Mike Tyson vs Tyrell Biggs - HBO 10-16-87 - video Dailymotion

SteckmetX

Mike Tyson defends his undisputed Heavyweight Title against undefeated No 1. contender Tyrell Biggs on HBO Boxing.  Plus an interview with former champion Larry Holmes and promoter Don King

Transcript

00:00:00their long journey to Atlantic City began in the amateurs Mike Tyson faced Henry Tillman in the

00:00:15United States box offs for the chance to compete in the 1984 Olympic game I saw Tyson lose two

00:00:22fights as an amateur he made a whole lot of mistakes as an amateur Mike Tyson lost the

00:00:28decision and with it is Olympic dreams meanwhile a celebrated super heavyweight Tyrell Biggs looked on

00:00:34and in the summer of 84 it was Biggs who captured a gold medal I think it's very big with a brilliant

00:00:40energy fighter he made the country proud and captured a gold medal for us but even in victory

00:00:46the gold medal quickly lost some of its luster when they turned pro Biggs career took a backward

00:00:51step and Tyson's stock rose sharply he was fighting nobody he was fighting bombs I didn't think much

00:00:58of him then because the caliber of opponents that he was fighting that was Tyrell's impression but

00:01:04as the opponents grew in stature Tyson looked unstoppable there was an uppercut what a shot

00:01:10Tyson became the hottest commodity in boxing on his way to the heavyweight title while Biggs pro

00:01:15career got off to a shaky start well in the early profession of Tyrell Biggs had problems adapting to

00:01:21the professional style but as time went on he developed into a very fine professional fighter

00:01:27and today they are the champion of the challenger Tyson and Biggs meet head on

00:01:32Trevor Burbank we should point out has been down twice there's another big shot by Tyson

00:01:37Burbank in a heap of trouble down he goes

00:01:39and there was a sharp right hand

00:01:46and a right hand behind it Thomas in trouble again and now Tyson moves in for the kill two uppercuts

00:01:53and a left hand Thomas trying to hold on serious trouble and down he goes

00:01:58and he's still got 45 seconds to do that and I don't think he's going to do it Richard Steele steps in

00:02:04and stops the fight and there's one of the great comebacks

00:02:07I knew at some point in time whether it be in amateurs or in professionals that I would want to

00:02:14eventually meet up with Mike Tyson

00:02:15well today Tyrell Biggs is a very skillful fighter and I look forward to matching my skills against his

00:02:21tonight the journey ends in Atlantic City as the Trump Plaza plays host to the undisputed heavyweight championship

00:02:51it was back in the roaring 20s when New Jersey first hosted a heavyweight championship fight

00:02:58the legendary Jack Dempsey met Frenchman Georges Carpentier on July 2nd 1921

00:03:04a hundred thousand seat stadium was built in Jersey City as Dempsey knocked out Carpentier in four

00:03:10to retain his title earning boxing's first million dollar gate

00:03:13back then people flocked to a popular resort community in the southern part of the state

00:03:19and some 66 years later we're live in the convention center in Atlantic City, New Jersey

00:03:25where undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson defends his IBF, WBA, and WBC titles

00:03:31against the number one contender Tyrell Biggs

00:03:34we're scheduled for 15 rounds

00:03:36a capacity crowd of 12,000 fans has made its way into this indoor facility on the boardwalk

00:03:42now for the first time a sense of doubt for a Mike Tyson title fight

00:03:46the once indestructible and immovable force has been termed beatable by boxing experts and by the general public

00:03:53that is what has sold out this arena

00:03:55and that is why there's such an air of anticipation in the convention center tonight

00:04:00hello everybody I'm Barry Tompkins

00:04:03welcome to Atlantic City

00:04:05you know it was just about 13 months ago

00:04:06that Tyrell Biggs fought an overweight 254 pound punching bag named Purcell Davis

00:04:12he won a decision but the press at that time said if they were to match Biggs with Tyson right then

00:04:18it would be a gross mismatch

00:04:20now here we are just over a year later

00:04:23and everybody is saying experts whose opinions I have to admit I value very much

00:04:28are saying that when this fight is over

00:04:30the hand of a new champion will be raised

00:04:32and that hand will belong to Tyrell Biggs

00:04:35well with us as always the champ Sugar Ray Leonard

00:04:37and Ray the thing that strikes me is for Tyrell Biggs last five fights

00:04:42there's been some criticism about him

00:04:44he hasn't got it

00:04:44he did this wrong

00:04:45he did that wrong

00:04:46he did the other thing wrong

00:04:47and yet people like Michael Katz

00:04:49people like Larry Merchant

00:04:50people as I said whose opinions I respect

00:04:52are giving him a legitimate chance tonight against Tyson

00:04:55what about Ray Leonard?

00:04:56well I personally feel that Tyrell Biggs possessed the twos

00:04:59the physical twos

00:05:00to be effective against a fighter like Mike Tyson

00:05:03and the reason I say this is because

00:05:04and against David Bay

00:05:06he showed the kind of combinations

00:05:07that is very effective against a guy

00:05:10who comes in with a crouching style

00:05:11the uppercut in the right hand

00:05:13so Biggs has to concentrate each and every round

00:05:16I think that's a given

00:05:17that movement is what if anything can beat Mike Tyson

00:05:20but you also have to be able to punch

00:05:21once you do get him out of position

00:05:23and I guess the question I have to ask is

00:05:25can Tyrell Biggs punch?

00:05:26well he doesn't necessarily have to punch hard

00:05:28the fact of the matter is

00:05:29he has to keep him off balance

00:05:31break his rhythm with the left jab

00:05:32and give him angles

00:05:34give him lateral movement

00:05:35we know there's kind of a hackneyed ideology

00:05:37that numbers don't lie

00:05:39the taller man and the bigger man

00:05:42is almost always going to beat the smaller man

00:05:44and the shorter man

00:05:46that's usually the case

00:05:47unless the smaller shorter man's name is Mike

00:05:51Mike Tyson

00:05:52most competition is governed by feet and inches

00:06:03from goal line to baseline

00:06:05from foul line to finish line

00:06:08the outcome is often the result of these boundaries

00:06:12but in some sports

00:06:16the measurements of the human body

00:06:18are thought to be of greater value

00:06:19such as in boxing

00:06:21where every portion of the fighter's anatomy

00:06:23is recorded and critiqued

00:06:25for Mike Tyson

00:06:27the most scrutinized measurement of all

00:06:29is his height

00:06:30is he really 5'11 and a half as reported

00:06:33or is he shorter

00:06:34for the press

00:06:35it's become a very popular question

00:06:38I'm tall enough to be heavyweight champ of the world

00:06:40at least 10 times a day

00:06:43let alone the press asking me how tall I am

00:06:45people in general saying

00:06:47you're not as big as I thought you was

00:06:49the guy who's your size is doing all that damage

00:06:51I always thought you were bigger

00:06:52how big is big

00:06:55but if the average male height is 5'9 inches

00:06:59and the average heavyweight champion is 6'1 and 3 quarters inches

00:07:02then how tall is Mike Tyson

00:07:04as reported and often contested

00:07:07Mike Tyson is exactly 5'11 and 1 half inches

00:07:12history has proven that short heavyweights do make legitimate champions

00:07:17at 5'7 inches Tommy Burns is the shortest boxer to ever wear the heavyweight crown

00:07:23a former middleweight champ

00:07:24the 175 pound Burns successfully defended his heavyweight title

00:07:2811 times before losing to Jack Johnson

00:07:32standing 5'10 and a quarter

00:07:34Rocky Marciano is heavyweight boxing's most remembered short champion

00:07:37but short only in stature

00:07:39for in the ring heart and determination overshadowed height

00:07:43or lack of it

00:07:45like Tyson

00:07:47Joe Frazier also measured 5'11 and a half

00:07:50known for his left hook and devastating body punches

00:07:53height was of no object

00:07:55when this heavyweight connected

00:07:57Tyson's opponents have averaged 6'2 and a half

00:08:00and only two have stood less than 6 feet

00:08:03in boxing it is often said that the taller fighter has a height advantage

00:08:07but in the Tyson camp

00:08:09these fighters have a marked disadvantage

00:08:11I think you know it's to my advantage

00:08:16because most fighters are used to fighting

00:08:17opponents 6'3, 6'2

00:08:20the average heavyweight

00:08:22and I feel it

00:08:24I use it to my advantage because I move my head

00:08:26I'm very quick and I'm low to the ground

00:08:27and it's very difficult to hit me

00:08:29I crouch low just to

00:08:31make my opponents punch down

00:08:34because I know where they're going to punch at

00:08:35because I'm down and I'm looking at them

00:08:38because I'm so low

00:08:39and I come up

00:08:40I feel it's to my advantage

00:08:41because I can't see most of my punches coming

00:08:43I get a lot of leverage from my punches

00:08:45and it doesn't matter if I punch up

00:08:47or straight or down or around

00:08:48I have good leverage

00:08:49his lower body strength provides the leverage necessary

00:08:54to throw powerful punches

00:08:55in an upward movement against taller fighters

00:08:58as depicted here against the 6 foot 5 inch Jose Ribalta

00:09:03is it then feasible that the taller opponent is at a disadvantage

00:09:07since there's probably less leverage gained

00:09:09when punching downward at the shorter Tyson

00:09:12perhaps another misconstrued measurement

00:09:17is the reach philosophy

00:09:19the longer the reach

00:09:20the greater the advantage

00:09:22it's logical to assume

00:09:25that a longer reach

00:09:26increases a fighter's chances

00:09:28of landing more jabs

00:09:29but once again

00:09:31the Tyson camp disagrees

00:09:33jabbing doesn't have anything to do

00:09:35with the length of your arms

00:09:37or anything

00:09:37jabbing is all to do with timing

00:09:39if you throw your jab at the right time

00:09:41you could be 5'6

00:09:42and I'll jab a guy 6'4

00:09:44this was evident in his last fight

00:09:46against Tony Tucker

00:09:47when Tyson gave up 5 1⁄2 inches in height

00:09:50and 10 1⁄2 inches in reach

00:09:51still he connected with more jabs

00:09:54I like the fact that I'm unique

00:09:57as being one of the shortest heavyweights in the history

00:09:59and having a second shortage reach in history

00:10:01and still I'm tremendously successful

00:10:04perhaps one day a method will exist

00:10:07to calculate a fighter's heart and skill

00:10:09a day when the advantage or disadvantage

00:10:11will have nothing to do with measures of height or reach

00:10:14on that day we may then discover

00:10:16that the sport of boxing

00:10:17is not just a matter of inches

00:10:19and if I could come back

00:10:22as a guy 6'3, 6'4

00:10:24I would never want to change

00:10:25when I was younger I used to always say

00:10:28God I'm just a midget

00:10:29I'm never going to grow

00:10:30I'm never going to be anything

00:10:31because I'm too short to do any kind of sports or anything

00:10:33but then I started believing in myself

00:10:37and things worked out right

00:10:38so according to Mike Tyson

00:10:40sometimes the numbers do lie

00:10:42but take a look at these numbers

00:10:43the opponents that Mike Tyson has fought

00:10:45who are over 6 feet 4 inches tall

00:10:48as Biggs is tonight

00:10:49Tillis who is 6-1

00:10:51a decision in 10 rounds

00:10:53four of the five names that you see

00:10:55Tucker Smith, Revolta, Green and Tillis

00:10:56went the route with Mike Tyson

00:10:59and tonight Mike Tyson at 5'11 and a half

00:11:02that's legitimate 6'4 and 3 quarters

00:11:05Tyrell Biggs

00:11:06the reach Mike Tyson says

00:11:08it won't make any difference

00:11:09challengers you know

00:11:10have just not fared very well

00:11:12in this bastion of Miss Americas

00:11:14and bus tours

00:11:15George Carpentier came and went back in 1921

00:11:18and Scott Frank was sent packing

00:11:20by Larry Holmes in 1983

00:11:21well tonight Tyrell Biggs tries to turn a gold medal

00:11:25into green pastures

00:11:27as he takes on Mike Tyson

00:11:29for the undisputed heavyweight championship

00:11:31with more on the interesting aspects of this fight

00:11:34here's Larry Merchant

00:11:36good evening

00:11:37and since what we all want

00:11:40is a good evening

00:11:41a good fight

00:11:42I guess I find myself wondering now

00:11:45whether that's part of the reason

00:11:46why so many knowledgeable boxing people

00:11:49and me

00:11:50are making a case for Tyrell Biggs

00:11:52how much wishful thinking is involved

00:11:54the case is this

00:11:56we all know that Mike Tyson

00:11:58is a young whirlwind

00:12:00but flawed

00:12:01and we all know

00:12:03that a real disciplined

00:12:05poised

00:12:06skilled

00:12:07boxer

00:12:08often can neutralize

00:12:10a whirlwind

00:12:11a bruler

00:12:12a brawler

00:12:13so

00:12:14if Tyrell Biggs

00:12:15fights his best fight

00:12:17his most brilliant fight

00:12:18his bravest fight

00:12:19well

00:12:20who knows

00:12:21another reason why the case

00:12:23is being made

00:12:23is that it probably can't be made

00:12:25for any other heavyweight

00:12:27out there

00:12:28but the case itself

00:12:29has a flaw

00:12:30the flaw is

00:12:32that Tyrell Biggs

00:12:33has never shown

00:12:34the authority of a champion

00:12:36the ability to rule

00:12:38that square of truth

00:12:40out there

00:12:41the ability to dominate

00:12:43to impose his will on opponents

00:12:45he has never fought

00:12:47the perfect fight

00:12:48with his theoretically

00:12:49perfect boxing skills

00:12:51what he has done

00:12:53impressively

00:12:54is fight under duress

00:12:55and if there's one thing

00:12:57we do know tonight

00:12:58he will be under duress

00:13:00again

00:13:01even when Tyrell Biggs

00:13:18was up

00:13:18winning a gold medal

00:13:19at the Olympics

00:13:20in Los Angeles

00:13:21he was being put down

00:13:22put down

00:13:24for his pure amateur style

00:13:25in what was after all

00:13:27the biggest amateur tournament

00:13:29in the world

00:13:29it turned out later

00:13:31that Biggs was in the process

00:13:32of getting higher still

00:13:34for a bigger fall

00:13:35he was drinking and drugging

00:13:37recreationally

00:13:38but it was a portent

00:13:40but when he turned pro

00:13:45Biggs' crowd displeasing style

00:13:47became a serious problem

00:13:49he was booed

00:13:50he was booed

00:13:50in his professional debut

00:13:51at Madison Square Garden

00:13:52much more serious

00:13:54however

00:13:55was his growing

00:13:55drug habit

00:13:56at $1,500 a day

00:13:59he nearly fell

00:14:00all the way then

00:14:01until finally

00:14:03he checked himself

00:14:04into a drug clinic

00:14:06some people were in there

00:14:08with slit wrists

00:14:09where they actually

00:14:10tried to take their own life

00:14:11and I said

00:14:13well I never tried

00:14:13anything like that

00:14:14when psychologically

00:14:16and mentally

00:14:17that's what I was

00:14:18you know

00:14:18that's what I was doing anyway

00:14:20I was killing myself

00:14:21just if not worse

00:14:23than somebody

00:14:24slitting their wrists

00:14:25and these are the things

00:14:26that I came in touch with

00:14:27and that's when I made my mind

00:14:28and I said

00:14:29well I can use this

00:14:31this is what's going to

00:14:32get me back

00:14:34in order

00:14:35if I can take these tools

00:14:37that they give you

00:14:38and use them

00:14:39the proper way

00:14:41I can clean myself up

00:14:42and doing that

00:14:44is a miracle

00:14:45ready?

00:14:46his infant son

00:14:47and his girlfriend

00:14:48the child's mother

00:14:49provided a human dimension

00:14:51to Biggs' determination

00:14:52to win his toughest fight

00:14:54it was kind of

00:14:55an ugly situation

00:14:57but

00:14:57it was nothing

00:14:58where he was

00:14:59in danger

00:14:59or anything like that

00:15:00it was just

00:15:00my thinking

00:15:01and staying away

00:15:03and you know

00:15:04not having them involved

00:15:05in that part of my life

00:15:06Linda

00:15:07she's been there

00:15:08she saw

00:15:09things that nobody

00:15:10would probably

00:15:11even know about

00:15:12for her

00:15:13to hang in there

00:15:14is amazing

00:15:15and as far as

00:15:17Terrell is concerned

00:15:18I mean

00:15:18he's

00:15:19you know

00:15:20he gives me

00:15:20energy

00:15:21he's what I live for

00:15:22you know

00:15:23he looks up to me

00:15:24to feel that love

00:15:25from him

00:15:26and he depends on me

00:15:27and you know

00:15:28I want to be there

00:15:28for him

00:15:29and I don't

00:15:30you know

00:15:30I didn't want to

00:15:30I don't want to be a failure

00:15:32what was thought

00:15:34to be a turnaround

00:15:35in and out of the ring

00:15:36was dramatized

00:15:37in his ninth pro fight

00:15:38when his right collarbone

00:15:40was broken

00:15:41by Jeff Sims

00:15:42a dangerous journeyman

00:15:44Biggs responded

00:15:46though in pain

00:15:47by dominating

00:15:48the rest of the fight

00:15:49with one hand

00:15:50his left

00:15:51but his detractors

00:15:53returned in full voice

00:15:55after his unimpressive victory

00:15:57over Quick Tillis

00:15:58and when he decked

00:16:00Ronaldo's snipes

00:16:01but couldn't finish him

00:16:02that was another mark

00:16:03against him

00:16:04and his own handlers

00:16:06were suspicious

00:16:07of a drug relapse

00:16:08after a car accident

00:16:09but he was clean

00:16:10then a flat footed Biggs

00:16:13slugged it out

00:16:14with David Bay

00:16:15and suffered

00:16:16a terrible eye cut

00:16:18that nearly lost the fight

00:16:19and cost him a shot

00:16:20at Mike Tyson

00:16:21but as with his other problems

00:16:26and setbacks

00:16:26Biggs rallied

00:16:27he stopped Bay

00:16:29dramatically

00:16:30just seconds

00:16:31before the referee

00:16:32was prepared

00:16:33to stop the fight

00:16:34if it hasn't been

00:16:39one thing

00:16:40it's been two or three

00:16:41for Terrell Biggs

00:16:42cynics believe

00:16:43Biggs' managers

00:16:44took the Tyson fight

00:16:45prematurely

00:16:46with only 15 pro fights

00:16:48none against

00:16:49a top contender

00:16:50before something

00:16:52else happened to him

00:16:53they claim

00:16:54that Biggs' record

00:16:55of overcoming adversity

00:16:56will carry over

00:16:57to Tyson

00:16:58that his strength

00:16:59of body

00:17:00is now matched

00:17:00by his strength

00:17:01of character

00:17:02and maturity

00:17:03I believe

00:17:04that what I've been through

00:17:06and as good as I am

00:17:08I know that

00:17:09I know how good I am

00:17:10and for me

00:17:11to have been

00:17:12criticized

00:17:13and the whole shot

00:17:14I mean

00:17:15you know

00:17:16I owe it to myself

00:17:17to go out there

00:17:18and beat

00:17:18Michael Tyson

00:17:20like I am his dad

00:17:21he's made for me

00:17:23Ty's son

00:17:24I owe it to myself

00:17:25to go out there

00:17:25and beat this fella

00:17:26and be called

00:17:28the new

00:17:29undisputed

00:17:30heavyweight champion

00:17:30in the world

00:17:31well tonight

00:17:34is when Tyrell Biggs

00:17:35gets a chance

00:17:36to turn those words

00:17:37into actions

00:17:38and he of course

00:17:39will be the first man

00:17:40out of his locker room

00:17:41and into the ring

00:17:41and this crowd

00:17:42I tell you

00:17:43is really alive here

00:17:45Muhammad Ali

00:17:45has just been introduced

00:17:47and Ali is out there

00:17:48Ray

00:17:48leading cheers

00:17:49vintage Muhammad Ali

00:17:51that's all reminiscent

00:17:52for Muhammad Ali

00:17:53he's a great great champion

00:17:54and of course

00:17:56what a lot of people

00:17:57are hoping

00:17:58is that Tyrell Biggs

00:17:59can emulate

00:18:00Muhammad Ali

00:18:02and being able

00:18:03to defuse

00:18:05the big man

00:18:06this is the

00:18:06Ali did it to Liston

00:18:08he did it to Foreman

00:18:09he did it to Fraser

00:18:10can Tyrell Biggs

00:18:12do that

00:18:13and the Olympic theme

00:18:14being played

00:18:15and you saw that graphic

00:18:16a moment ago

00:18:16that seven champions

00:18:18Olympic gold medalists

00:18:19have gone on

00:18:19to be heavyweight champions

00:18:21of course

00:18:21four of those seven

00:18:23did not win

00:18:24Olympic heavyweight titles

00:18:25Muhammad Ali

00:18:26Floyd Patterson

00:18:27and both the Spinks brothers

00:18:29and of course

00:18:30one thing that Tyrell Biggs

00:18:31is going to have to

00:18:32think about

00:18:33at least somewhere

00:18:34in the back of his mind

00:18:34is that serious cut

00:18:36that he suffered

00:18:36against David Bay

00:18:37and you can see

00:18:38over the left eye

00:18:39took 30 some stitches

00:18:41to close that

00:18:42and there on the right

00:18:43of your screen

00:18:43is the scar tissue

00:18:45that was left from that

00:18:46I'll say this however

00:18:48if he gets hit

00:18:49with right hands there

00:18:50it isn't the cut

00:18:51he's going to have

00:18:52to worry about

00:18:52that is a valid point

00:18:56you know we talked

00:18:56about the fact

00:18:57that Larry alluded to it

00:18:58that he has been

00:18:59criticized in several

00:19:00of his most recent fights

00:19:02and yet people are

00:19:02really giving him

00:19:03a legitimate chance

00:19:04just to kind of go back

00:19:05and tell you a little bit

00:19:06when he fought Rod Smith

00:19:07that was the first fight

00:19:08he had after he broke

00:19:09his collarbone

00:19:10against Sims

00:19:11he said that he was

00:19:12a little bit tentative

00:19:13and he didn't really

00:19:14use the right hand

00:19:15in that fight

00:19:15then he fought

00:19:16Purcell Davis

00:19:16that's the gentleman

00:19:17that I mentioned

00:19:18at 254 pounds

00:19:20who really offered

00:19:22no resistance

00:19:22and he said

00:19:23that his bombs

00:19:25were more dud

00:19:26than they were dynamite

00:19:27Biggs has been trying

00:19:30to make the transition

00:19:31from an amateur

00:19:32to a professional

00:19:34to being more aggressive

00:19:35and in so doing

00:19:37he's been catching punches

00:19:38the question is

00:19:40whether he can

00:19:41find out who he is

00:19:43and fight the fight

00:19:45who he is

00:19:46and that best fight

00:19:47might be fighting

00:19:49as an amateur

00:19:50sticking and moving

00:19:51floating like a butterfly

00:19:53and stinging like a bee

00:19:54and he also came in

00:19:57with a jacket

00:19:57reminiscent of my partner

00:19:59here Sugar Ray Leonard

00:20:00something new

00:20:00in the sport of boxing

00:20:01speaking of Sugar Ray Leonard

00:20:02we have always tried

00:20:03to give you a little bit

00:20:04of an insight

00:20:05just things to look for

00:20:06in every fight

00:20:07as we go along

00:20:08on this HBO

00:20:09particularly through

00:20:10the heavyweight series

00:20:11and in fact

00:20:11in every fight

00:20:12and right now

00:20:12let's take a look

00:20:13at Ray Leonard's

00:20:14tip of the night

00:20:15what to look for

00:20:16from each of these men

00:20:17tonight Ray

00:20:17well there should be

00:20:18a classic confrontation

00:20:19Barry with a boxer

00:20:20against the puncher

00:20:21and actually Tyson

00:20:22is the puncher

00:20:22who will be the aggressive

00:20:23but he must be patient

00:20:25because he has a tendency

00:20:26with his crouching style

00:20:28to be susceptible

00:20:29to the uppercut

00:20:29here against Tony Tucker

00:20:31there the uppercut land

00:20:32and that's the punch

00:20:33that Biggs

00:20:34has been working on

00:20:35in the gym

00:20:36another mistake

00:20:38that Tyson makes

00:20:38he tries to load up

00:20:39with one punch

00:20:40that would not work

00:20:42against a guy like Biggs

00:20:43who gives you

00:20:44a lot of ankles

00:20:45good upper body movement

00:20:47and here against

00:20:48Ronaldo Snipes

00:20:49good body movement

00:20:50and watch this

00:20:51combination here Barry

00:20:52on and over

00:20:53to raise the chin

00:20:54and then to follow up

00:20:55with a clean right hand

00:20:56I've been very impressed

00:20:58with this particular combination

00:20:59a beautiful combination

00:21:00thrown by Biggs

00:21:02Biggs can't afford

00:21:04to stand toe to toe

00:21:05here against David Bay

00:21:06he was prone

00:21:07to be hit with combinations

00:21:09and also prone to cuts

00:21:11that right hand

00:21:12by David Bay cut him

00:21:12so he must give lateral

00:21:14positions and angles

00:21:16to be effective

00:21:17against Mike Tyson

00:21:17two things though

00:21:18that he didn't do

00:21:19and just to go back

00:21:20to those little snatches

00:21:21that you saw

00:21:21against Ronaldo Snipes

00:21:22as you saw

00:21:22I had him down

00:21:23in the fourth round

00:21:24but he didn't follow up

00:21:25Snipes was done

00:21:26and Biggs couldn't

00:21:26put him away

00:21:27and then against David Bay

00:21:28he hit him consistently

00:21:30but until he was cut

00:21:31he really didn't go

00:21:32after David Bay

00:21:34for both fighters

00:21:34it's not

00:21:35I don't think it's going

00:21:36to be necessarily

00:21:36one punch

00:21:37although Tyson is an exception

00:21:38but it's going to be

00:21:39combinations

00:21:39to be effective

00:21:41and I go back

00:21:41to the old thing

00:21:42of can you make

00:21:43Pete Rose

00:21:44into Babe Ruth

00:21:45can you make this guy

00:21:46into a banger

00:21:47it depends on

00:21:48Sazza's bet

00:21:49speaking of

00:21:52speaking of that

00:21:53the odds

00:21:53in my last call

00:21:55to Las Vegas

00:21:55turned out to be

00:21:56about 7.5 to 1

00:21:59in favor of Tyson

00:22:00down from around

00:22:0111 to 1

00:22:02earlier in the week

00:22:03Tyson is a

00:22:04slight favorite

00:22:05to stop the fight

00:22:07end it

00:22:07before the end

00:22:08of the sixth round

00:22:09and a little bit

00:22:10of a waiting game

00:22:11going on now

00:22:11and it's really

00:22:12quieted the crowd

00:22:13too

00:22:13the crowd

00:22:13was right

00:22:14into this fight

00:22:14right from

00:22:15the very beginning

00:22:16it is a capacity

00:22:17crowd of about

00:22:1812,000

00:22:18you can see

00:22:19many of them

00:22:19everybody on

00:22:20their feet

00:22:20here

00:22:21right now

00:22:21it's kind

00:22:21of a waiting

00:22:22game

00:22:22and that is

00:22:23Mike Tyson

00:22:24making Tyrell Biggs

00:22:25wait

00:22:25and both fighters

00:22:27making the crowd

00:22:28wait

00:22:28and they're

00:22:28starting to get

00:22:28the first glimpse

00:22:29now of Mike Tyson

00:22:30and Tyson

00:22:31we understand

00:22:31is going to run

00:22:32into the ring

00:22:33and here comes

00:22:34Mike Tyson now

00:22:35and as usual

00:22:36he is all business

00:22:37draped

00:22:37in the three belts

00:22:39that he now owns

00:22:40well as

00:22:49Mills Lane

00:22:51the referee

00:22:52from Nevada

00:22:54says

00:22:54Mike Tyson

00:22:55surely looks like

00:22:56he's saying

00:22:57let's get it on

00:22:58he was telling us

00:23:00the other day

00:23:00that there's an

00:23:01expression on the

00:23:01streets where he

00:23:02was raised

00:23:03that say

00:23:04you gotta bring it

00:23:05to get it

00:23:06and that's exactly

00:23:08his philosophy

00:23:08it means that

00:23:11you can't win

00:23:11at the tables

00:23:12with your hands

00:23:13in your pockets

00:23:13and you can't win

00:23:15in here

00:23:16unless you take

00:23:17some shots

00:23:18and take some risks

00:23:19you know

00:23:20he quotes

00:23:21Joe Frazier

00:23:22actually

00:23:22as he comes

00:23:23into the ring

00:23:23when people

00:23:23criticize his height

00:23:24that he's too small

00:23:25and he says

00:23:26Frazier believed

00:23:27he was big enough

00:23:27to get the job done

00:23:28and that's all

00:23:29that counts

00:23:30Mike Tyson

00:23:32of course

00:23:3331-0

00:23:3427 knockouts

00:23:36until he won

00:23:39the title

00:23:40actually

00:23:40he hadn't

00:23:42fought

00:23:42anybody

00:23:42more impressive

00:23:44than Biggs

00:23:45has fought

00:23:45to this point

00:23:46since that time

00:23:48Tyson has fought

00:23:50a better class

00:23:51of fighter

00:23:51than Biggs has

00:23:52and the crowd

00:23:56again

00:23:56still very much

00:23:57into this

00:23:57five years difference

00:23:58Mike Tyson

00:23:59is younger than Biggs

00:24:00even though he's

00:24:01had 31 fights

00:24:02to Biggs 15

00:24:03yeah Barry

00:24:04and Tyson

00:24:06interestingly

00:24:06came in a few

00:24:07pounds less

00:24:08than he has

00:24:08recently

00:24:09obviously

00:24:10he wants to be

00:24:11able to keep up

00:24:11with the guy

00:24:12who's the boxer

00:24:13and Biggs

00:24:14came in

00:24:14bulked up

00:24:15by a few

00:24:15pounds

00:24:16obviously

00:24:16he wants to

00:24:17be strong

00:24:17for Tyson

00:24:18what it means

00:24:19is

00:24:19they're both

00:24:20ready

00:24:20and here is

00:24:23our punch stat

00:24:24our statistical

00:24:25profile of the

00:24:26fighters

00:24:26Tyson's last

00:24:28fight against

00:24:28Tucker

00:24:29you see how

00:24:29many punches

00:24:30he threw

00:24:30he throws

00:24:31fewer punches

00:24:32than Biggs

00:24:33but of course

00:24:34he throws

00:24:35more meaningful

00:24:36ones

00:24:36against

00:24:37Tillis

00:24:37Tyson's

00:24:39most difficult

00:24:39fight before

00:24:40he became

00:24:41champion

00:24:41he threw

00:24:42a few

00:24:43fewer

00:24:44punches

00:24:44than Biggs

00:24:45did

00:24:45and landed

00:24:45fewer

00:24:46but Tyson

00:24:47is a lot

00:24:48different

00:24:48fighter

00:24:48now

00:24:49than he

00:24:49was

00:24:49then

00:24:49and in

00:24:54the jabs

00:24:55as you might

00:24:56suspect

00:24:56Biggs

00:24:57throws

00:24:57more of

00:24:58them

00:24:58than Tyson

00:24:59but Tyson

00:25:00showed in

00:25:00his last

00:25:01fight

00:25:01against

00:25:01Tucker

00:25:02that he

00:25:03can use

00:25:04the jab

00:25:04effectively

00:25:05and the

00:25:07rules

00:25:07tonight

00:25:07will

00:25:07come

00:25:08under

00:25:08the

00:25:08IBF

00:25:09jurisdiction

00:25:09they

00:25:09will

00:25:10rotate

00:25:10that

00:25:10incidentally

00:25:11in a

00:25:11case

00:25:11where

00:25:11there

00:25:12is

00:25:12an

00:25:13undisputed

00:25:13champion

00:25:14ten point

00:25:14must system

00:25:15three judges

00:25:15score the

00:25:16fight

00:25:16there will

00:25:16not be a

00:25:17standing eight

00:25:17count

00:25:18no surprises

00:25:18here

00:25:18the fighter

00:25:19could be

00:25:19saved by the

00:25:19bell

00:25:20only in the

00:25:20last round

00:25:21and the

00:25:21three

00:25:21knockdown rule

00:25:22has been

00:25:22waived

00:25:23right now

00:25:23we'll go up

00:25:24to the ring

00:25:24announcer

00:25:24Michael Buffer

00:25:25for the

00:25:25free fight

00:25:26introductions

00:25:26Michael

00:25:27ladies and

00:25:29gentlemen

00:25:29your attention

00:25:30please

00:25:31before we

00:25:31get started

00:25:32recently a

00:25:33great friend

00:25:34of boxing

00:25:34passed away

00:25:35at this time

00:25:36in a tribute

00:25:37to one of

00:25:37sports

00:25:38and boxing's

00:25:39finest

00:25:39journalist

00:25:40would everyone

00:25:41please rise

00:25:42for silence

00:25:43as timekeeper

00:25:44Roosevelt Gilbert

00:25:44told the

00:25:45final count

00:25:46of ten

00:25:46for the

00:25:47late

00:25:47Dick Young

00:25:48steele

00:26:01next

00:26:05in

00:26:10steele

00:26:13steele

00:26:15steele

00:26:16steele

00:26:17steele

00:26:18May his soul rest in peace.

00:26:22Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

00:26:28And now, ladies and gentlemen,

00:26:29this is the featured bout of the evening.

00:26:32It's a presentation of Don King Productions

00:26:35and the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino

00:26:38along with Budweiser.

00:26:41The bout is sanctioned by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board

00:26:44Commissioner Larry Hazard,

00:26:45Deputy Commissioners Nick DiBalostraria and Lawrence Wallace.

00:26:49The chairman is Jerry Gormley.

00:26:52Representing the International Boxing Federation

00:26:54is its president, Robert W. Lee.

00:26:57The Championship Committee Chairman is here, Bill Brennan.

00:27:00Representing the World Boxing Association,

00:27:03Dr. Keith Arthur and Dr. Elias Cordova.

00:27:06Here for the World Boxing Council is James J. Binns, Esquire.

00:27:11The three judges doing all the scoring tonight

00:27:13are Al Walensky, John Stewart, and Frank D. Brunette.

00:27:19The timekeeper, Roosevelt Gilbert.

00:27:21Counting for the knockdown seconds, Rudy Battle.

00:27:25Chief ringside physician, Dr. Frank B. Doggett.

00:27:27Also in attendance, Dr. Stanley Edden and Dr. Paul Williams.

00:27:32And now, ladies and gentlemen,

00:27:37let's get ready to rumble from the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino

00:27:41by way of Convention Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

00:27:46Fifteen rounds for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world.

00:27:54The referee for this bout is Tony Orlando.

00:28:01Introducing first, fighting out of the blue corner.

00:28:04He's wearing the white trunks and weighs 228 and three quarter pounds.

00:28:10He's from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

00:28:13This Olympic gold medal champion has 15 consecutive victories,

00:28:19penned by knockout, introducing the number one challenger in the world,

00:28:25Tyrell B.

00:28:35Fighting out of the red corner, wearing the solid black trunks,

00:28:40he weighs 216 pounds.

00:28:42From Catskill, New York, 27 of his 31 unblemished victories are by knockout.

00:28:51Ladies and gentlemen, the undefeated, undisputed, heavyweight champion of the world,

00:28:59Iron Mike Tyson.

00:29:03Gentlemen, we received your instructions prior to coming to the ring.

00:29:14Therefore, I expect a good, clean bout.

00:29:16Do you have any questions?

00:29:17Touch gloves, we'll back to you corner. Good luck.

00:29:20Mary and Ray, I wouldn't be surprised if this fight lasted a minute or an hour.

00:29:25I feel exactly the same way.

00:29:26It's one of those fights you really don't know.

00:29:28I believe in the opinions of many of the people who feel that Tyrell Biggs can win the fight.

00:29:35I don't happen to be of that school, but you just don't know.

00:29:38Expect Tyson to jump right on Tyrell Biggs.

00:29:41Three questions that Mike Tyson really has to answer.

00:29:44Can he cope with a clever boxer?

00:29:46Can he survive a heavy puncher?

00:29:48And can he persevere when he's hurt?

00:29:50You notice right from the start, Tyson is applying the pressure,

00:29:54trying to slow this man down.

00:29:55I'm seeing more jabs from Mike Tyson than I've seen in the past.

00:30:00I see a lot of movement on the part of Tyrell Biggs.

00:30:03Good lateral movement.

00:30:05Those hands should be up a little higher because, again,

00:30:08the hand speed of Mike Tyson is very good.

00:30:14You have said that Biggs has to go side to side to win the fight, Ray.

00:30:17They go side to side.

00:30:18Give your man angles.

00:30:19Throw the jab like he's doing now, not to let Tyson stand up.

00:30:23Stay good.

00:30:24Stay good.

00:30:25Stay good.

00:30:26Stay good.

00:30:27Stay good.

00:30:28Now, Tyson also said that he has found a pattern in Tyrell Biggs

00:30:33that he feints to the right before the punch actually is thrown.

00:30:36Well, whatever he does, the fact that Tyson has to set up

00:30:39to get that kind of leverage.

00:30:42See, a good snap and jab is very effective.

00:30:44Whether or not Biggs can keep this up is yet to be seen.

00:30:47It's not time to be pretty in here.

00:30:49It's just time to frustrate this man,

00:30:51and that's what they want from Biggs.

00:30:54Good, consistent jab.

00:30:57And along the lines of patterns,

00:31:00Biggs feels that Tyson actually bobs in a pattern four times,

00:31:05and then he comes up with his head.

00:31:07See, wait.

00:31:07Now, here, you saw how Tyson walks in.

00:31:09With that crouching style to deliver a shot.

00:31:17He's trying for the head.

00:31:18Now we see him head hunting from Mike Tyson.

00:31:21He can't get into that.

00:31:24That was a good shot by Tyson.

00:31:26Get off the ropes.

00:31:27Tie your man up.

00:31:28That's the way.

00:31:29Get him back into the center of the ring.

00:31:30Use the jab again.

00:31:32And come with that right hand.

00:31:35That was a quick little overhand right by Tyrell Biggs.

00:31:39Biggs now is talking to Tyson.

00:31:42Again, Barry's trying to frustrate him.

00:31:44But I don't like his hands down that low.

00:31:46I don't like Biggs' hands down so low.

00:31:48Step back, step back, step back.

00:31:49No hands.

00:31:49Step back.

00:31:50Because Tyson throws those looping right hands and left hooks.

00:31:55Get him up, Mike.

00:31:56Get him up.

00:31:58Body shot by Tyson.

00:32:01Tiofilo Stevenson, and I admit it was five years ago,

00:32:04but he really bothered me.

00:32:05There is the hook.

00:32:06Again, because his hands are down.

00:32:09He's moving right, but he keeps his hands down too low.

00:32:12Tyson has very quick hands for a big man.

00:32:15Stevenson beat Biggs by going to the body.

00:32:17Broke three ribs, as a matter of fact.

00:32:19A lot of water under the bridge since then.

00:32:22They're going to have to fix Tyson's equipment here in just a moment

00:32:25as it has come loose.

00:32:29Biggs is starting to become a stationary target, which is wrong.

00:32:31Right hand by Tyson.

00:32:33A little bit of blood inside the mouth of Tyrell Biggs.

00:32:39I don't know if Biggs can fight a perfect fight,

00:32:44but he fought about as perfect a round

00:32:46as he could have hoped for to start this fight.

00:32:49There you see our punch stat, which tells you that Tyson

00:33:09was not effective with the jab,

00:33:11and, of course, Tyrell Biggs was very effective with that.

00:33:23Let the hook pull you around.

00:33:26Let the hook pull you around with two or four.

00:33:27One more.

00:33:28One more.

00:33:28Then stop.

00:33:29One more.

00:33:30One more.

00:33:30You got the cover?

00:33:31One more.

00:33:32Huh?

00:33:32You got your hands up.

00:33:33Hold me one more.

00:33:34You got your hands up.

00:33:35One second, bro.

00:33:36One second, bro.

00:33:37One second, bro.

00:33:38One second, bro.

00:33:40And as punch stat showed or confirmed,

00:33:48that was a very good round using the left hand

00:33:52as well as he can.

00:33:54That is exactly what Biggs must do to stay in this fight.

00:34:00Can Tyson neutralize the jab?

00:34:03You see, Biggs is doing great the first two minutes

00:34:06of the first round, keeping that jab consistent,

00:34:09moving lateral, giving angles.

00:34:10But then the last maybe 45 seconds of the round, bro,

00:34:14he stopped.

00:34:15He came stationary target.

00:34:16The hands again, which I think is a major mistake

00:34:20because of Tyson's hand speed.

00:34:22And Tyson throws his punch.

00:34:23He loops his right hand.

00:34:25He loops his hook.

00:34:26And Biggs could be asked for a few problems.

00:34:28Well, and the thing that strikes me, actually,

00:34:30is Biggs did have a round and did fight according

00:34:32to his fight plan.

00:34:33But he still took some strong shots from Tyson.

00:34:35You see, now Biggs, again, is starting to stand there

00:34:39and exchange toe-to-toe, like I said earlier.

00:34:41He can't do that.

00:34:42Tyson's punches come so fast with so much velocity behind him.

00:34:46It's devastating.

00:34:49Biggs has shown a tendency, actually,

00:34:51throughout his career, and especially later in his career,

00:34:53most recently, to get in there occasionally

00:34:55and want to slug it out when he's been stung.

00:34:58And that could be suicide.

00:35:02And the way that Biggs is moving to his right,

00:35:08that's wrong because of the hook of Mike Tyson.

00:35:11He'll run right to the left hook.

00:35:17Two hands, two hands.

00:35:18Punch it out.

00:35:19Let him go.

00:35:20Let him go in there.

00:35:21Don't let him go.

00:35:21Come on.

00:35:23Let him go.

00:35:23All right, break it.

00:35:24Step back.

00:35:25What I was expecting from Biggs, in fact,

00:35:27they told me this, that he's been working this in the gym,

00:35:31was the uppercuts, the jab to go through Tyson's defense.

00:35:35I have not seen that yet.

00:35:38And the game plan was for Biggs, rather,

00:35:40to move to his left.

00:35:42Now, he's been moving to his right.

00:35:43And as you said, he's been getting himself

00:35:44in a little trouble when he does so.

00:35:46Tyson's driven some tremendous shots to the body.

00:35:49And that's going to help bring those hands down even lower.

00:35:53Remember, Stevenson broke three ribs of Tyrell Biggs.

00:35:57I'm looking for a left hook, Barry.

00:35:59I really am, because look at the right hand of Tyrell Biggs.

00:36:03That's the uppercut, but you've got to come back with the right hand.

00:36:13The uppercut raised the chin of a guy who crouches in,

00:36:17and the right hand does the most damage.

00:36:19There was a big right hand.

00:36:21Best punch of the fight.

00:36:22That was the left hook, Barry.

00:36:23That was the left hook I was talking about.

00:36:25Now, if Biggs should make it back to his corner, I'm sure,

00:36:29Georgie Biggs would say, keep those hands high.

00:36:33Right, left.

00:36:34I'll get it right.

00:36:35Right, left.

00:36:37But the fact of the matter is, the right hand's down.

00:36:39Biggs, the left hook has been scoring.

00:36:42And it rocked Biggs.

00:36:43As Michael Tyson said before this fight,

00:36:46everybody has a plan until they're hit.

00:36:48A little bit more coming in, a little bit more jab.

00:36:53You start that round real good, then you slow down with the jab.

00:36:55You hurt him with that hook.

00:36:56You understand anything?

00:36:57You want to see the 5-1 now.

00:36:597-7 coming in.

00:37:00What's going on?

00:37:015-1.

00:37:025-5-1.

00:37:03You understand, Pia?

00:37:04Take a little spring back and put a little twist in there.

00:37:06Take a little twist.

00:37:07And here is Tyson's most effective punch.

00:37:10Biggs has been on his flat-footed more in this round.

00:37:15than he was in the first round.

00:37:17Got nailed with the left hook.

00:37:19He has shown in the past that he takes a good punch.

00:37:23You don't want to take too many from Tyson.

00:37:26But now look.

00:37:28This guy will slow down.

00:37:30You know, just look at the storm for another round.

00:37:33You understand?

00:37:34Come on.

00:37:35Second job.

00:37:36Second job.

00:37:37So Kevin Rooney wants Mike Tyson to jab a little bit more.

00:37:44And Biggs starts the third round backing up a little bit.

00:37:53Good stiff jab on Mike Tyson.

00:37:54Tyson will constantly apply pressure to Biggs.

00:37:57Keep working his body and working a jab like Kevin Rooney stated.

00:38:02People don't realize this, and I learned this from Angelo Dundee.

00:38:06It's not a matter how long your jab is.

00:38:08The fact that you have a jab, use it.

00:38:10That offsets someone else's jab.

00:38:12Now the left hook.

00:38:15The hook is going to land all night, Barry, because his right hand is down.

00:38:27Let me show you what Tyson does when he delivers that left hook.

00:38:30He takes one, two steps in, dips, and puts his whole body, all his weight behind each point.

00:38:36A lot of leverage.

00:38:38One, two.

00:38:39You see it.

00:38:40He steps in.

00:38:43So you have to time it.

00:38:44You have to time this movement.

00:38:47One, two.

00:38:48Again, same thing.

00:38:49One, two.

00:38:50And he throws it.

00:38:51That was a little short left hand, but he did get in.

00:39:00The body shot with the left hand.

00:39:08And now the cut over the left eye, and it's pretty bad.

00:39:11It's the same eye, the same cut.

00:39:15And another big left hand, and Biggs is hurt.

00:39:17Now he gets out of there.

00:39:19A lot of blood from the left eye of Tyrell Biggs.

00:39:22That's the same thing that probably happened with David Bates in a toe-to-toe.

00:39:28It's a terrible mistake.

00:39:30That's something he pointed out before the fight.

00:39:34And now it's Tyson just hammering it.

00:39:38That's a nasty cut.

00:39:40The blood is seeping to the eye.

00:39:42A lot of work in the corner of Tyrell Biggs to stop that bleeding.

00:39:51The cut is right above the eye.

00:39:54It's exactly in the same place as the last one.

00:39:57in the same place as the last one.

00:40:07I don't know what happened.

00:40:09All that gym work has gone down the drain

00:40:11because he's not boxing, he's not using his tools.

00:40:15He's trying to out-muscle Mike Tyson,

00:40:19which is not his fight plan.

00:40:23And there is a huge left hand.

00:40:27Quick, I'll punch you, let him go, let him go.

00:40:30They may stop, but that's a nasty cut.

00:40:37And I don't think I can tell you what a finisher Mike Tyson is.

00:40:46The pressure, the relentless pressure of Tyson

00:40:50takes its toll.

00:40:52That's a big round.

00:40:54There you see that cut that he absorbed against Tyrell,

00:41:09against David Bay,

00:41:11and here it is right now being worked on.

00:41:13That was a 32-stitch gash that he suffered from Bay.

00:41:20Now you see how your gas is coming?

00:41:22Now let's see if we can catch it as it happens.

00:41:26That's the punch that apparently sliced Bay open.

00:41:31Excuse me, Tyrell Biggs open.

00:41:34Second down.

00:41:35Second down.

00:41:36Second down.

00:41:37It's the same right hand, Larry, that was thrown by David Bay.

00:41:40Let's remember that Biggs has fought his best when he's been in trouble.

00:41:46But I think it's fair to say that he's not in there against David Bay tonight.

00:41:56Right hand body shot and the left hand behind it by Tyson.

00:42:01Mike Tyson is not just loaded with one punch.

00:42:11He's trying to put his punches together.

00:42:13He's trying to put together combinations.

00:42:15A mistake he made with Tony Tucker.

00:42:18Tyson Ray, to me, seems to be a little bit more patient tonight.

00:42:22Yes, in fact he is a little more composed picking his shots.

00:42:27But again, I don't know why they don't pick it up in Biggs' corner.

00:42:31The way Tyson steps in and leaves his chin so vulnerable.

00:42:45The way I see it now, Mike Tyson has made Biggs fight his fight.

00:42:52So far, the cut has not been any worse.

00:42:59And remember, it was a pretty good job done by Ace Morata as cut man in the fight with David Bay.

00:43:03But again, Tyson just putting all the pressure on him, having it his way.

00:43:06Didn't seem like Michael was a good short uppercut by Mike Tyson.

00:43:17A little more upper body movement from Tyrell Biggs now.

00:43:20He's starting to throw some uppercuts.

00:43:22He took a big left hand there.

00:43:23And an elbow.

00:43:27The cut has reopened again.

00:43:32The cut has reopened again.

00:43:36Great! Step back. Let him go. Let him go. Step back, Tony. Step back.

00:43:41How does it happen, Ray, that a fighter like Biggs, in this case tonight, will go into a fight with a game plan.

00:43:55And almost from the opening bell, he'll just let that game plan go away.

00:43:58It's all concentration. You've got to stick to something that's working for you.

00:44:03And when I see in Tyson, Tyson sticks to his game plan.

00:44:06He works the body with that right hand.

00:44:07He drills a hard right hand to the body and comes up with a good left hook.

00:44:11All right, Mike. Step back. Let him go. Let him go.

00:44:15But Biggs is doing almost everything exactly the opposite of what he said he was going to do.

00:44:19Huge left hand there by Tyson.

00:44:29And a combination by Tyson. A left and a right behind him.

00:44:34All right, Frank. Step back. Let him go. Let him go. Let him go.

00:44:38Getting to be a mismatch.

00:44:41Right now, Tyson looks like he's rolling in like the tide from the Atlantic Ocean a few steps from Convention Hall.

00:44:48You had it good, Doc. We're going to be all right.

00:44:55No problem. Give me that bottle.

00:45:00Bob. There's no problem.

00:45:03The brain doctor is taking a lot of time.

00:45:06I got it all set. But the cut appears no worse than it did earlier.

00:45:09Put your head back. Back. All the way back.

00:45:11You're a bit desperate. You're laying back. You're taking it easy. You can't take it easy with this guy.

00:45:17You got to keep the pressure on this guy. You got to move your hand.

00:45:20All you got to do is throw the combinations. You got to put two, three, four punches together.

00:45:24You understand me? You understand what I'm saying?

00:45:26He won't be there. He's going to be there. He's going to be there.

00:45:30He's not going to be there. One more round. Let's go.

00:45:32Let's go. And you would not go. You're not nothing.

00:45:35One more round. He's not there, baby.

00:45:37Come on. Second down.

00:45:39Let's go. Let's go. Let's go.

00:45:44And so we start the fifth round and Tyson is right on his man.

00:45:47Kevin Rooney exhorting him to throw two and three punch combinations.

00:45:58It's a little swelling under the right eye of Tyrell Biggs as well right now.

00:46:02I don't know if Tyrell is going to recognize himself when he wakes up tomorrow morning.

00:46:21I don't know what that was the second of the road by Tyrell Biggs.

00:46:27This is somewhat disappointing for Biggs' corner because he has more talent than what he's showing tonight.

00:46:34The left hooks has been consistent and very, very accurate with Mike Tyson.

00:46:41But they're there for good reason, right?

00:46:43Well, Tyson, because look what you have in front of you.

00:46:46The fact that Biggs is not doing what he worked on.

00:46:51He just forgot about his game plan.

00:46:54Totally abandoned it.

00:46:55Mike Tyson, he's doing what he does best.

00:46:58Worked a body, worked a head.

00:47:05Simple fact is that I don't think you have to be a boxing expert.

00:47:09Tyrell Biggs is dropping his right hand and he's just leaving himself completely open for the left hook.

00:47:13Well, I think this is a good education for the public because the fans at home because they're seeing what should not be done against a fighter like a Mike Tyson or any boxer or puncher, rather, in particular.

00:47:25You have to be consistent. Keep those hands hot.

00:47:26And again, that cut over the left eye has opened up. There is a swelling under the right eye that has a lot of blood right below the surface of the skin also.

00:47:43What Biggs has to do, he has to work something out, which is actually the left jab to break that rhythm and stop the momentum of Mike Tyson.

00:47:54He continues, Barry, to allow Mike to dominate.

00:47:57And again, bleeding from the mouth as he has been since the first round. Not a pretty sight.

00:48:05He subjects himself, Biggs does, to standing toe-to-toe and being actually a punching bag.

00:48:10This way, you'll probably see more knots and bruises because Tyson is hard.

00:48:21Good body shot by Mike Tyson.

00:48:23And remember, the doctor was in Tyrell Biggs' corner and looked long and hard at that cut in the last round.

00:48:29And you're going to see him again. Tyson hit on a break that time.

00:48:33This is a boxing match, a wrestling match. When I say break, you're both break, understand?

00:48:40You understand Mike, Joe? Let's go.

00:48:43That cut is even uglier.

00:48:46I'm sure the doctor will look at it.

00:48:47Bloody Friday.

00:48:53He's not doing enough. He's not doing enough.

00:48:56He's doing enough.

00:48:58He's doing enough.

00:48:59Now look, don't give in on this shit.

00:49:01This guy can't punch. Can't do nothing out there.

00:49:03Now listen.

00:49:04Now listen.

00:49:06All right, but look.

00:49:08Joe, you got a break clean, man.

00:49:09Let's go take it.

00:49:10Come on, tell him.

00:49:11And keep your hands up when this guy's...

00:49:13Don't press the guy.

00:49:14Now look.

00:49:16Are you all right?

00:49:18Arrow Letterman.

00:49:19Unofficial official.

00:49:20How do you score the fight?

00:49:22Well, Larry, I've got a 49-46 Mike Tyson.

00:49:24Four to one in rounds.

00:49:26Based on the four points that we score, it's very simple to score.

00:49:29Mike Tyson's just been the effective aggressor, the harder hitter, and he's dominating at this point.

00:49:34Second down.

00:49:35This guy's got it.

00:49:36Second down.

00:49:37Okay.

00:49:38You understand?

00:49:39Second down.

00:49:40Let's go.

00:49:41Second down.

00:49:42Come on.

00:49:43This guy's hurting him.

00:49:44Let's go.

00:49:45You're hurting him.

00:49:46Let's go.

00:49:47Let's go.

00:49:48Lou Dubas doing everything possible to inspire Biggs.

00:49:53He said as he left the ring, you heard him.

00:49:55You heard him.

00:49:56Step back, Lou.

00:49:57Step back.

00:49:58That is wishful thinking.

00:49:59Step back, Lou.

00:50:01Step back.

00:50:02All right, break.

00:50:03Step back.

00:50:04Step back.

00:50:05Step back.

00:50:06I'll take him to the win.

00:50:07And Biggs holding on a great deal now.

00:50:11There was a right hand by Tyson.

00:50:15And another.

00:50:20Biggs, you have to say, he takes a good shot,

00:50:23but this was not necessary.

00:50:25I mean, I figured that Biggs would use that height,

00:50:29that reach, and his ring generalship

00:50:31to make this fight a little easier for him.

00:50:35Instead, he abandoned his tactics.

00:50:37The strategy he worked on in the gym and select

00:50:40to fight Mike Tyson's fight.

00:50:44I love those body shots, Barry.

00:50:46The weak of the fighter, it takes away his legs,

00:50:50so you won't see that much movement from Tyrell Biggs.

00:50:54And what Mike wants him to be is a stationary target.

00:50:59Tyson's fought an excellent fight so far.

00:51:01I admit that Biggs has let him fight an excellent fight,

00:51:05but Tyson's been very sharp.

00:51:07Well, I like Tyson because now he's putting his combinations together.

00:51:10He's not loading up anymore.

00:51:12And he's also showing a lot more patience.

00:51:14He was a guy who would just get in there and go for the quick kill

00:51:17and try to do it, generally speaking, with one punch.

00:51:21You know what's happening here?

00:51:22Actually, Biggs is just wearing down,

00:51:25and slowly but surely, slowly but surely.

00:51:28It's like chopping a tree down.

00:51:31It's the same principle.

00:51:32He's wearing, Mike Tyson's wearing his band down.

00:51:34And the way you can tell this, Barry, is the fact that you notice this very, very seldom does Biggs retaliate.

00:51:49Very seldom you see Biggs come back with a combination of his own.

00:51:54Biggs, don't punch him, let him out.

00:51:56Let him out, tell him.

00:51:57Let him go, come on, tell him.

00:51:59Let him go and take the point away now.

00:52:01These two, of course, go back a long way, all the way back to amateur days.

00:52:06Now they're left-handed, and there's a great shot.

00:52:09Biggs is in trouble.

00:52:10Yeah.

00:52:12The way it looks now, Biggs like a defeated warrior now.

00:52:15He's been pounded on for five rounds, and he's slowly but surely wearing down.

00:52:25His legs will look steady.

00:52:30Tyson's getting stronger, and Biggs is just holding on.

00:52:34Well, that made the betters happy, if nothing else, because Tyrell Biggs has lasted six rounds.

00:52:52They say that Tyson is predictable, but so is a hurricane.

00:52:56What can you do about it?

00:52:57Well, here's something that hasn't been predictable the last couple of weeks, because of the football strike.

00:53:00But inside the NFL, we'll now be back, because the strike has been, and I'll put it, quote, settled.

00:53:05Your hosts, Len Dawson and Nick Bonacani.

00:53:07It's right here on HBO Thursdays at 11.

00:53:11More sevens.

00:53:11Like again, more sevens.

00:53:13More sevens.

00:53:14That six was beautiful.

00:53:15Let's see.

00:53:15Six, five, one.

00:53:16Six, five, two, one.

00:53:18Get to the side.

00:53:19Play with this guy now.

00:53:20You understand me?

00:53:20This guy's got nothing.

00:53:21Give him the fame.

00:53:22Like you did before.

00:53:22Give him the fame.

00:53:23Give him the fame.

00:53:24Step to the side.

00:53:25You're taking the best he's got.

00:53:27So what the hell's wrong with your car?

00:53:28I bet.

00:53:29Come on, this guy's gone.

00:53:30Come on, you better fire him.

00:53:32Fire from your chin.

00:53:33The guy can't fight inside.

00:53:35So if you've got no legs, fight him inside if you've got no legs.

00:53:39Those numbers you heard were a fight combination.

00:53:42Customato, the mentor of Mike Tyson, used to put numbers on the different fight combinations.

00:53:49And Kevin Rooney is Tyson's disciple.

00:53:52I heard something interesting in Biggs' corner.

00:53:56He told him, his trainer said, if your legs are gone, stand and fight him.

00:54:00Stand toe-to-toe and fight him.

00:54:01So apparently, the legs of Tyrell Biggs are shot because you don't see movement.

00:54:09He hasn't had movement, actually, for the past two or three rounds.

00:54:11And just to further that point, in the last round, our punch stat figures Tyrell Biggs threw 15 punches, Ray.

00:54:18Again, like I said earlier, Barry, he's just wearing down.

00:54:23You can appreciate, especially from ringside, those body attacks by Mike Tyson.

00:54:30I mean, he gets his whole body.

00:54:31A lot of leverage.

00:54:32I am surprised that I have not seen that many uppercuts from Tyrell Biggs.

00:54:44That was his game plan.

00:54:45I mean, that was something he said he had to do.

00:54:50All right, break.

00:54:51No punch.

00:54:51Step back.

00:54:52Let him go.

00:54:53Tyrell, come on.

00:54:53Let him go.

00:54:54Take the corner right there.

00:54:54Come on.

00:54:55Come on.

00:54:56Come on.

00:54:58Come on.

00:54:59Come on.

00:55:01All right, break.

00:55:02No punch in.

00:55:02Step back.

00:55:03Let him go, Tyrell.

00:55:03Let him go.

00:55:04Step back.

00:55:04Good.

00:55:06A cut, incidentally, at least for the last couple of rounds, has not shown any more blood.

00:55:14Hold it.

00:55:15Let him out.

00:55:16It appears to me that Biggs was trying to time Tyson with a common right.

00:55:21I noticed when Tyson comes in, Biggs tried to stand his ground and throw a right hand.

00:55:25Step back.

00:55:26Let him go, Tyrell.

00:55:26Let him go.

00:55:27So now that tells me that Biggs is pretty much followed through the same trap as Mike Tyson,

00:55:31trying for one punch.

00:55:34And he's never.

00:55:35There's a right hand that just caught Biggs off balance.

00:55:38Biggs is covering up a lot of times unnecessarily and just trying to protect himself.

00:55:46Biggs, of course, has never been known as a guy who could put a man away with one punch.

00:55:50He dropped Snipes with a good right hand.

00:55:56But he didn't put him away.

00:55:57The elbow there from Mike Tyson.

00:56:01Cameron was telling Tyson, get a couple head fakes.

00:56:04Oh, that was a tremendous left hand.

00:56:15Two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.

00:56:25How do you feel, Tyrell?

00:56:26Okay.

00:56:28Oh, this is it.

00:56:30He is gone right now.

00:56:31He has no legs at all.

00:56:32And ten seconds to go in a round.

00:56:36There's a left hand.

00:56:37He's down again.

00:56:37It's over.

00:56:38It's all over.

00:56:39And it wasn't even close.

00:56:42And what we've seen has happened so often in which a fighter, after a few rounds, starts

00:56:49to hang on to Tyson, that we have to say it's Tyson's credit.

00:56:54He's the one who makes it happen.

00:56:56He makes it happen with his pressure.

00:56:58And no matter what an opponent's plan is, that plan disintegrates like a broken piece of

00:57:05crockery when it's faced with that kind of pressure.

00:57:09There's no way to practice for that.

00:57:10I pointed out in the past, it's like trying to, how do you practice to hit Nolan Ryan's

00:57:15fastball or Boris Becker's serve?

00:57:17Where do you, where do you get the practice for that?

00:57:19You don't.

00:57:20It's that simple.

00:57:21Let's take a look at the first knockdown.

00:57:23It was a left hand and a big one.

00:57:25And I feel like I'm being redundant with that.

00:57:27But he hit him with many big left hands, Ray.

00:57:29Well, look at the right hand of Tyrell Biggs.

00:57:31It's down.

00:57:32And the left hook has been landed from round one.

00:57:35But the first minute or two of round one, Biggs is doing his job, boxing.

00:57:41Now he becomes a stationary target.

00:57:43That toe-to-toe tactics proved wrong against David Bay, which he subsequently was cut.

00:57:48And now the same thing happens.

00:57:50So all he had was actually a replay of what took place.

00:57:54Here, Mike Tyson just wears his man down with beautiful short left hooks.

00:57:59It was really more his legs than anything else.

00:58:01He was just kind of off balance, had his legs together, just never really got it together.

00:58:05Here is the final knockdown now.

00:58:07I think it's the power and the fact that Mike Tyson actually wore his man down.

00:58:16One more look at the end for Tyrell Biggs.

00:58:20And, Barry, let me say this for you and Larry.

00:58:23There is a way to stop a guy coming in.

00:58:26And it's with a jab.

00:58:26You've got to work on jabs, angles, and combinations.

00:58:30Yeah, and Ray, he did it for one round.

00:58:32That was it.

00:58:32But that was his fault, Barry.

00:58:33He forgot.

00:58:34He just gave up.

00:58:35He just abandoned the tactics that would have been effective.

00:58:37Now, that's what I mean.

00:58:39As a matter of fact, and I don't mean to just blow smoke at you because you did it, but you

00:58:42were the only person I've ever seen start with a fight plan and stay with a fight plan.

00:58:48And just not get away from it.

00:58:49Well, that's what is required against a guy with the kind of heart, determination, power

00:58:54of Mike Tyson.

00:58:55You've got to be consistent.

00:58:56Let's get the official decision now from Michael Buffer.

00:58:58Mike?

00:58:58Ladies and gentlemen, the end comes at two minutes, 59 seconds of the seventh round.

00:59:06The winner, still the undefeated, undisputed, heavyweight champion of the world, Mike Tyson.

00:59:14All right, right now, Larry Merchant trying to make his way over to the champion, and I

00:59:32believe he is.

00:59:33Let's go to Larry right now with Mike Tyson.

00:59:34Larry?

00:59:37And I'm with Mike Tyson, who first administered a paint job and then sort of wrecked the whole

00:59:43house.

00:59:44Mike, he looked very impressive in the first round, looking like Ali, the way he moved

00:59:49and jabbed.

00:59:50What were your thoughts at that point, and then how did you attack him to stop that?

00:59:54Well, in my mind, I knew this was 15 rounds, and I was prepared to put the pressure on him

00:59:58constantly for 15 rounds.

00:59:59You know, I was having a great time in there.

01:00:01I felt good.

01:00:02I was in the best condition of my life, and I did what I was supposed to do.

01:00:06Tell me, what did you think in that first round when he was moving, trying to do an Ali

01:00:10with his left?

01:00:11I knew.

01:00:11When I came in this fight, I was the best fighter in the world.

01:00:13I'm not a man alive.

01:00:14That can beat me.

01:00:15What broke him down?

01:00:17Was it just the pressure?

01:00:18Constantly body punches.

01:00:19When I was hitting him with body punches, I heard him.

01:00:21Actually, he was crying in there, making women gestures like, oh, oh, oh.

01:00:25I can't find him, but I knew that he was breaking down soon.

01:00:28You're saying that Biggs was crying when you hit him?

01:00:31Yes.

01:00:31When did that happen?

01:00:33In perhaps the fourth round on.

01:00:35So that you knew you had him by that time.

01:00:37Absolutely, but I knew he was tough in there taking those punches.

01:00:40Was this your most satisfying fight in the sense of the way you went about it patiently and businesslike,

01:00:48not getting excited, not trying to take him out with one punch?

01:00:52Well, I was very calm, and I was thinking about Roberto Durant, how he used to cut down

01:00:57the runners and just wear them down.

01:00:58And I had that frame of mind when I was in the ring.

01:01:00All right, Mike, let's take a look at the first knockdown, and would you describe what was happening?

01:01:06Well, I was in there looking for the punch, boom, and I knew it would come.

01:01:09But when he threw a punch, his hand opened a little, and I thought I could slip a punch right in there.

01:01:16Were you trying to work on his cut early on because he was pretty bloody?

01:01:20No, I wasn't even thinking about the cut.

01:01:21I was just hitting to the body, softening him up.

01:01:24So that from then on you really feel that it was inevitable after the first few rounds?

01:01:29Absolutely.

01:01:31All right, Mike, we hear now that you're going to fight Larry Holmes next.

01:01:35Why Larry Holmes?

01:01:37Well, I don't have any say-so in the matter.

01:01:39I was just a fighter, and I was just a fighter, and I was just a fighter.

01:01:40I was just a fighter, and I was just a fighter against any man in the world.

01:01:42If I was you, I'd talk to Jim Jacobs about that.

01:01:43Do you want to fight Larry Holmes?

01:01:45I'll fight any man in the world because I believe there's no one in this clan that can beat me.

01:01:49Okay, then let me ask Jimmy Jacobs, the co-manager, Mike, why do you want to fight Larry Holmes next?

01:01:56Well, the reason is that I would say that 90% of the world,

01:02:00thought that Larry Holmes beat Michael Spinks the last time they fought.

01:02:05In fact, Larry, of 46 newspaper men polled after the fight,

01:02:0942 men of the 46 voted for Larry Holmes in the last fight with Michael Spinks.

01:02:15Larry is sitting at home feeling that he's the champion,

01:02:17and that's the reason we're going to fight him.

01:02:19But he did lose his last two fights.

01:02:23He hasn't fought in a good long while.

01:02:25A lot of people are saying, what is this, some kind of an antique show?

01:02:29Or is this in the best or worst traditions of boxing, fighting these kinds of fights?

01:02:33I don't think it's either in the worst or best traditions of boxing.

01:02:37Boxing history is replete with 27 heavyweight champions attempting to regain the title.

01:02:42However, the champion we're talking about, Larry Holmes, was defeated by a split decision in his last fight against Michael Spinks,

01:02:51where everyone, even you, Larry, everyone, including you, thought that Larry Holmes won the fight.

01:02:57Okay, then what about Michael Spinks?

01:03:01That is the most attractive fight out there, according to everyone, and you can jump in here, too, Bill Caton.

01:03:08What about Michael Spinks, and why aren't you going to take him on next or right after next or whenever?

01:03:16Whenever we're ready to, we make our plans for that.

01:03:19We haven't made our plans to take on Michael Spinks because a fight with Michael Spinks,

01:03:24which is a pay-per-view, close circuit fight, takes a minimum of five months,

01:03:28during which time Mike would not fight.

01:03:30Mike wants to fight more frequently.

01:03:32So you're saying now you will fight Michael Spinks eventually?

01:03:35I would say this, that Michael Spinks is definitely in our future.

01:03:40Definitely in our future, but not in our immediate future.

01:03:44Let me put it this way.

01:03:46If you have been saying that you have a lot of fights planned,

01:03:50that you have told various people you're going to fight their man,

01:03:54what about going in there and saying,

01:03:57we'll fight you winner-take-all, or winner-take-almost-all.

01:04:01We'll give a million dollars to the loser and 20 million to the winner.

01:04:04Would you fight Spinks under those circumstances?

01:04:06Under those circumstances, if he would take a million, yes.

01:04:09Or you take a million.

01:04:10Yes, we would fight Michael Spinks on the basis that the loser takes a million

01:04:15and the winner take the rest.

01:04:17Yes, we would do that.

01:04:18That's one way of making the deal.

01:04:20Yeah, that would be one way of making the deal quick.

01:04:22You sound pretty confident, and let's see what Barry and Ray think about that one.

01:04:27If he's going to do that, sit there now.

01:04:28All right, thanks very much, Larry Merchant and Mike Tyson.

01:04:33And here's a couple of special guests dropping through the camera shots here.

01:04:35And I'm with a guy who you just spoke about a little bit.

01:04:38No, he's not at home watching this one.

01:04:39He's right here watching this one.

01:04:41Larry Holmes, the former champion.

01:04:43And, Larry, let me ask you, first of all, the obvious.

01:04:44Is there a deal for you to fight Mike Tyson?

01:04:47Yes, it's a deal.

01:04:48There are a few things that we have to work out yet, but it's a deal.

01:04:51You know, I'm ready to go in there with Mike sometime in January,

01:04:55whatever day they want,

01:04:56and hope it's going to be on HBO because I want the world to be able to see it.

01:05:00And out of this fight, I hope there's such a thing as fairness.

01:05:03Last time I didn't get it, and I complained about it.

01:05:05The world's seen it.

01:05:06Now I hope once they see it once more, it's fairness.

01:05:09I'm going to knock this guy out.

01:05:10What did you see in here tonight?

01:05:11What did you see that you feel that you can do that Tyrell Biggs didn't?

01:05:15Well, first of all, I'm a boxer.

01:05:17My jab is stronger.

01:05:18I got a good right hand, and I can hook it.

01:05:21One thing I've seen, Tyson makes a lot of mistakes.

01:05:24And if he fights me dirty, that's what kind of fight it's going to be all night

01:05:27because I didn't see a class to fight.

01:05:29I didn't see a guy with class in there tonight.

01:05:32I've seen a guy that throws elbows.

01:05:33I've seen a guy that throws butts.

01:05:35I've seen a guy that hits after the bell.

01:05:37I've seen all of this in Mike Tyson.

01:05:38I didn't see a gentleman in there.

01:05:39If they want to make him out of a beast that he claimed to be,

01:05:42he's going to be in there with a beast.

01:05:43I'm an experienced, professional fighter.

01:05:46I am no kid.

01:05:47I do not play.

01:05:48So if he wants to fight any way he wants to fight,

01:05:50I am capable of fighting any way anybody wants to fight.

01:05:53Everybody says movement.

01:05:55That's the way to beat him.

01:05:56Everybody agrees that's the way to beat him.

01:05:57And yet I've seen four or five guys get in here

01:05:59and just not be able to do it, even though they know how to do it.

01:06:02Well, first of all, it's a different kind of movement.

01:06:05It's a running kind like he was doing in the first round.

01:06:07He got out there, he ran.

01:06:09Not really running.

01:06:10Using the jab, he was doing very well.

01:06:12And then when he tried to settle down, it was a little bit too late.

01:06:14What you do is take his momentum right away.

01:06:17You've got to demand the respect.

01:06:20And you can't demand respect if you don't have a good left hand.

01:06:23That's something that I got at 37, who soon will be 38 years old.

01:06:28And think about it.

01:06:29After this fight, people are saying, Larry Holmes, why?

01:06:34They won't say that anymore after this because I know what I'm doing.

01:06:37Let me ask you, the obvious question is to ask you about the layoff,

01:06:40but I asked this guy behind me about the layoff too,

01:06:42and he came back and, of course, he beat Marvelous Marvin Hagner.

01:06:44But what about Larry Holmes' layoff?

01:06:45Well, I tell you, sometimes the layoff is the best thing for you.

01:06:48As you know, I was fighting four or five times out of a 12-month period.

01:06:52Sometimes that wear and tear on your body.

01:06:54And sometimes you need a good rest.

01:06:55I think the rest probably helped me more by not going to the gym every day

01:07:01and not getting up in the morning every day.

01:07:03I think that rest helped me pretty much.

01:07:05And now it made me, I got that desire again to go out there one more time

01:07:10to show the people who the real heavyweight champion is

01:07:13and give it back to the dogs.

01:07:15You might be the first grandfather to ever win a heavyweight championship.

01:07:17No doubt about it.

01:07:18If I didn't think I was going to win, Barry, I wouldn't even get in this ring.

01:07:22I don't need the money.

01:07:23HBO know I don't need the money.

01:07:25I'm very rich with what I have.

01:07:27And I'm happy, happily married.

01:07:29And I'm just going to keep on doing what I want to do.

01:07:33This fight came up.

01:07:34It's an opportunity.

01:07:35It's get back something that they took away from me.

01:07:37I mean, the world know it, Michael Spinks know it, and you know it, and HBO know it.

01:07:43And I've got a chance now to do it one more time to get it back,

01:07:47and I'm going to take full advantage of it.

01:07:48All right, Larry, thank you, and we want to see that fight.

01:07:50Let me ask the man here.

01:07:51Don King has joined us here.

01:07:52Don, is there a name on a contract and a date for this fight?

01:07:56Is it going to happen, and if so, when?

01:07:58It's going to happen, Barry, and it's going to happen in January.

01:08:01The new year will be brought in with a return to glory

01:08:03and giving Larry an opportunity to recapture the glory of yesteryear.

01:08:07When I went down to talk to him about fighting,

01:08:09he put on a 15-round exhibition and was stupendous.

01:08:12A guy who did all of the tough things that a fight has to do with a rigorous schedule,

01:08:16and he demonstrated to me by no uncertain indication that he's ready,

01:08:21and he's going to be in there ready to fight on 20th of January.

01:08:24And what happened, Don King told me it was only a 12-round fight,

01:08:27so I did three extra rounds when I didn't have to.

01:08:30You look good.

01:08:31I've got to say, you look good.

01:08:31Thanks to both of you.

01:08:32But it's etched in stone.

01:08:34HBO, the network of champions, is in for a treat.

01:08:38Mike Tyson is in for a treat.

01:08:40No, he's in for a surprise.

01:08:41He's in for a treat.

01:08:42We'll be back to the Bickersons right after this.

01:08:44In the meantime, let's get back up to Larry Merchant.

01:08:46Larry?

01:08:48Before this fight, Tyrell Biggs said of Mike Tyson

01:08:52that he reminded him of the powerful dinosaurs

01:08:55whose power couldn't keep them from becoming extinct.

01:08:58The problem is it took a couple of hundred million years for that happening to happen,

01:09:03and it takes about an hour to make Mike Tyson extinct,

01:09:09and nobody around looks like they can do it.

01:09:12There are a lot of potential opponents out there,

01:09:14but really the only guy that I know of who could do in Mike Tyson is Mike Tyson.

01:09:19To put it another way, why would you train as hard when you're rich and famous

01:09:25and pretty girls want to touch you as you did when you were poor and unknown

01:09:30and they all thought you were ugly?

01:09:32So as Linda Ellaby would say, and so it goes.

01:09:37Barry?

01:09:39All right, thanks very much, Ray Leonard.

01:09:41Ray Leonard.

01:09:42That was Larry Merchant.

01:09:42This is Ray Leonard.

01:09:44All guys in tuxedos look alike.

01:09:45Ray, let me ask you first of all your impression of the fight.

01:09:49Personal feeling, that was as good as I've seen Mike Tyson look.

01:09:52Well, George Benton came over to me and said that,

01:09:54well, a guy can't fight, referring to Mike Tyson.

01:09:58And I asked him, I said, what happened with the strategy of Tyrell Biggs?

01:10:02He said, he's going to the back to find out what was wrong with him.

01:10:06Mike Tyson fought an excellent fight, a magnificent fight.

01:10:09He worked the body, slowed his man down,

01:10:11and every opportunity he saw took advantage of it.

01:10:13The right hand down of Biggs, the left hook came into play,

01:10:18the jab, the body shot, it was a great fight.

01:10:20Well, if Mike Tyson can't fight, I want to see the guy who can.

01:10:23I want to see the guy who can fight well enough to beat the guy who, quote, can't.

01:10:27Well, we'll remind you that the NFL comes back,

01:10:30and with the NFL coming back, so too does Inside the NFL.

01:10:33HBO Sports' popular series on the National Football League

01:10:35will be on the air this Thursday with hosts Len Dawson and Nick Bonacani.

01:10:40And be sure to join us for our next telecast of World Championship Boxing

01:10:43as WBA lightweight champion Edwin Rosario

01:10:45defends his title against the WBC super featherweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez.

01:10:49That's Saturday, November 21st, right here on HBO.

01:10:52So, for Larry Merchant and Sugar Ray Leonard,

01:10:55I'm Barry Tompkins saying so long from Atlantic City.

01:11:00The executive producer of HBO Sports

01:11:02and the producer of tonight's telecast is Ross Greenberg.

01:11:05The show was directed by Mark Payton.

01:11:07The feature producers are Rick Bernstein and Steve Salvatore.

01:11:10The associate producers, Michael J. Whalen and David Harmon.

01:11:13The assistant to the producer is Brian McDonald.

01:11:16And the production managers, Judy Drost and Russ Cabot.

01:11:19I've been meaning to tell you

01:11:28I've got this feeling that won't subside

01:11:34I look at you and I fantasize

01:11:43You're mine tonight

01:11:47Now I've got you in my sights

01:11:56With these hungry eyes

01:12:02I'm looking here and I keep the skies

01:12:07I've got hungry eyes

01:12:11I feel the magic between you and I

01:12:17I feel the magic between you and I

01:12:25I'm getting hungry eyes

01:12:29Now I've got you in my sights

01:12:33This has been a presentation of HBO Sports

01:12:46The Network of Champions

01:12:48The Thriller in Manila

01:12:53I'll never forget that fight with Muhammad Ali

01:12:56It was our last fight

01:12:58But it was HBO's first live fight

01:13:02And they had a lot of great fights since

01:13:05I feel good

01:13:09I knew that I wouldn't

01:13:12I feel good

01:13:16I knew that I wouldn't

01:13:19So good

01:13:22So good

01:13:24I got a heal

01:13:25I feel good

01:13:46I knew that I wouldn't

01:13:51I feel good

01:13:55I knew that I would

01:13:58So good

01:14:01So good

01:14:03I got a heal

01:14:04Thanks HBO for 15

01:14:17In

Mike Tyson vs Tyrell Biggs - HBO 10-16-87

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