1988-03-21 Mike Tyson - Tony Tubbs

in the middle of this vast city sits a five day old sixty-five thousand seat domed stadium which the Japanese refer to as the big egg and now we are live in Korakuen Stadium in Tokyo Japan as HBO Sports presents world championship boxing undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson defends his ground against former champion Tony Tubbs about scheduled for 12 rounds his first major international event in this new stadium follows in a series of appearances which have and will be made here by Western superstar both Madonna and Michael Jackson recently began world tours in Tokyo Mick Jagger will be in here tomorrow night today and we should point out that it is noon Monday here the Japanese spotlight falls on the heavyweight boxing champion of the world hello I'm Jim Laughlin I will be commenting on this boxing match along with HBO's - boxing experts Ray Leonard and Larry Merchant Ray let's talk first about the growing stardom and celebrity of Mike Tyson how do you see it affecting him at age 21 well Jim I think it depends on the personalities I mean I enjoy the as relations and that glaze for the pair of supporters whoever's eating my bison there's a guy that definitely we care for the attention it won't get him because he's a young man birdeater me young man was able to shut the world out I think goes when he fights he's always on a mission indeed he told a press conference and us here a few days ago that wherever he fights is his home he is here literally to do a job and Larry Merchant precisely how difficult is Tony Tubbs likely to make that job for him I'd like to say that he has a slim chance of winning but that would be anatomically inaccurate it's a fat chance something that he might win but let's keep in mind that Dean japanese promoter so addicted him as the opponent because think about all the contenders out there that he had the best chance to extend the fight with the champion and they don't want to be embarrassed they were 15 years ago when George Foreman ended it in two minutes Tony Tubbs indeed does have boxing skill Thank You problem is that he at age thirty his attitude as much like it was at age 13 when he was wandering around his neighborhood and look Cincinnati with gloves slung over his shoulder challenging guys to fight of goodbye was $10 they look at this pudgy kid you say sure and then he whipped their butt but I don't think that that will work against Mike Tyson probably work would be at Tubbs could manage to be very busy during the fight but this has already been a very busy period of time for Mike Tyson who got married on February 7th and then very shortly after that the part of the United States and came here to Tokyo to fulfill a promise he made that the Japanese people back in 1986 do you feel like you when I become the heavyweight champ I would love to come to Japan and defend my title now I look forward very much to being and meeting all the great people in Japan bye and two years later the journey has begun not since George Foreman KO Joe Roman in 1973 as a world heavyweight championship fight taking place in Tokyo within two hours of the champions arrival here paisa mania was in full crop so I really would like thank you gracious please and invite me to your country and I look forward to give you a good show immediately the realization that the experiences of this fight would be like none other before in the days that followed millions of Japanese seemed totally mesmerized by the American chant It was as if Godzilla the movie monster of the 1950's had returned to Tokyo No okay heavy kill champion Mike Tyson oh I need to me coming out yourself like myself oh sorry here the heavyweight champions every move has been watched and followed even at four o'clock in the morning photographers waited for the chase for one more picture opportunity it's scary I don't I don't I don't I don't mind being the champ of the world and getting the attention and getting the miracle but you know this is a whole different dimensions once you leave your country and your biggest or another country then you are in your own country and that's kind of frightening to me it is I mean because I never I didn't never wanted to be a super superstar it's fun to be a champion in the world in the beginning most Japanese knew little about Mike Tyson but as each day passed here he became exactly the center of attention he claimed he didn't want to be mihari secretary DiMaggio Azusa got a mag Tyson succeed at Renison giant he is a symbol of the United States Nicky DeVito conspiracy Mike Tyson thought it's da deepest imitating interchange young fella Tony goguma second a cadet even to eat on Hokkaido even the children found a way to get into the action so on the first day tickets went on sale 80% of them were sold so lowest a showing me whether an autograph a photograph or just a brief touch everyone wanted a piece of the champion destroyer from the West I don't do dead I feel like I left Earth to went to another planet I never experienced anything like that before in my life around a bunch of people you founded around me I'm so excited to just be around me it was experience I don't know how to experience again I feel anyone shouldn't over the world champion in it and in my mind before I would travel to another country to the fight in a world championship contest I thought yeah we should know the champion of the world oh god man I took second thought that I've never been like this and this was just the beginning the new brides arrival only added more fuel to what was already the hottest story in town but the biggest story was the day Mike Tyson met one of Japan's greatest sumo wrestlers konishiki outweighed by 300 pounds Tyson was hardly the heavyweight in this ring nor could he imagine how he might become heavier from the sumos customary meal this Haghighi big oh dude I eat stuff like this training ain't thing like this my mama died yeah in a matter of days mike tyson captured the hearts of millions as celebrity to some as temporary inspiration to others his journey had just begun and every champions reigned some part in his particular career he goes through that stage is when all all the tension in the world is focused on him and I think this is my time here on this national holiday vernal equinox day in Tokyo a large crowd is still arriving they have paid up to $800 tops to see this world heavyweight championship fight between Mike Tyson and challenger Tony Tubbs and we're bringing it to you live on HBO Sports now standing by with the newest and most special member of this heavyweight champions relatively small entourage is Larry Merchant I'm with Robin Givens who was attending her place Mike Tyson fight as mrs. champion Robin inquiring minds want to know how does a woman who went to Sarah Lawrence and Harvard Medical School wind up falling in love with a guy who's a graduate of the school of hard knocks god I want to know - there's something we have a lot in common a tradition traditional families and and we just sort of love each other was sort of love at first sight it was hardly beginning but we got through it and we ended up married soon well the conventional wisdom in boxing would be that marriage on some house soften up the champion and make him vulnerable for a challenge you're hearing a lot about that I'm getting blamed for everything I thought Michael was talking the other day and he was saying a middle-class person couldn't be a fighter a person a fighter has to have no struggle you know enabled him to learn the art of boxing Michael knows the art of boxing hopefully I'll give him some sort of peace of mind and that will enable him to protect me as are you know and I love him to death thank you so much Robin and the oddsmakers say you will enjoy the fight just one historical social note heavyweight champions Jack Judson Jack Dempsey Muhammad Ali Joe Lewis all married early and often never heard joke their careers in G now let's roll out the Challenger the man who wants to end this honeymoon he does have more ice cream than fire in his belly but he also really has the stomach for fighting in America a well conditioned body is one of the most eagerly sought aesthetic ideals of the 1980s everywhere we look we are reminded of it experts tell us how to lose weight how to tone up how to exercise what to eat most of us suspect we're only a book away from looking marvelous sports television channels jump on the exercise bandwagon with numerous aerobics program still there are a few who contend that bigger is still better what would Christmas be without a roly-poly Santa Claus even in sports there are exceptions like the sumo wrestlers of Japan who haven't missed a meal in years and that kid from the Windy City the American sumo what's his name again but in professional boxing it's generally seen as a fighter's responsibility to enter the ring in the best shape possible not being in shape has been a criticism that has haunted one Tony ing tub throughout his career back in 1985 Cubs won the WBA heavyweight title with a decision over Greg page but for reasons which remain obscure Tubbs neglected to take advantage of his golden opportunity gaining 15 pounds while supposedly training for his first title defense against him Witherspoon Tubbs playing the wait game was the product of injuries and problems whose promoter Don King regardless of its origin when tough stepped into the ring that evening many believe he cheated boxing fans and cheated himself as well basically another really been in top condition for any fight 2:44 was overweight but that occurred with injuries my problem now is that I don't want to come in the ring because people want me to come in the ring at 2:20 you know 215 I got to come in the ring because I feel good about my weight and I feel good the one at 28 30 I'm strong and I'm fast Mike Tyson got to deal with that Tony Subs concentrates more on his training now he wants to avoid the mistake of again failing to realize just how much is at stake in this business if fighters aren't motivated to get into shape by pride the rest of us would like to believe they should be motivated by the chance to make millions seven years ago when Tubbs turned professional he weighed in at 212 pounds but by his 15th fight he was already up to 224 and four fights later he tipped the scales at 239 one more win four more pounds then for his next two fights he got himself into the best shape of his career against Bonecrusher Smith he weighed in at 228 and then against page 229 which he considers his best fighting weight then lightening struck again when he defended his title he ballooned to 244 and lost the championship belt but Tubbs received a second chance when Witherspoon was ruled to have run afoul of a drug test and a rematch was ordered controversy followed again when Tubbs less than a week in advance of the fight requested it be postponed due to a shoulder problem the injury was confirmed by independent examination those skepticism linger now Tony Tubbs is back in training with a new purpose even before this bout with the gym began he was working on shedding weight with the help of former bodybuilding champ for it no and most recently he's been given even more incentive by the alleged $50,000 bonus to come in under 235 pounds I know physically I'm in shape 230 is my week to 29 to 20 is a plus but I'll be 230 and hard physically you'll be seeing the new Tony tugs when I step in the ring did everyone see wow look at that cat you know anything about it once I start putting the moves down on Mike Tyson I won't change you know what this fight might not be hard as y'all think it's gonna be because Mike Tyson is is is is only good for what he can hit for Tony Tubbs a chance for redemption is near but there are new stakes it details to enter the ring with his mind and body 100% prepared for Mike Tyson this time it could be hazardous to his health I know right now I am one of the best head voices in the world I can box better than iam and I ain't taking no back seats to nunim I'm I'm taking a back seat to Mike Tyson watch we watched were so gallantly streaming and the Rockets red glare the bombs bursting in there her gave proof through the night that our flag was still there oh say does that star-spangled banner yet wave for the land of the free and the home of the brave and that as almost all of you surely know was the famous welterweight Andy Williams despite what Tony Tubbs told us about coming in at a hard 2:30 yesterday he made a liar of himself at the weigh-ins at a rather blubbery 2:38 not what the Japanese had in mind Larry and when they agreed the tubs as the first opponent for what is being called the Tyson World Tour that's right and here's a man who has really begun it in modern times a Muhammad Ali this event is a reminder that one of his many achievements was truly making the heavyweight championship a World Championship between Jack Johnson and Ali no American world heavyweight champion fought for the title overseas so now Tyson begins the world tour in Tokyo and in moments we expect the Challenger Tony Tubbs will exit his dressing room and begin to make his way toward the ring he weighed 228 and 229 in his title fights against Paige and Witherspoon 238 and 1/4 yesterday very quickly now Ray Leonard's inside tips on what each fighter must do to win the fight it's no big secret Jim that Tony tells would definitely have the jab and move in order to keep Tyson off-balance I think weight becomes a factor here because it's somewhat stabilizes him because the SS weight he becomes a stationary target he meant to me yesterday that he's willing to exchange punches which could be a big mistake hands be exceptionally quick hands for a heavyweight and I think that could frustrate Mike Tyson if he should do that but he has a tendency to become stationary and doing so we talk of problems here Mike Tyson notorious body puncher works his bone his body slows him down and he started use his jab lock board which gets him inside and he's able to deliver punches he has mistake that he needs to correct and that's lunging it with punches because what happens Jim a lot of times the guys able to count in shots but Mike Tyson hurt you no question about it he's in there to finish you off one man he would like to finish off today who toning top of the channel there is Tony table standing behind his trainer Odell Hadley Hadley is the man to the left of your screen tubbses management situation and his training situation has changed constantly from year to year and in recent months and Ray Leonard we must ask what should we think of a man who does not have the responsibility to himself or to fight fans to enter the ring for a heavyweight championship fight in the best possible condition when is use underweight it is Mike Tyson doesn't make sense to me he attained the best shape possible to compete or contend with Mike Tyson for some reason I don't understand helps conditioning but the other side of it is that if Tony Tubbs came into the ring in shaping he'd be some other fighter he wouldn't be Tony Tubbs he'd probably be a nervous wreck trying to get down to wait that's just not who he is as we look at the tale of the tape you will see that Tubbs ways to thirty eight and a quarter and enjoys the reach and height advantages over Tyson that virtually every heavyweight whoever faces Mike Tyson will enjoy Tyson weighed in at a relatively trim 2:16 and the quarter is always almost always ray in immaculate condition and once again here that appears to be the case you can expect the first round there is no such thing as till now process to Mike Tyson he tough right on his opponents and try to take their heart we have to see what not that's going to happen today and millions of boxing fans watching around the world welcome to the fabulous stay you know and here is our punch stat profile of fighters how many punches they throw they throw roughly the same amount of punches the differences that tyson throws many more hard punches and lives a very high percentage of them and the jabs you see that mike tyson does throw a decent amount of jabs tubs can throw a lot of jabs although he has told us that you cannot hold Mike Tyson off with a jab don't look for too many of them in this fight he says rules have been worked out between the WBA and the WBC for technical reasons which will explain in a moment the IBF is not involved in rules discussion here the three knockdown rule has been waived for this fight scoring will be done by three judges on the 10-point must system a fighter can be Saved by the Bell in the last round only and now Tony Tubbs who now lives in Santa Monica California was raised in Cincinnati Ohio begins to enter the ring recently turned 30 years old Tubbs has won 25 of 26 fights in an eight-year professional career the only loss the title loss decision against him Witherspoon when he weighed 244 pounds he has twice been as far as 15 rounds anyways 2:38 and the quarter today after claiming to us two days ago that he would step on the scales in 232 Zeke well he's talked to talk and now it's time to walk to the law the rise key incidentally he's getting about one-tenth of the purse of Mike Tyson is getting nine million dollars about a half million dollars will go tubs after all of his expenses I figure out that that's about a hundred thousand quarts of ice cream or a shrimp salad in Japan don't eat TNT tubs one time WBA heavyweight champion of the world and now a challenger and the first challenger for Mike Tyson on what is being billed as the Tyson world the syndrome evolving here in Japan which described by a new term in the Japanese language it is called guy poly it refers to foreign celebrities who are brought here by the overwhelming economic power of the yen currency as opposed to other world currencies now joining Madonna Michael Jackson and Mick Jagger as guide hottie is Mike Tyson and the interesting thing here is we were led to believe that the Japanese fans would view this war as a show but and that they don't they sit on their hands a lot but they are truly excited as people led us to believe they were underneath their impassive masks of course if you have seen Tyson before you are aware of what is called the gladiator look no robe no towels no socks just the black trunks the boots and the 10-ounce Everlast glove Mike Tyson is 21 and a half years old unbeaten in 33 fights with 29 knockouts he went 12 rounds to a decision twice this is his sixth title defense as heavyweight champ the third defense as holder of the championship in the eyes of all three governing bodies because of a conflict between local promoters and the International Boxing Federation only the WBA and WBC title belts are being billed in Japan in connection with the fight but in reality and in the eyes of boxing fans it is the unified title which is at stake and right now let's go up to our ring announcer Michael buffer whom the Japanese promoters have blown over from Philadelphia in the United States Michael buffer will deliver the pre-fight introductions right okay are you I need your hands come on we got a character in my holiday attack sharp oh no CIO Makaha VQ title Moscone discourses the Japanese ring announcer who is clang of the providing initial in a row before Japanese fans here as to the principles in the ring and now Michael buffer takes over the mic and now ladies and gentlemen clichy wah good afternoon this championship belt is a presentation of taking bucks and promotions president Akiko Honda it is sanctioned by the Japan boxing commission commissioner Mikoto Hasakah and the World Boxing Council President Jose Sulaiman the World Boxing Association is represented by a championship committee chairman dr. Elias Eman Cordova jr. the ringside supervisor is gabrielle Pena got a panel he's the WBC general counsel the three judges are Larry Rosa do of the United States masa cut so you cheetah of Japan and Ken Morita of Japan and working for the 78th time in a world title belt is the referee Arthur Mercante II of the United States and now ladies and gentlemen to all the millions and millions of boxing fans watching around the world welcome to the Tokyo Dome right here and one of the greatest cities in the world Tokyo Japan rendering at this time a man known as one of the premier promoters in the world of boxing mr. Don King and now ladies and gentlemen let's get ready to rumble 12 rounds for the heavyweight championship of the world introducing first fighting out of the blue corner he's wearing his boxing trunks and weighing 238 and one-quarter pounds with a professional record of 24 victories 15 by knockout and only one defeat from Cincinnati Ohio he is the second ranked heavyweight in the world and a former heavyweight champion ladies and gentlemen the Challenger Pony TNT and fighting out of the red corner wearing the solid black trunks and weighing 216 in 1/4 pounds from Catskill New York which is the hometown of the late great trainer of champions cus D'Amato he brings a professional record of 33 victories without a loss 29 Kos including 25 palos and five rounds or less and 15 in the first round alone ladies and gentlemen presenting the undisputed the undefeated heavyweight champion of the world hi son Mike and Tony you both received instructions early in the day and therefore you know the rules I wish you both enough at all what luck now return to your corners to await the starting Bell good luck that's Arthur McConkey doing his sixth heavyweight championship fight his 78th world championship fight Tubb says he knows how to fight the champion everyone says it it's a little bit more difficult to pull it off let's see if he really wants to rumble as he says he does I see Mike Tyson are the belly the business section of Tony tough so look for them to jump right on in the first round Canty says they're all set and there's the bell for round one cub throws the jab and Tyson responds in time a lot of fighters find it difficult to set Mike Tyson up because Mike now gives a lot of hair kuba I think Rick's great one of the big questions has been whether Tubbs would clinch and grab and simply try to survive with Tyson as did Bonecrusher Smith and Mitch Greene but now it does not look that way what Tufts say that he would just exchange punches with Tyson because the best way he thought the beat him was be inside throws short punches nominations and here he select to do that I don't necessarily agree with that Jim because what happened Tyson with the shorter arms and upper body strength is able to do a great deal of damage to the midsection of his opponent watch for the left hook about Mike Tyson comes trying to go downstairs to Tyson's body you see this left jab of my gosh I started using more consistently now he found he found out that it gets a man into punching range he can begin to see the startling hand quickness the tub bring startling partially because of the shape of his body well here with Tubbs yep also knows the uppercut of Mike Tyson he's able to throw it through safe once twice and I don't nice and missed with the left hook earlier he had landed a wicked right through the killer kidney shot look for a loop and right hand by Mike Tyson because that's a punch I see that Tubbs Fargo - he keeps dropping that left hand one minute to go in round one Tubbs landed a left and ducked away effective what Tubbs needs to be doing now he's thrown two or three Jade they kind of break the rim of Mike this does happen Tyson start to set up you need to break that with with a jab Cubs throwing the uppercut a lot of people think he will have to be affected with that punch because Tyson comes in constantly but Tyson also runs it with overhand right there yeah that's one of us three point seven ten seconds to go in round one one punch after the Bell I thought tubs for a very effective round I gave him the round he landed some hooks and he went to the body as promised remember he told us but nobody has gone to Mike Tyson's body so far yeah voice is that of trainer Kevin ruining mine here mom you guys makes me more handsome I make a move love the talking in tubs this corner was done by trainer Odell Hadley so now Hadley and Rooney have had their minute and round two begins tells keep that right hand up because of the left hook of Mike Tyson but also you notice that you see how much more relaxed tight hugs so now his punches at me walk through it look at Tyson with the rapid-fire three jabs in a row something new within the past year with Tyson to start to approve each time he steps to the ring but what I see here at Tufts Tufts is pretty much trying to get range so he could drop his right hand because in this corner they totally have to drop the right hand the left hook lands but these come back with the right hand there's the right man Jim I spoke earlier I must give Tyson angles you can't remain stationary and let's stay up and stay out of the corners but indeed Tony acknowledged in talking with us ray and you couldn't finesse Tyson completely you have to be willing as he said to fight it for you so that that W work it was a sort of a bolo type punch and those are type of punch to do a great deal of damage because the body shots in the upper back raise the chin up and then the left hook comes good uppercut by Tom's inside snap Tyson bacala I'll just be very careful you know once you put both feet together and then cease to be knocked down knocked off balance yeah he's trying to use his additional way Oh Oh coming up on a minute to go in round two Tony Tubbs so far appears in no way intimidated by Tyson Fury as have so many of them good enough to football combination fight toughs you know tubs just trying to gain respect I think he's one of the top six boots Malcolm oh good left by Dyson and I don't think it's a good idea to change punches with Tyson body shot petite nominations then 30 seconds left is around both fighters have had their say here I could tell another butchart Tubbs is hurt Tubbs he's hurt badly was a left hook and it's over Odell Hadley has jumped in the ring the fight is over with puddings the fans enjoy and so they appreciation here remarkable the tide of this fight changed within 15 or 20 seconds well that's that's what a great puncher can do the boxer is thinking all the time and the puncher is punching all the time another thing I could say now is hopeful that if you thought that whale hunting was outlawed in Japan we just saw that Mike Tyson hadn't heard about it and Ray Leonard let's take a look back at the left hands which did the damage where Tyson now starting to find his rank that left hook there pretty much did spoke for itself is self-explanatory because it was a short and powerful left hook that put toilet tubs down here Mike steel Shawn he's a good finisher in collages and rubs had already been reeling a bit before that point as the result of a short ride against the ropes what it was happening actually was that I suppose we're down tubs because Tom's tried to stay inside and fight Mike Tyson fight which I thought was mistake maybe he went down he stopped right once again that showed up too and for those who say Mike is not really one punch knockout or I think they need to look at films again Mike has enormous strength and great upper-body power early now and around to that was the punch against the ropes that really started things off I said a ride it was in fact the left right on the forehead but you can appreciate the power of Mike Tyson because that punch him on the triple and it wasn't really a six inch punch it was shorter than that so Tony Tubbs becomes the latest in the string of victims Tyson's 30th knockout in 34 times in the ring Padma cotton and the Japanese who were so disappointed 15 years ago by George Foreman's one round knockout of Joe Roman got about two and a half minutes more this time but Jimmy all says who a commits the corner of Tytos because they was in there for the welfare of his safety because they saw the power of Mike Tyson they saw that it man was hurt and was indeed down interestingly ray one of the things that Tubbs had seemed to demonstrate throughout his 26 fight career up to that point was a pretty good chin well he has a very good herbal champ but again that's Mike Tyson there and right now let's go up to ring announcer Michael buffer for the official statistics on this one ladies and gentlemen here is the official time two minutes 54 seconds of the second round the winner by knockout victory now 34 consecutive victories still the undefeated undisputed heavyweight champion of the world old iron boy Oh Ray Leonard Tony Tubbs himself as it turns out said it best in a press conference a few days ago when in sarcasm he said to the audience I'm the tune up the big fight is in June as it turns out he was exactly right he was the tune up the big fight is in June what did Michael Spinks see today that he will have to worry about On June 27 well I'm sure that Michael Spinks saw the power of Mike Tyson and that Mike Tyson and he gave better or better more patient or more destructive businesses and right now that young man is with Larry Merchant so let's go straight up to the ring all right Mike Tyson it seemed that Tony Tubbs went right at you and tested you and you're a little bit too strong from him but he was effective until you heard him well he was affected because I planned and I well looking for the opening I planned for him to run and then when I thought he he came such a easy target the hit I was just planning and planning and he hadn't hands up very high I was surprised I had hands up so high and so I started hitting to the body and bringing it up in the middle and then slowly put his hand I saw the iron I ain't grateful died he said that nobody had ever gone to your body before and he wanted to try you there he did hit you a few blows there did he hurt you at all distract you even not at all my mission is to go and destroy and not to let anything get involved you get punch you get hurt I refused to be hurt knock down a knockout I can't lose I refuse to lose what will your response to the audience here which is kind of quiet compared to the crowds in America didn't hear anything or not ago not at all I know there were people scratching me I was coming through but I had such an intense tunnel vision I just like my objective is just to get in I get my hands on my opponent when he didn't come out moving and jabbing and doing those kind of things what was your first thought about well I thought well this is going to be a complicated fight it's gonna be a fight and came to fight you know and I was I for the last moment I prepared for me just come out swinging because Kevin said he's gonna come out and try to rough you did he at all try to rough you up absolutely I felt I felt the tip of his glove around my I don't know that was the thumb but and fighting you're in a hurt business you can't complain and he was there to complain is it just a question do you feel that no matter what anybody's plan is that your power will negate any plan plan better I plan to be just the objective the wind we don't fight by book technical technology anything we come to fight the authentic way when you see a man come out and he's obviously that out of shape and heavy does that load you with anyway in the first round not at all not at all that was his prerogative to come out the way he did my job is to finish him off you see someone if he would have went ten rounds six round seven round then someone could say something critical towards my performance but he came out he came and he was at he came up a tough performance he didn't come like a guy that just came to pick up a payday he got hit with a solid shot and looked like it was above guy but I tried hitting exactly in the eye and he took a great shot and he went down but if he were the last six or seven rounds and he was out of shape then you could criticize me but he came to fight and if anybody could criticize they was out of shape I did was supposed to have been done to a person that was out of shape I got rid of them quick this is your first fight as a newlywed were you thinking about that at all did you want to put on a special performance in any way not at all because I'm in a ring I'm objective con vision and it's just this is my world in here I have to ask you one last question Mike in an article in Sports Illustrated that's on the stands now back in the States it was said that sometimes after a fight because you have so much adulation now and everybody is around you you feel you have to go back put a mask on beg for quarters go back to your old neighborhood is that true I don't do that I said me my friend didn't want do it once and all for a joke because he makes a joke you know you always fake people always say my times you have a lot of money you do this one day my friend were let's go we put a magnet baggy clothing bunny coat and was on the street begging for money get that the personal joke for myself so we won't have to throw any charity for you no not at all thank you very much Mike Tyson and now back to ringside with Jim all right like thank you very much one brief personal note you saw behind Mike shoulder there his co manager bill Cayton for the first time since Mike's been fighting as a professional the other co manager Jim Jacobs has not been able to make this trip he's back in a hospital room in New York recovering from an illness and we would all like to offer our personal best wishes to Jim and wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him in Atlantic City on June 27 ray we heard the essence of Mike Tyson's ring intelligence there this is a fight you make no excuses you come to destroy your opponent right now we'll look back at round two and you tell us exactly how he did it was no question about it Jim the Mike Tyson is always on a mission when he's in the ring and I think it's tough achill you difficult rather for fighters to deal with him because he doesn't have a feeling out process in other words he doesn't see what not he can land a jab right hand he goes right at you and he goes in it for the kill we're going to take a look back now at the entire second round ray from the handheld camera angle which will give you a feel of what it looked like to us from ringside remember that Larry Merchant himself commented the thoughts of squad a very effective first round and in fact scored the first round for tub I thought it was pretty close to even but certainly I thought tubs had given an impressive account of himself in round one the first round that's the way you fight Mike Tyson or compete with Mike Tyson brother because you have to give him a goes jab you see the jab how effective it is movement never stationary talking because what happens here it becomes stationary Mike Tyson workship body he sprays your hands down and he goes to the kill I thought the first round was a pretty good round for tough although I would prefer to see a lot more movement I'm not that's just wrong do you think that fatigue was becoming a factor this early in the fight for Tony that's rather premature to say because normally body shots wear you down the later rounds but then they're always an exception to the rule because Mike Tyson fight attack is so devastating here he's going right to the midsection and I'm sure Tubbs felt those shots Tubbs again made the mistake of trying to exchange punch pick one from Mike Tyson and in doing so he took away what got to the championship Wester jab the movement and his boxes down there you saw Tubbs doing as he claimed he would try to do delivering body shots to Tyson I want you to understand Jim inside Mike Tyson has the greater upper body strength and he has a shorter punches he throws more combinations inside and they're short because it has a very fast to fly anyway it was a good short left inside by Tubbs but you also see the power of my test because always after Tubbs deliver his combination Tyson retaliates and indeed that's the problem of bringing the strategy that Tony said he would bring you've got to fight with Mike Tyson McCann's to do his thing look at the short shots to fight pitches apart with hooks short left hook to the head right hooks to the eighth and then he delivers that crunch and body shots not a lot of movement from tough although times now is trying to get some respect from Mike Tyson I love that combination there with the same parts a man the right to the body an uppercut right uppercut here I see that Tufts is wobbly he's ready to go here so he tubs winds up as a bug a fat bug on the windshield of Mike Tyson's career and indeed Larry as time goes on we are likely to have opportunity after opportunity to continue to place Tyson in historical perspective and into proper perspective in the modern boxing scene your thoughts on what you saw him do with Tony Tubbs today well I think it just basically it confirms the fact that while he may not yet be classified as a great heavyweight champion that he's certainly the most precocious young heavyweight that there ever was in boxing he's still younger than any other person has ever become the heavyweight champion and yet he's not yet at 22 years old I imagine he's going to be awfully good for the balance of payments in America as he excuse me travels around the world because people around the world do want to see this American phenomenon and of course all of that Larry presumes that he can get by Michael Spinks on June 27 did you see anything here which alters your perspective on the Spinks belt well the only things I've seen here that would affect the Spinks fight would be that Michael Spinks knows if he have ever had any idea of staying in sight with this guy that he's got to just stay away from him and hope to frustrate him and make him a little wild and crazy and tentative and then jump in as he has wont to do I have great respect for Michael Spinks as a fighter but against somebody who is as young and strong and especially as fast with his hands with his feet and even with his mind he adjusts with his mind not many twenty-one-year-old fighters can do that I don't see any any hope for Michael Spinks or anybody else out there that we know of at at this point that's a pretty strong statement - Larry has just said that he sees no hope for Michael Spinks who is an undefeated fighter who once held a legitimate heavyweight championship of the world in the eyes of one of the three governing bodies who is still seen by some as a people's champion because he twice defeated Larry Holmes where do you stand on the Spinks versus Tyson question at this moment right well I think that Michael Spinks will have to be innovative in order to defeat Mike Tyson naturally watching his performance tonight reassures him that is not a good idea to stand inside with Mike Tyson Michael Spinks is Dallas who on top dogs and his movement we're pretty much helped him out a great deal because if he selects to stay inside Jim he's asked for problems because Michael Spinks is indeed a very intelligent boxer all right just to sum up and with thanks to Ray and Larry what you have seen today was 21 and a half year old heavyweight champion Mike Tyson earning about nine or ten million dollars for just under six minutes worth of work in the ring the product of the continuing development process which was begun by a great fight trainer named cus D'Amato which continues now under Kevin Rooney under the management of two men named bill Cayton and Jim Jacobs and the prospect continues to exist that we will watch this heavyweight champion fight all around the world against all kinds of opponents stay tuned immediately following this world championship boxing telecast for a special presentation of the hitch-hiker special ingredient followed by a Nightmare on Elm Street three dream warrior those are on the East Coast and in the central regions jumpin Jack flash on the west coast and in the mountain areas all of those shows will be seen in their entirety be sure to join us for our next world championship boxing telecast when WBA welterweight champion Marlin Starling takes on mark Breeland in a bitter rematch and WBA lightweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez defends his title against Rodolfo Aguila an exciting doubleheader on Saturday April 16 right here on HBO so for Larry Merchant and Sugar Ray Leonard I'm Jim Lampley saying so long now from Tokyo Japan the executive producer of HBO Sports and producer of tonight's telecast is Ross Greenburg this fight was directed by Mark Paton the feature producers were Rick Bernstein and Michael J Whalum the associate producers were Dave Harman and Steve Salvatore the assistant to the producer Brian McDonald the production manager Russell give a and the technical supervisor George Wenzel Oh this has been a presentation of HBO Sports the network of Champions

Channel: Lorand

Views: 1,641,006

Rating: 4.5580325 out of 5

Keywords: 1988, 03, 21, Tony, Tubbs

Id: 4HxkowX-w4c

Length: 52min 14sec (3134 seconds)

Published: Sat Jan 22 2011