesars Palace, as well as the Imaro series of fantasy/adventure novels. Considered by many to be one of the leading authorities on boxing in Canada, he is the current Vice-President of Boxing for the Society of North American Sports Historians and Researchers. His latest novel, Damballa, which centers around a fictional heavyweight title bout, is available at www.gopulp.info.
