WESTERVILLE, Ohio - When Mike Tyson appeared on the television in John Johnson's suburban Columbus living room Tuesday, James (Buster) Douglas's carefree smile faded into an icy stare.
Silently, Douglas rose from the couch and stood glaring into the eyes of the man he had knocked out Saturday night for the heavyweight championship of the world. By that time, it was official. Both the WBA and WBC had joined the IBF in recognizing Douglas as the new champion. But in those opening moments of Tyson's press conference, shown live from New York, Douglas looked more like a victim than a victor. An official protest from the Tyson camp over the now infamous long count hung like a dark cloud each time Douglas spoke.
In the aftermath, Tyson-Douglas seemed more like an election than a fight, and Douglas stood there stone-faced waiting for the loser to concede. Finally, Tyson replaced Don King at the microphone and Douglas's chest heaved as Tyson began to speak.
"I'm not the champion anymore...and my objective is just to get the title back," Tyson's voice squeaked from the set.
Slowly, a smile came across Douglas's face. He reached out to low-five Johnson, his manager, and smiled an even bigger smile. "It's about time he admitted it," said the new champion of the old.
For Buster Douglas the fighter, the moment meant little. His impressive work was in the can, part of history. But for Buster Douglas the man, it was crucial. Pride was at stake. A man has to hear the other man say he was beaten. Hearing those words meant more than the screams of 3,000 fans who showed up at Columbus International Airport to welcome him home to a town that no so long ago had all but ignored him...more than the song penned in his honor...more than the award presented by the Columbus Chamber of Commerce.
Even more than the call from Arsenio Hall.
"For them to have said I didn't win was an insult," Douglas said. "It was a shot to my pride. But now at least he admitted that the fight is over."
Round one, at least.
A rematch looms, probably in June. Tyson wants it, and Douglas has Tyson just as he wants him: desperate. Donald Trump does not have a contract, Johnson said. But his Trump Plaza appears to be an even-money bet against The Mirage in Las Vegas and Columbus' Ohio Stadium.
"There probably will be a rematch," Johnson said. "But that's only if James Douglas gets paid what I think he should get."
Pay him respect, most of all.
But in the joy, there was sadness. When Douglas walked onto the airport tarmac, his biggest supporter wasn't there. Lula Pearl Douglas died just a few days before her son's biggest moment. And her absence leaves a void.
"I remember walking out of the plane and just wishing that she was there," Douglas said. "If I could just see her smile, just once more. She's the one who made me what I am today, the heavyweight champion of the world. She made me strong. She made me never settle for anything less than the best."
That won't be a problem anymore. Douglas is a rich man now. Rich, powerful, shot-callers like Douglas never have to settle. But that doesn't mean he's going to upset the balance of his settled life.
"I hope it won't jade me and I don't think it will," he said. "The money is nice, and it will allow me to have a more comfortable lifestyle. But I'm not looking to change my life. I like my life."
Copyright 1990 by Keith Dunnavant