Flashback Friday

Flashback Friday | Mike Tyson & George Foreman: An Unlikely Doubleheader

Tyson Foreman

“On a weekend when the NBA Playoffs are no longer ongoing, and when many of you sports fans might be looking for something a little more pulse quickening than 18 hole coverage of golf, a little bit higher scoring than World Cup soccer, well, here we are.”

On June 16, 1990, Jim Lampley, alongside Larry Merchant and Sugar Ray Leonard, opened an HBO doubleheader on a warm Las Vegas evening from the outdoor arena at Caesars Palace.

The doubleheader, promoted as “The Road Back,” featured “Big” George Foreman in the first fight and “Iron” Mike Tyson in the second. Billed as 10-round co-main events, Foreman would face tough veteran Adilson Rodrigues while Tyson faced an old nemesis from his amateur days, Henry Tillman.

With so much history at the Caesars outdoor arena, so many great fights and great fighters, this would be both Tyson and Foreman’s first time at this venue.

The atmosphere at Caesars was almost carnival-like. Two big names, one big card, and the hope that these two may someday be matched against one another.

It was, however, the tale of two entirely different stories.

Foreman, after having won the title in 1973 and then retiring in 1977, had returned to the ring for a “second career” in 1987. After his 10 year hiatus, he was currently undefeated since returning and had captured as many fans as he had skeptics.

When asked if he would have ever dreamed that he would see Foreman on an HBO broadcast, Merchant quipped, “Not in my most terrible nightmares.”

At 41, and with a new jovial persona, Foreman (66-2, 62 KOs) wanted a title shot.

The man he had expected to get it from, Tyson (37-1, 33 KOs), was making his first comeback fight after having lost his titles to James “Buster” Douglas in Tokyo just four months prior.

The world of boxing, and the sports world in general, still hadn’t fully recovered from that monumental upset. The question on this night was, had the 23 year old Tyson recovered?

The backdrop from the outdoor arena was picturesque.

As Foreman and Rodrigues made their way to the ring, clear blue skies were accompanied by a sun that was just beginning to set. Flags positioned high above the arena rippled as a breeze blew through Caesars. The view was capped off by the hotel-casinos that encircled the horizon.

It was a magnificent evening for world class boxing.

A full house was on hand to see the two future Hall of Famers. It was an audience that Merchant referred to as “a curious crowd” as indeed fan interest was high. Seated around ringside, among others, included Jeff Goldblum, Michael Douglas, Chuck Norris, Billy Crystal and Jack Nicholson.

Also in attendance, whom Merchant would soon interview, was the new Heavyweight champion, Douglas, and his fall opponent, Evander Holyfield.

Ring announcer Chuck Hull introduced the fighters and Round 1 was underway.

Foreman, at 263 pounds, looked to impose his sledgehammer left jab early on. Rodrigues (36-3, 26 KOs) was a 32-year-old crafty veteran that, at 219 pounds, conceded both size and power to Foreman.

The early moments saw Rodrigues circle and use his own jab. He was clearly making a concerted effort not to stand directly in front of Foreman. As Rodrigues moved and circled, Foreman, with his arms crossed in front of his body in a Ken Norton style of defense, calmly stalked him.

George Foreman Adilson Rodrigues - Boxing Treasures Photo courtesy of Boxing Treasures

Round 2 began much like the first. Lampley added a note of caution, “Remember when you’re watching George Foreman, you’re watching a man who has been known to knock opponents out with glancing blows.”

Before Lampley could finish his statement, as if on cue, Foreman stepped in and landed a left hook howitzer. Turning from his waist and putting all of his weight behind it, the bomb landed flush on Rodrigues face, impaling his nose, and sending him crashing to the canvas.

Referee Carlos Padilla counted as Rodrigues desperately tried to get to his feet. His legs, however, wouldn’t cooperate and Padilla reached the count of 10.

Lampley then summed up his earlier thought, “Case in point.” At 2:39 of Round 2, Foreman, with relative ease, had put away Rodrigues with a vicious left hook.

Ask the sky began to darken and dusk settled in, Tyson and Tillman were preparing to make their way towards the ring. Astute boxing fans knew Tillman well. Although an 18-1 underdog on this night, he had twice beaten Tyson in their amateur days.

At 29, Tillman (20-4, 14 KOs) had won a gold medal in the 1984 Olympics. Once a Cruiserweight, he had moved up to Heavyweight as had his friend and former Olympic teammate Evander Holyfield.

After “Iron” Mike’s first and only professional loss, Team Tyson had hired Richie Giachetti as the new head trainer. They had also brought in renowned cutman Eddie “The Clot” Aliano. After the corner-work in Tokyo, all bases were being covered tonight.

Attention returned to the ring as Tyson and Tillman were now receiving final instructions from referee Richard Steele.

The bell sounded for Round 1 and Tyson charged from his corner like a tiger. His body language signaled he wasn’t interested in a long night and wanted to test the Tillman chin early.

What Tyson and many others in boxing knew about Tillman was summed up by ABC boxing commentator Alex Wallau, “Tillman has the heart of a warrior, but not the chin of one.”

Lampley quickly touched on Tillman’s strategy in the wake of the Tyson aggression and his previous knockout defeat, “Move, box, jab, fast combinations. Give Tyson angles. All very well and good. What happens when he gets hit?”

That question, in part, was answered early on as Tillman popped Tyson with a sharp right hand that landed flush on his jaw. Tyson didn’t so much as blink and walked right through it.

As the first round came down the stretch, Tyson demonstrated that he had regained his hand speed and head movement which were woefully nonexistent in February. He then trapped Tillman in a corner and unloaded a sweeping overhand right that landed flush on Tillman’s forehead.

As in the earlier fight when Foreman dropped Rodrigues seemingly on cue from Lampley, Leonard was currently in the process of describing a mistake that Tillman was making.

“Tillman now is trying to fight Mike Tyson. He should be doing a lot more movement than he’s doing now. He’s allowing Mike Tyson to trap him in the corner.”

As Leonard was wrapping up his observation, Tyson rapped Tillman who then crumpled into a heap on the mat. Steele then reached the count of ten. In all actuality, he could have counted to 100.

Tyson returned, successfully, with a resounding right hand that put Tillman to sleep at 2:47 of Round 1.

After both captured knockout wins, Tyson and Foreman continued their championship marches.

Tyson would go on to meet, and destroy, Alex Stewart in December. He would then defeat Razor Ruddock twice the following year before being sidelined by legal troubles in Indianapolis.

Foreman, after Holyfield knocked out an overweight and out of shape Douglas in October, then punched his ticket to meet Holyfield for the Heavyweight championship in April the following year.

The big men were fighting each other, and it was exciting stuff.

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