A “dark horse” is a contender about whom little is known but who unexpectedly wins the competition. In the world of boxing, James “Buster” Douglas is the poster boy of a dark horse.
The boxing champ
It was 1990 and this dark horse was set to fight Mike Tyson the undefeated and undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. He held the WBC, WBA, and IBF titles. Most considered this fight to be a warm-up bout for Tyson before meeting up with then-undefeated number 1 heavyweight contender Evander Holyfield. All Tyson had to do was take Douglas out early in the fight, collect his pay and then prepare for an even bigger paycheque with Holyfield.
This fight was so mismatched that Las Vegas found it difficult to put out any odds on it. In the last days leading up to the match, Douglas was listed as the underdog with 42:1 odds against him.
The boxing challenger
Mike Tyson was an animal in the ring. His typical bouts didn’t last long and usually ended in big knockouts. Buster Douglas on the other hand, was a sound boxer with a good track record of his own. What seemed to be lacking was zeal. He didn’t appear to have the heart of a champion. His fights brought more boredom than excitement to the spectators. He was a solid fighter with a traditional stance and swing, yet he just seemed to be lacking that one quality of heart that separated the great from the good.
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