The Last Great Fight: The Extraordinary Tale of Two Men and How One Fight Changed Their Lives Forever

by Joe Layden

Book Overview

Meticulously researched, wonderfully written; The Last Great Fight tells the untold story of a legendary fight and the two warriors who would never be the same againIt is considered by many to be the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312353308
• ISBN13: 9780312353308
• Release Date: October 2007
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 308 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.5" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Very Interesting. This Book is a Knockout Winner!

This book is a discussion of how the very different lives of Mike Tyson and Buster Douglas were forever changed by their history making bout in Tokyo. Joe Layden points out that Tyson was considered almost ubeatable at this point in his career, while Douglas had a reputation for being a less than properly motivated fighter who quit when the going got tough. Instead, both guys fought courageously. Douglas dominated almost every moment of the fight, except for the closing seconds of the 8th round when Tyson dug down deep and floored Buster with an uppercut. But Buster came back strong in round nine, and then he finished Tyson in the 10th round with a deadly payback uppercut, followed by four concussive blows. The end result was a dazed and battered Tyson, groping around on the canvas for his mouthpiece. Douglas' stunning victory is still considered by many today as the greatest upset in heavyweight championship history, even more of an upset than Braddock decisioning Max baer or Cassius Clay stopping Sonny Liston. Layden goes on show how Douglas' managerial team was torn apart with dissension, and how Buster lost the itch for fighting. His weight ballooned up to 300 pounds. He lost some of the weight, but his flabby, weak and unprepared for his first title defense against Evander Holyfield. Evander would go on to knock Douglas out in the third round. Douglas would spend years and years fighting the battle of the bulge, putting on so much weight that he nearly died at one point while in a diabetic coma. Buster now raises his kids and enjoys retirement in the central Ohio area. he also has a home down in Marco Island, Florida. He is financially well off and looking for ways to help others. Tyson, on the other hand, was effectively finished as a prodigy fighter. He would go on to have some decent moments in the ring, but his life would become characterized by an increasing number of brushes with the law. Even his ring performances would become memorable for their controversial moments, such as the ear biting incident in the second Holyfield fight, the punching out of the referee in the Savarese fight, and the leg biting incident in the prefight melee with Lennox Lewis and his entourage. But Layden goes a step further by contending that not only were Douglas and Tyson in decline after their fight, but that Boxing was in decline after their fight. No one in the heavyweight ranks came forward who had the style and charisma (and circus atmosphere) of Tyson. While I feel that it is a bit of an overstatement to tie the decline of boxing's popularity with the decline of Tyson himself, Layden makes a very interesting case and his book cannot be ignored.It is one of the best boxing books that I have read, and I highly recommend it.

Tragic American Tale

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

Excellent book despite curious title

I did not expect to enjoy the book as much as I did. I Thought it was very well written and researched thoroughly. The critique about "nothing new" on Tyson seems a little off to me. Granted in and of itself, that claim is true. But the book was not about rehashing Mike Tyson's life. That has been done already. THis book was about the Douglas Tyson Upset and while it logically provides before and after information about both fighters careers, it does not gloss over anything to the point of nearly being vacant. Yet it reasonably doesn't go overboard on well travelled ground either. Add to the fact that the author was quite up front about the challenges he was presented with talking with Tyson himself and I think what Tyson history was covered in the book, more than was up to snuff for readers who are familiar with his history. My only issue or rather curiosity with the book is the TITLE itself. "The Last Great Fight?" Unless I missed an obvious explanation with regards to the books title, I just don't understand what it was supposed to mean. To claim that there have not been dramatic, great or epic ots since 1990, I think is a gross exxaggeration. A greater Upset since? Obviously no. But there have been plenty to choose from for better fights. Heck not only wasn't Douglas Tyson the Greatest fight of the 90's, it wasn;t the best fight of 1990! Julio Cesar Chavez KO 12 Meldrick Taylor took place slightly over a month after Douglas Tyson and is generally considered the greatest bout of the decade. The 2000's have had two Barrera Morales Classics, two Gatti Ward Classics and the Corrales Castillo classic. Heck, IMO we only need to go back two years to discuss that last truly Great Fight. THis nitpicking aside re the title, the book is HIGHLY recommended by me, as I thought it was an absolutely wonderful read and excellently done. I just don't care for the title. Hawk

Waiting for the Next Great Fight

Prior to reading the book, I always thought that Douglas won this fight because he was in the right place at the right time. Tyson was dealing with a ton of issues, wasn't prepared to fight, his corner wasn't prepared to support his fight, and the result was more of a Tyson loss than a Douglas win. After reading this book, I changed my mind. Layden does a wonderful job setting up the numerous back stories and weaving them in and out of the main story - the Tyson/Douglas fight. We learn a lot about Tyson's background (which probably isn't new info to most boxing fans), but more importantly, we learn a lot about Douglas -the boxer and the man. By the end of the book, it is clear that Douglas won the fight because he was the better boxer and because he wanted it more. On that one particular afternoon in Tokyo, Douglas would have even beaten a ready and prepared Mike Tyson. Although the fight was obviously the highlight of the book, I also enjoyed the "where are they now" aspect of the book. Layden is very detailed in bringing the reader up to date on what Douglas and Tyson have been up to since their fight. Again, we all know about Tyson, but some of stories about Douglas will suprise you - the near death experience, the return to Columbus, the return to boxing. I recommend this book to anyone who misses the good heavyweight boxing of years past. This book will hold you over until the next Great Fight.

A Great Story, Well Researched, Beautifully Written

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.