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CHUCK HALL: LADIES AND
GENTLEMEN, THE OFFICIALS
ASSIGNED FOR THE NEXT BOUT OF
THE EVENING BY THE NEVADA
STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION,
THE JUDGES WILL BE CHUCK
GIANPA AND DALBY SHIRLEY.
THE NEXT BOUT OF THE EVENING
WILL BE THE MAIN EEBT OF THE
NIGHT FEATURING 1O ROUNDS OF
BOXING IN THE HEAVYWEIGHT
DIVISION.
INTRODUCING, IN THE BLUE
CORNER FIGHTING OUT OF LOS
ANGELES, CALIFORNIA WEIGHING
IN AT 215 POUNDS WITH A
PROFESSIONAL RECORD OF 2O
WINS, FOUR DEFEATS WITH 14
KO'S.
HE WAS A GOLD MEDALIST IN THE
23RD OH LIMP YAD IN LOS
ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, HERE IS
HENRY TILLMAN.
AND IN THE RED CORNER FROM
CATSKILL, NEW YORK, WEIGHING
217 POUNDS.
HIS PROFESSIONAL RECORD
CONSISTS OF 37 WINS, ONE
DEFEAT, WITH 33 KO'S.
HE IS A FORMER UNDISPUTED
HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE
WORLD.
IRON MIKE TYSON.
LARRY: MIKE TYSON IS A 1-2
FAVORITE TO KNOCKOUT HIS
OPPONENT IN THE FIRST ROUND.
THAT MEANS IF YOU WANT TO
MAKE $2, YOU HAVE TO BET $4.
THE OVERUNDER IS 2 1/2
ROUNDS.
THE LOWEST I'VE EVER HEARD
OF.
JIM: GIVEN THE CHANCE OF OPPONENTS, YOU HAVE
TO BELIEVE THAT WHAT THE TYSON CAMPS WANTS FOR THEIR FIGHTER
IS ONE OF THOSE 90-SECOND KNOCKOUTS ON WHICH
HIS DESTROYER REPUTATION WAS BUILT.
RAY: I KNEW MIKE TYSON WOULD CHARGE RIGHT AT HENRY
TILLMAN, BECAUSE HE DOESN'T RESPECT HENRY TILLMAN.
BUT IN DOING SO, HE MIGHT LEAVE HIMSELF OPEN.
JIM: HOW MUCH DOES THAT REMIND TYSON OF THE OVERHEAD
RIGHT THAT "BUSTER" DOUGLAS KEPT STUFFING INTO HIS MOUTH IN TOKYO?
RAY: EVERY TIME THAT TILLMAN LANDS A PUNCH IT BRINGS BACK THAT MEMORY.
MIKE TYSON WANTS TO BE IMPRESSIVE.
JIM: A SOLID RIGHT HAND TO THE BODY OF TILLMAN.
TILLMAN GRABS HIM AND HOLDS ON.
RAY: I THINK TILLMAN'S GOING TO STAND THERE AND TRY DUCK THE RIGHT HAND.
BECAUSE HE'S TRYING TO TIME MIKE TYSON'S ARM MOVEMENT.
NOT THAT MUCH MOVEMENT FROM TILLMAN.
JIM: RIGHT TO THE FACE OF TILLMAN.
HE GRABS AND HOLDS ON.
THAT ONE WAS A BIT OF A GLANCEING BLOW.
RAY: TILLMAN NOW IS TRYING TO FIGHT MIKE TYSON.
REFEREE: 6, 7, 8, 9, 1O --
LARRY: SURPRISE.
JIM: AND TYSON RUSHES TO
TILLMAN TO HELP HIM UP, WHICH
MAY NOT AT THE MOMENT BE THE
VERY BEST IDEA.
THERE'S A HUGE CROWD AROUND
THE FALLEN FIGHTER, WHO
PROBABLY NEEDS A LITTLE AIR.
IT WAS A RIGHT HAND IN CLOSE
QUARTERS TO THE FOREHEAD AND
IT WAS QUITE ENOUGH.
LARRY: THE SNAKE ALL DEVOURS
THE FROG.
LARRY: MY OVERUNDER WAS 890
SECONDS.
I THINK IT WENT OVER.
JIM: YEAH, I THINK THERE ARE
A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE
PROBABLY SUPRISED AT HOW FAR
IT WENT.
HENRY TILLMAN IS NOT KNOWN TO
TAKE A PUNCH VERY WELL.
HE TOOK ONE REALLY SOLID BLOW
EARLIER IN THE ROUND, AND IT
WAS A SHOCK TO THE BODY.
AND FINALLY IT WAS THAT RIGHT
TO THE FOREHEAD THAT WAS
ENOUGH.
LARRY: THE QUESTION I HAVE AS
WE WATCH THIS AGAIN, AND
THERE IS THE PUNCH, A HIGH
PUNCH ON THE FOREHEAD.
THE SAME SORT OF A PUNCH THAT
KNOCKED OUT TREVOR BURBEN
WHEN MIKE TYSON WON THE
HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP.
THE QUESTION IS WHETHER YOU
CAN SELL ANOTHER
DOUBLE-HEADER LIKE THIS, WITH
A COMBINED SIX OR SEARCH
MINUTES OF FIGHTING.
JIM: WELL IF THERE ARE
FIGHTERS WITH BETTER
CREDENTIALS, THEY ARE BETTER
THAN ADILSON RODRIGUES AND
HENRY TILLMAN.
LARRY: THAT'S TRUE.
I'M NOT SAYING YOU CAN'T SELL
IT, I'M JUST ASKING WHETHER
YOU CAN.
WE CAME HERE FOR A TWO-RING
CIRCUS AND WE GOT IT.
JIM: ONE MORE LOOK AT THE
HAIL MARY RIGHT HAND.
I KNOW I'M GOING TO LAND IT
SOMEWHERE HERE.
AND TILLMAN NEVER RESPONDED
AT ALL TO RICHARD STL'S
COUNT.
AND NOW LET'S GO UP TO CHUCK
HALL FOR THE OFFICIAL
ANNOUNCEMENT.
CHUCK HALL: LADIES AND
GENTLEMEN, THE TIME, TWO
MINUTES, 47 SECONDS OF THE
FIRST ROUND, THE WINNER BY A
KNOCKOUT, IRON MIKE TYSON.
LARRY: SO REFEREE RICHARD SEL
RAISES THE HAND OF MIKE
TYSON.
THERE'S RICHIE GIACHETTI.
A VERY SUCCESSFUL DEBUT FOR
RICHIE GIACHETTI.
LARRY: IF THERE WAS ANY DOUBT
GOING INTO THIS FIGHT -- AND
THERE WASN'T -- TILLMAN
LANDED A HARD, CLEAN RIGHT
RIGHT ON THE BUTTON OF TYSON
EARLY IN THE ROUND.
TYSON BARELY BLINKED.
THERE'S A BIG CROWD STANDING
AROUND.
IT'S BEEN A CURIOUS CROWD.
I THINK THE CROWD KNEW WHAT
IT WAS COMING FOR, WHICH WAS
A SHOW, A CIRCUS, AS WE'VE
BEEN CALLING IT.
THERE WASN'T A LOT OF HIGH
EXCITEMENT ABOUT T. JUST A
LOT OF HUGH CURE YOSITY TO
SEE -- HIGH CURE YOSITY TO
SEE TWO FORMER CHAMPIONS
PERFORMING.
LET'S GO THROUGH ONE MORE
TIME.
LEFT JAB -- *** RIGHT OVER
THE RIGHT JAB.
PERFECT SHOT BY MIKE TYSON.
ONCE AGAIN, HENRY TILLMAN TOO
BRAVE FOR HIS CHIN.
NOW TO YOU, JIM.
JIM: ALL RIGHT.
MIKE TYSON HAS JOINED US NOW
AT RINGSIDE.
MIKE, A LOT OF PEOPLE THOUGHT
THAT MAYBE YOU HAD SOME
QUESTIONS TO ANSWER FOR
YOURSELF TONIGHT.
WERE THEIR QUESTIONS IN YOUR
MIND, AND IF SO, DID YOU
ANSWER THEM?
MIKE TYSON: NO, I DIDN'T HAVE
MUCH DOUBT ON THE DECISION TO
FIGHT.
BUT I WAS SKEPTICAL BECAUSE I
DIDN'T GIVE MY BEST
PERFORMANCE.
I KNEW I WAS THE SAME PERSON
STILL, IT'S JUST THAT ICHS
RELUCTANT IN THE SITUATION, I
WASN'T PROFESSIONAL.
AND THAT'S NOT CHARACTERISTIC
OF ME.
JIM: HOW GOOD DID THIS
PERFORMANCE FEEL FOR YOU?
MIKE TYSON: IT FELT GOOD.
BUT I WANT TO FIGHT AS OFTEN
AS I CAN.
JIM: HOW MUCH CAN YOU LEARN
FROM TWO MINUTES.
THERE ARE SOME WHO CONTEND
THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE TAKEN A
TOUGHER OPPONENT AND STAYED
IN THE RING LONGER.
MIKE TYSON: I'M ALREADY AN
EXPERIENCED FIGHTER.
IT'S JUST THAT I PREFER THE
PEOPLE -- I PREFER TO E MORE
OFTEN ACTIVE THAN I HAVE
BEEN.
RAY: I THOUGHT IT WAS AN
ACHIEVEMENT BECAUSE THE FACT
OF THE MATTER IS BECAUSE HE
WAS NOT CONSIDERED A
FORMIDABLE OPPONENT, THAT
MEANT YOUR MIND HAD TO BE
RIGHT.
MIKE TYSON: AND WHEN PEOPLE
TELL ME THAT THIS GUY'S GOING
TO BE A PUSHOVER, THAT'S WHEN
I WORRY.
THAT'S WHEN I WORRY.
LIKE JAMES "BUSTER" DOUGLAS
WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE A
PUSHOVER.
NOT MAKING A BIG DEAL OVER
IT.
BUT NO QUESTION, I'M THE BEST
FIGHTER IN THE UNIVERSE.
JIM: ARE YOU COMING BACK
AGAINST ALEX STUART?
MIKE TYSON I'M THE GREATEST
FIGHTER IN THE WORLD.
PEOPLE KEEP SAYING ABOUT ALL
MY PERSONAL PROBLEM.
AND PEOPLE SAY HE OVERCAME
THE PERSONAL PROBLEM.
BUT IT'S THE AFTERMATH OF THE
PERM PROBLEM THAT REALLY
CATCHES UP, BECAUSE IT'S THE
ACTIVITY PT.
AND I'VE BEEN THIS, RAY
KNOWS, YOU HAVE TO STAY
ACTIVE.
A SITUATION WHERE HE WAS IN,
WAS -- IF HE WAS ACTIVE,
THAT WOULD HAVE NEVER
HAPPENED.
BECAUSE RAY LEONARD WAS THE
BEST FIGHTER OF HIS
GENERATION.
JIM: EVANDER HOLYFIELD