30.07.04 – By Jeff Bastasini: British heavyweight Danny Williams probably ended Mike Tyson’s boxing career on Friday night when he knocked him out at 2:51 of the 4th round in Louisville, Kentucky. From the opening bell, 38 year old Tyson pounded on Williams, but he somehow survived the onslaught. Two points were deducted from Williams in the third round for hitting low and for hitting on the break. This was probably one of the biggest upsets of all time, as Williams is considered mostly a 2nd tier heavyweight by many in the boxing world.
“People forget this isn’t a peak Mike Tyson. This was a Mike Tyson who was 38 years old,” Williams said. “I thought I could win.”
After dominating the first three rounds, Tyson (50-5) just seemed to suddenly get really old and tired. He lurched around the ring slowly in the 4th round, and seemed visibly winded from the pace he had set in the fight. Williams (32-3, 27 KOs) was then able to take charge of the bout, punishing Tyson with unanswered punches.
Late in the 4th round, Williams opened up with a storm of punches that badly hurt Tyson, who at this point was defenseless. Williams then tagged Tyson with two thundering right hands that dropped him to the canvas, laying against the ropes as the referee counted him out.
“I felt like I had him,” Williams said. “I just remember (Evander) Holyfield fighting him that Holyfield kept coming with shot after shot.”
“Every single round that went by, his punching power seemed to grow less,” Williams said. “So I knew I was going to take him out.”
With this devastating loss, Tyson’s future as a boxer becomes much more dim and uncertain. He had previously been hoping to fight seven bouts to satisfy his considerable financial debts, but after this performance, it’s unlikely that he will be getting anymore big future paydays. The only conclusion you can make about Tyson after this fight is that he’s finished as a fighter.
“I’m not sure where we’re going to go from here,” Roach said. “He’s 38 years old. We’ve got to consider that.”
There’s always Japan.