Thirty-six years after one of heavyweight boxing’s most contentious nights, the debate over Mike Tyson’s first defeat resurfaced when WBC president Mauricio Sulaimán was asked why an immediate rematch with James “Buster” Douglas was not ordered in 1990.
The fan question alluded to the controversial eighth-round knockdown in Tokyo and suggested that the WBC could knock Douglas out of shape if he refused to fight Tyson again.
Sulaimán replied: “It was about 36 years ago. I remember Holyfield was the mandatory challenger and then he fought Douglas. I’m sorry I don’t have the details right now, but I’ll look into it.”
One low response reopened a familiar argument and, more importantly, shifted the focus back to what the WBC could realistically do once the result was official.
Long count vs. knockdown debate
Tyson dropped Douglas slow in the eighth round of an undisputed title fight in February 1990 at the Tokyo Dome. The number given by referee Octavio Meyran has been debated for decades, and footage shows Douglas lying on the ground for more than 10 seconds before the bell ended the round.
The referee’s count is discretionary, although traditionally he follows the ten-second standard.
World Boxing News has previously analyzed this incident and its fallout in our coverage of the eighth-round controversy and Meyran’s subsequent explanation in his referee’s statement.
As for the rematch question, the main issue isn’t whether fans think the count was leisurely. The issue is whether the WBC was justified in stepping in and changing the next move after the fight was signed.
Why Holyfield was next
At the time, Evander Holyfield was the mandatory challenger for the WBC title. When Douglas stopped Tyson in the tenth round, the WBC regulations directly indicated a mandatory defense.
Douglas then fought Holyfield and lost the title later in 1990, which matches Sulaimán’s recollection of this sequence.
Any rematch clause would be a contractual matter between the fighters and the promoters. The WBC’s job is to maintain order in the championship, and mandates are rarely bypassed without a formal revocation or official ruling changing the outcome of the fight.
A Don King production
Could the WBC have ordered a rematch?
In scarce cases, sanctioning authorities may take action after stern controversy. However, such situations usually require a formal protest process and a clear violation that warrants intervention.
Without a successful appeal or official change of result, Douglas remained champion on paper. In such a scenario, getting rid of him for Tyson’s fight with another contender for the vacant belt would involve the risk of legal consequences and undermining the WBC ranking structure.
Sulaimán’s response suggests that the WBC viewed Holyfield’s mandatory status as a controlling factor at the time and hinted that it would look into the finer details behind the scenes.
Some have long argued that the WBC could have delayed Holyfield’s mandatory commitment and ordered a rematch, although that would have required bending its own championship structure.
Why is this question still being asked
The Tyson-Douglas rematch debate endures because it combines two things that boxing fans rarely accept quietly: contentious judging and a title structure that moves on without looking back.
Sulaimán’s answer does not rewrite history. This highlights the likely reason why the WBC did not force an immediate rematch with Tyson.
As history shows, Holyfield was next in line and, without a formal repeal of the Tokyo decision, the mandatory route remained unchanged.
More than three decades later, the Tokyo count – and the rematch that never materialized – remains one of heavyweight boxing’s most enduring, unresolved debates.
About the author
Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.
On Halloween night, Canelo Alvarez defeated Christian Mbilli to become a three-time super-middleweight world champion, and now the question is: outside of Terence Crawford, can any other boxer defeat Canelo at 168?
When Christian Mbilli entered the ring to face Canelo Alvarez, a reasonable number of boxing pundits thought Mbilli was going to pull off the upset. Alvarez has a history of stamina issues, and many assumed Mbilli could take advantage.
The idea was for Mbilli to overwhelm Canelo with his high-volume punching, wear him down, take over in the later rounds, and win a close decision. Unfortunately for Mbilli, the bout didn’t go that way.
Canelo Alvarez was able to dictate the range and the pace of the fight. Canelo’s defense was sharp, his stamina was good, and on offense he dominated the action with skillful counterpunching and pinpoint accuracy.
Mbilli fought the wrong type of fight, as most of the bout took place at mid-range as opposed to close quarters. Mbilli gave Canelo too much respect, and on multiple occasions he looked confused.
Christian Mbilli was severely outclassed, and because of that, the fight looked like a glorified sparring session. As a result of the bout, Canelo Alvarez (64-3-2, 39 KOs) is the new WBC super-middleweight world champion.
The sport of boxing is based on levels, and on the night of October 31st, Canelo Alvarez proved he was levels above Christian Mbilli. Now fight fans are wondering: are any of the current top super-middleweights close to being on Canelo’s level?
Terence “Bud” Crawford defeated Canelo Alvarez with his skill set and his ring IQ. None of the top super-middleweights have a skill set compatible with Crawford’s, and none of them come close to Crawford when it comes to ring intelligence.
With that being said, one would ask, outside of a rematch with Crawford, what would be the ideal fight for Canelo at 168? If Terence Crawford can’t be convinced to come out of retirement, then Hamzah Sheeraz is probably the best candidate.
The former WBO world champion Hamzah Sheeraz is a 6-foot-3-inch super-middleweight who is skilled, and he can effectively fight from long range. On Halloween night, Sheeraz was ringside analyzing the fight.
Back in July 2025, Hamzah Sheeraz looked sharp as he stopped Edgar Berlanga in the 5th round. A year later, Sheeraz had a lackluster performance, as he scored a majority decision victory over Simon Zachenhuber.
Now Hamzah Sheeraz (24-0-1, 19 KOs) appears to be the frontrunner in regards to facing Canelo in 2027. If Sheeraz doesn’t get the match, then Canelo may choose to fight one of the other champions at 168.
Lester Martinez would give Canelo Alvarez a dangerous first defense of his reclaimed WBC super middleweight title. The aggressive Guatemalan can punch and has Brian “BoMac” McIntyre in his corner, giving him access to the trainer who helped Terence Crawford beat Canelo.
“My dream now is to fight Canelo because he’s the champion,” Martinez said to Izquierdazo Boxeo in a quote shared by The Ring. His WBC interim title gives that ambition substance, although it does not establish that Canelo has been ordered to face him next.
The McIntyre connection makes this more interesting than another contender requesting a payday. BoMac knows what went into preparing Crawford for Canelo and could bring that knowledge into Martinez’s camp. The WBC lists McIntyre as Martinez’s trainer. wbcboxing.com
Crawford could also offer firsthand advice about Canelo’s timing, counterpunching and habits under pressure. His involvement in a potential camp has not been announced, but Martinez would have an obvious reason to seek his stablemate’s input.
Mbilli took too long to alter his approach when Canelo’s jab and head movement disrupted his pressure last weekend. He continued following Canelo without consistently changing how he attacked. Martinez would likely arrive expecting those tactics, with McIntyre preparing ways to get past the jab and vary his attack.
That would not make Lester immune to Canelo’s counters. It could, however, reduce the rounds spent trying to work out what to do next. BoMac could prepare alternatives before the opening bell and help Martinez adjust between rounds when Canelo starts frustrating him.
Martinez would still need to win with his own tools. He cannot copy Crawford’s performance. His route would involve sustained pressure, body punching and enough variation to prevent Canelo from anticipating each attack.
His 2025 draw with Mbilli gives him a relevant result against the man Canelo just defeated. Beating Canelo is another matter, but an aggressive puncher arriving with informed preparation would be a serious undertaking for the 36-year-old champion.
Tyson Fury is going back to the playbook behind his most destructive night. He is targeting 280 pounds when he meets Anthony Joshua on December 11 in Cardiff. He wants the crushing bulk that battered Deontay Wilder years ago. Scaling up to that number on the scales is easy. Recreating that vintage menace nearly seven years later is a totally different story.
Fury announced his intentions directly to his fans online. “Big boy 280lbs incoming,” he posted. “Not your average build. However, the love handles are used for energy.” He already promised a blistering pace out of the gate, followed by a quick stoppage.
Back in February 2020, Fury stepped on the scale at 273 pounds before stopping Wilder in round seven. That was Fury at his peak as an aggressive bruiser. He bullied Wilder backward. He draped his weight over the champion, forcing him to haul around all that mass. Wilder could never find the space needed to trigger his lethal right hand.
Every single pound had a purpose back then because Fury used his bulk masterfully. He smothered Wilder immediately after throwing punches. He disrupted every attempt to recover. He kept trapping Wilder in corners where mounting any counter was nearly impossible. It was relentless physical pressure from a guy focused on total control.
Joshua is a distinct challenge, yet the logic makes total sense. Giving Joshua breathing room allows him to set his feet to unleash heavy shots. Chasing him down can trigger panic before his offense even starts. Fury would immediately test Joshua’s nerves under fire.
The big worry is the condition of those 280 pounds. Fury reached 281 pounds for the rematch against Oleksandr Usyk, looking soft around the waist. That outing provided zero evidence that piling on weight makes him more dangerous.
To handle Joshua, Fury needs agile footwork to cut off escape routes. He needs sharp reflexes to slip incoming fire. He needs enough gas in the tank to keep pressing once the initial charge fades. If Joshua survives that opening assault, the extra pounds could become a heavy burden as the rounds accumulate.
Fury picked a blueprint with real history. Replicating the monster who conquered Wilder is the real challenge.
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