The end came with the shocking suddenness of many Mike Tyson fights. First, the flurry of devastating punches, then a fighter falling bleeding to the canvas.
Even more shocking was that fighter was Tyson himself.
PHOTO: REUTERS
A comeback born out of financial desperation didn't go past the fourth round Friday night when an unheralded British heavyweight by the name of Danny Williams knocked Tyson out with a savagery that may have once and for all exposed Tyson as a shot fighter.
At the age of 38, Tyson ran out of energy after trying to put Williams down for the first three rounds and was driven to the canvas with a final right hand that may have signaled the end of his hopes to become a serious heavyweight contender again.
"Once I hurt him I just let go," Williams said. "I just kept punching and punching."
Beaten and battered, Tyson laid helplessly along the ropes, blood flowing down his face. The former baddest man on the planet stared ahead with a look of resignation on his face as his latest comeback -- and perhaps his tumultuous career -- collapsed along with him.
In his corner, Tyson apologized to his trainer. Across the ring, Williams celebrated and then proposed to his girlfriend -- who accepted.
And somewhere, lawyers began trying to figure out how Tyson could pay off US$38 million in debt when his asking price will surely plunge after such a devastating defeat.
"People forget this isn't a peak Mike Tyson. This was a Mike Tyson who was 38 years old," Williams said. "I thought I could win."
Williams ended a wild slugfest with a flurry of punches that sent Tyson sprawling into the ropes late in the fourth round. With blood streaming down his face, Tyson appeared to contemplate the end, then made a halfhearted effort to get up before the fight was called to an end at 2:51 of the fourth round.
"I'm sorry. I'm disappointed," Tyson told trainer Freddie Roach.
"You don't have to be sorry with me," Roach replied.
Tyson's handlers said later he injured his knee late in the first round. He was taken to a hospital to get stitches for a cut near the corner of his right eye and a precautionary CT scan.
The fight was a free-for-all from the opening bell before an excited crowd at a nearly full Freedom Hall. Tyson landed some huge left hooks early, only to take punishment himself when Williams got over his initial stage fright and began brawling.
Tyson tried with every punch to score the kind of spectacular knockout that would make him a heavyweight contender once again.
But Williams weathered the storm and then came back to dish out more punishment.
Freddie Freeman homered and drove in four runs, Shohei Ohtani also went deep and Roki Sasaki earned his first major league win as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 10-3 on Saturday night for their seventh straight victory. The Dodgers have won the first two games of the series to improve to 5-0 against Atlanta this year. Los Angeles’ three-game sweep at home early in the season left the Braves 0-7. Sasaki allowed three runs and six hits over five innings. The 23-year-old right-hander gave up a home run to Ozzie Albies, but received plenty of offensive support in his
INTER AWAIT: Superb saves by PSG ’keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma inspired the victory, as Arsenal were punished for misses, including one by Bukayo Saka Arsenal on Wednesday fell short on the big stage again as their painful UEFA Champions League semi-final exit against Paris Saint-Germain left Mikel Arteta to rue his club’s failure to provide him with enough attacking options. Arteta’s side were unable to reach the Champions League final for the first time in 19 years as PSG clinched a tense 2-1 win at Parc des Princes. Trailing 1-0 from last week’s first leg in London, the Gunners made a blistering start to the second leg, but could not convert their chances as Gianluigi Donnarumma’s superb saves inspired PSG’s 3-1 aggregate victory. Arsenal were punished for
Bayern Munich on Sunday were crowned German champions for the 34th time, giving striker Harry Kane his first major trophy, after second-placed Bayer 04 Leverkusen drew 2-2 at SC Freiburg. Bayern’s 3-3 draw at RB Leipzig on Saturday, when the Bavarians came from two goals down to take the lead before conceding a stoppage-time equalizer, meant defending Bundesliga champions Leverkusen needed to win at Freiburg to delay the title party. Leverkusen were two goals down before scoring twice in the final 10 minutes, but Xabi Alonso’s side could not find a third, as Bayern reclaimed the title at the first attempt after
THRILLER: Raphinha gave Barca a 3-2 lead with two minutes remaining of regular time, but Francesco Acerbi equalized the game in the second minute of added time Davide Frattesi on Tuesday fired Inter into the UEFA Champions League final with an extra-time winner that gave the Italians a stunning 4-3 triumph over Barcelona, 7-6 on aggregate. Italy midfielder Frattesi won a tie for the ages under a downpour in Milan when he lashed home in the 99th minute, sending a packed and rocking San Siro wild with joy. Simone Inzaghi’s team will face either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain at the end of this month in Munich, Germany, where they would feel they have a great chance to be crowned kings of Europe for a fourth time after
RSS