Who Is The Only Person To Ever Knock Out Mike Tyson?

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31 Jul, 2025

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For many boxing fans and even casual observers, the question of who delivered Mike Tyson's first knockout loss, or perhaps even the only one, sparks a very specific memory. That, is a moment etched into sports history, a true shocker that sent ripples across the globe. People often recall a time when Tyson seemed, well, virtually unbeatable, a force of nature in the ring. His early career was, you know, a whirlwind of quick KOs, a terrifying display of power and speed that made him a legend.

Yet, like any story, this one has its twists. The idea that there was only one person to ever knock out the legendary "Iron Mike" is a widely held belief, a bit of a popular misconception that has, you know, stuck around for years. It's almost as if the sheer impact of that first major upset overshadowed everything else that came later. People remember the shock, the disbelief, and the way the boxing world seemed to stop spinning, if only for a moment, on that fateful night.

So, while many minds jump to a single name when pondering who delivered that first, earth-shattering defeat, the full picture is, actually, a little more nuanced. We're going to explore not just that iconic moment, but also clarify the record, looking at the entire professional career of one of boxing's most compelling figures. It's about setting the record straight, and understanding why one particular knockout stands out so much, even when there were others.

The Legend of Buster Douglas: The First Shockwave
James "Buster" Douglas: Personal Details and Bio Data
The Tokyo Upset: A Fight Like No Other
The Aftermath and the Legacy
The Other Knockouts: Lennox Lewis and Danny Williams
Lennox Lewis: The Undisputed King
Danny Williams: The Unlikely Challenger
Why Buster Douglas is Often Remembered as "The Only One"
People Also Ask

The Legend of Buster Douglas: The First Shockwave

When people ask about the "only" person to knock out Mike Tyson, their thoughts typically go straight to James "Buster" Douglas. This is, you know, for good reason. His victory over Tyson on February 11, 1990, in Tokyo, Japan, is often called the biggest upset in boxing history, arguably in all of sports. It was a moment that truly defied all expectations, a truly unbelievable turn of events. Tyson was, after all, the undisputed heavyweight champion, seen by many as indestructible, a veritable force of nature, so.

Douglas, on the other hand, was considered a massive underdog. He was, frankly, given odds as high as 42-1 against him winning. Many people thought he was, you know, just there to collect a paycheck, a stepping stone for Tyson's continued reign. The general feeling was that Tyson would, you know, dispatch him quickly, adding another highlight to his already impressive reel. But, as we often see, sports can be incredibly unpredictable, and this fight, basically, proved that in spades.

James "Buster" Douglas: Personal Details and Bio Data

Detail	Information
Full Name	James Douglas
Nickname	"Buster"
Nationality	American
Born	April 7, 1960
Birthplace	Columbus, Ohio, USA
Stance	Orthodox
Professional Record (Approx.)	38 wins (25 KOs), 6 losses, 1 draw, 1 no contest
Height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Reach	83 in (211 cm)

The Tokyo Upset: A Fight Like No Other

The fight itself was, you know, a spectacle from the very start. Douglas came into the ring with something to prove, a fire in his belly fueled by personal tragedy. His mother had passed away just a few weeks before the fight, and he was, in a way, fighting for her memory. This personal drive gave him a resolve that, perhaps, Tyson and his team didn't quite anticipate, or so it seemed. Douglas, very, very unusually, showed incredible resilience and skill, matching Tyson's aggression with sharp jabs and powerful combinations.

Tyson, who was, you know, not in his usual peak condition, seemed, arguably, a bit off that night. He had, reportedly, not trained as rigorously as he usually would, perhaps underestimating Douglas, which, you know, can happen. Douglas, on the other hand, was focused, precise, and, rather, incredibly determined. He controlled the distance, used his reach effectively, and landed punches that, honestly, surprised everyone watching. It was only when the fight went past the early rounds that people started to think, "Wait a minute, something different is happening here," you know?

In the eighth round, Tyson managed to knock Douglas down with a powerful uppercut. For a brief moment, it looked like the predictable outcome was, you know, finally going to happen. Douglas, however, got up at the count of nine, a truly gutsy display of heart. The controversy around the count — whether it was a long count or not — is still, you know, talked about today. But, the fight continued, and Douglas, very, very soon, turned the tables. It was only after getting up from that knockdown that Douglas seemed to find an even deeper reserve of strength, and that, is pretty amazing.

Then came the tenth round, a moment that would, you know, forever be etched in boxing lore. Douglas unleashed a furious combination, ending with a brutal uppercut that rocked Tyson. Tyson stumbled, and then Douglas followed up with a barrage of punches, culminating in a devastating left-right combination that sent Tyson to the canvas. Tyson struggled to find his mouthpiece, looking dazed and confused. He tried to get up, but he was, literally, only able to put one knee on the ground before the referee, Octavio Meyran, counted him out. It was, you know, over. The world watched in stunned silence as the seemingly invincible Mike Tyson was, for the first time in his professional career, knocked out. Only in a situation like this could such a dramatic shift happen, you know, so suddenly.

The Aftermath and the Legacy

The immediate aftermath of the fight was, honestly, chaos. The upset was so monumental that many people, you know, struggled to believe what they had just witnessed. Douglas became an instant celebrity, the man who had, you know, done the impossible. His victory is a powerful reminder that in sports, anything can, basically, happen, and that, is a lesson for everyone. It shows that with enough heart and determination, even the biggest underdog can, you know, achieve greatness. Learn more about boxing history on our site, as there are many stories like this.

For Tyson, this loss marked a turning point in his career. While he would continue to fight for many more years and achieve more success, that aura of invincibility was, you know, shattered. The mystique that had surrounded him was, in a way, gone. This fight is often cited as the beginning of the end of his undisputed reign at the top of the heavyweight division, a moment that, you know, changed everything for him. The impact of this one fight was, you know, truly enormous, affecting his future fights and his public perception. It was only after this defeat that people started to look at Tyson in a different light, you know, with a bit more scrutiny.

The Other Knockouts: Lennox Lewis and Danny Williams

While Buster Douglas's knockout of Mike Tyson is the one that everyone remembers, and is often incorrectly referred to as the "only" one, it's important to set the record straight. Mike Tyson was, in fact, knocked out professionally two more times in his career. These later defeats, while significant, never quite carried the same shock value as the Douglas upset, primarily because Tyson's career trajectory had, you know, already shifted. But they are, still, important parts of his story, and they show that even the greatest fighters can, you know, be beaten on any given night. This will only happen if you really understand the full picture of his career, you know.

Lennox Lewis: The Undisputed King

The second professional knockout loss for Mike Tyson came at the hands of Lennox Lewis on June 8, 2002. This was a highly anticipated fight, a clash between two of the biggest names in heavyweight boxing at the time. Lewis was, you know, the reigning undisputed heavyweight champion, a dominant figure in the division. Tyson, though still a huge draw, was, you know, past his absolute prime, yet he still possessed formidable power and a dangerous reputation. The build-up to this fight was, you know, intense, with a lot of bad blood between the two fighters, so.

The fight itself was, basically, a dominant performance by Lewis. He used his superior reach and boxing skill to control Tyson, keeping him at a distance and landing powerful jabs and right hands. Tyson tried to get inside, but Lewis was, you know, too strong and too disciplined. In the eighth round, Lewis delivered a crushing right hand that sent Tyson to the canvas. Tyson tried to get up, but he was, you know, clearly hurt, and the referee waved off the fight. It was, you know, a decisive victory for Lewis, cementing his place as the top heavyweight of his era. This loss was, you know, a clear sign that Tyson's days as a truly dominant force were, arguably, behind him. Only a fighter of Lewis's caliber could have done that so convincingly, you know.

Danny Williams: The Unlikely Challenger

Mike Tyson's third and final professional knockout loss happened on July 30, 2004, against British boxer Danny Williams. This fight was, frankly, another unexpected outcome, though perhaps not as shocking as the Douglas upset. Tyson was, you know, nearing the end of his career at this point, and his performances had become, you know, inconsistent. Williams was, you know, a solid, but not spectacular, heavyweight, and most people expected Tyson to win, perhaps even easily, you know.

However, Williams showed incredible grit and determination. He absorbed Tyson's early flurries and then, basically, started to wear Tyson down. Tyson, who had suffered a knee injury early in the fight, seemed, you know, to fade as the rounds progressed. In the fourth round, Williams landed a series of punches that put Tyson down. Tyson was unable to beat the count, and the fight was, you know, stopped. This was, arguably, a sad end to Tyson's career in terms of knockout losses, showing that time, you know, catches up to everyone, even the "baddest man on the planet." It was only when Williams landed those final blows that the full extent of Tyson's decline became apparent, you know, to everyone watching. To understand more about boxing, you might want to check out this page .

Why Buster Douglas is Often Remembered as "The Only One"

So, why does the common narrative persist that Buster Douglas was the "only" person to ever knock out Mike Tyson? There are, you know, a few key reasons for this. First and foremost, it was Tyson's very first professional loss, and it came at a time when he was considered, you know, truly invincible. He was, honestly, at the peak of his powers, the undisputed heavyweight champion, and nobody, you know, gave Douglas a chance. The sheer improbability of the outcome made it, unquestionably, the most memorable and impactful defeat of Tyson's career, so.

The fight also had a dramatic narrative: the underdog fighting through personal grief, the long count controversy, and the stunning finish. It was, you know, a story that captured the imagination of the world, a true David versus Goliath tale. The later knockouts by Lennox Lewis and Danny Williams, while significant, happened when Tyson was, you know, older, had already lost his aura of invincibility, and was not, arguably, the same fighter he once was. The element of surprise, the sheer shock value, was, basically, gone. It was only the Douglas fight that truly shook the foundations of boxing, and that, is why it holds such a unique place in history. The impact of that moment was, you know, truly singular, setting it apart from all others.