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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tragic American Tale, November 16, 2008
Some sporting events you can remember where you were when you first heard of them. James "Buster" Douglas' boxing knockout of Mike Tyson for the Heavyweight Championship is one of those events. Arguably one of the greatest upsets in sports history, this fight has taken on a unique historical aura over the years. Joe Layden's engrossing and tragic 2007 book "The Last Great Fight: The Extraordinary Tale of Two Men and How One Fight Changed Their Lives Forever" gives a superb account of this sporting epic.
I was waiting tables on the busy Saturday night this fight took place and was amazed at the cheers coming from the bar. I realized something more was going on than your typical Tyson KO. When the fight ended, the message that Tyson had been defeated spread through the restaurant like wildfire. Luckily, I taped the fight, and went home that night to watch the bout over and over again trying to understand what my eyes could not believe. Over the years, I have re-watched this fight many times and am amazed by the eerie atmosphere of the broadcast. The fight took place in Japan, playing out before an oddly reserved crowd. The HBO announcers, puzzled and shocked, were equally confused. Tyson had such an incredibly invincible reputation that no one could believe what they were seeing.
Layden's book accurately reveals the numerous events leading up to this fight that played a crucial role in the outcome. Douglas, son of a former middleweight contender, struggled from the constant expectations of his demanding father. When his dad was removed from the training team, Douglas seemed to thrive. In addition, the death of Douglas' mother just days before the fight seemed to create a sense of destiny. He lost the fear that seemed to hold him back during his career. Tyson, suffering from an ugly divorce and too much coddling with his new Don King team, had become a man who began to either believe in his invincibility, or no longer cared.
What I liked about Layden's book was his documentation of Douglas. His story, in many ways, is a tragedy. We've read enough about Tyson and Layden expertly gives Douglas equal time with fine interviews with his training team, including long-time friend John Russell. Russell's loyalty to Douglas is especially touching. Several times during the passages detailing the Douglas years following the Tyson fight I was moved to tears. I was also surprised by the sympathetic light Layden shines on Tyson, a man portrayed far too often as a villain. After reading "The Last Great Fight," I feel as if I know Tyson and Douglas and have renewed respect for both men.
Layden hypothesizes that the Douglas/Tyson fight, held in 1990, was a quasi-end of boxing's popularity in the the public mainstream. Tyson, an enormously popular Heavyweight Champion at the time, embarked on an eventual path of shocking self destruction. He would eventually lose millions of dollars and file for bankruptcy. Douglas, in turn, would wisely invest the small fortune he made for his fight immediately following the Tyson victory, an uninspired KO loss to Evander Holyfield. The contrast of the two men's lives, finely detailed by Layden, shows Douglas ironically living in comfort while Tyson desperately struggles with financial and personal issues.
It's a disturbing story, as the cruelties of modern celebrity are revealed yet once again. Most importantly, Layden's work documents the lives of two men who are eventual victims of an ugly and greedy machine vicariously feeding on bodies and spirit. I was deeply moved by Douglas' survival to become a better man after his retirement from boxing. The brilliance of Layden's book is that it covers not only this historic fight, but the struggles of both men for years afterwards. This is a boxing story, granted. But it's also a tragic American tale you will not be able to put down.
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Story, Well Researched, Beautifully Written, October 8, 2007
This review is from: The Last Great Fight: The Extraordinary Tale of Two Men and How One Fight Changed Their Lives Forever (St Martins Press) (Hardcover)
I am not a fan of boxing, but I do love a good story, and this book delivers, big time. The author crafts this tale of two men using the historic 1990 championship fight between Mike Tyson and Buster Douglas as not only the pivotal point in their lives, but also, as the title suggests, as the end of boxing in popular consciousness. The book is remarkably structured, centering around the fight, while deftly exploring the poignant past and present of the two main combatants. I could not put it down. The research is astonishing, and the author -- while a very fine writer -- does what all great storytellers do: He has the sense to get out of the way and let the incredible tale unfold, page by page. Oddly, by the end I found myself sympathic to Tyson -- a man I don't admire; as for Douglas, he shines forth as a genuinely good guy in a tawdry environment. This is a great, swift read, full of humanity and drama and insight. . Highly, highly recommended for boxing fans and for others who, like me, simply love a rich, engrossing story.
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11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The championship neither man seemed to want, November 25, 2007
This review is from: The Last Great Fight: The Extraordinary Tale of Two Men and How One Fight Changed Their Lives Forever (St Martins Press) (Hardcover)
In his book THE LAST GREAT FIGHT, author Joe Layden argues that despite how good the 1990 heavyweight championship Mike Tyson versus James "Buster" Douglas fight was, ultimately neither man would prove he wanted the title that badly. Layden says even though Tyson fought hard in the loss to Douglas, Iron Mike had not prepared. As for Douglas, the author says the new champion seemed to have spent all his desire to win by knocking out Tyson.
Discussing Mike Tyson's meteoric rise to the top, THE LAST GREAT FIGHT says that's where many bitter episodes stunk up what should have been the sweet smell of success for the youngest heavyweight boxing champion in history. As Tyson climbed into the ring to fight that February 1990 day, the loneliness of owning the title had left him with little will to keep it.
James Buster Douglas, says THE LAST GREAT FIGHT, could be great when he wanted to be, but wanting it was fleeting. It was as if Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson just to prove he could rather than for the spoils the world's greatest sports title - Heavyweight Champion - would bring.
THE LAST GREAT FIGHT details many of the Mike Tyson stories that made him infamous. But author Joe Layden deserves credit for not leaving it at that, as he includes several remarkable observations that make Tyson more human and less a 24/7 monster.
James Buster Douglas? Although he is the man who knocked out Mike Tyson, how many people outside of hardcore sports fans would recognize his face or name all these years later? Here's hoping THE LAST GREAT FIGHT raises public awareness of a humble individual who for at least one day seemed to step outside of himself to accomplish the incredible.
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