It was becoming frustrating for his team around him. Despite being ahead on points, he simply ran out of gas because of less than stellar conditioning. Seven more wins followed before he was stopped in nine by Mike ‘The Giant’ White, a 7 feet tall fringe contender. He got back to winning ways, winning his next six, before drawing with future European champion Steffen Tangstad over eight. This certainly didn’t help his cause as he suffered his first loss, being stopped in two. Bey was making his debut, but Douglas was already showing signs of his lack of discipline, coming in at twenty pounds heavier than he had in his previous fights. He won his next four, three inside schedule, before running in to David Bey, a touted amateur who would go on to unsuccessfully challenge Larry Holmes for the IBF heavyweight title. He made his debut on against the unbeaten Dan O’Malley, stopping his opponent in three rounds. Returning to Colombus, he reunited with his father and prepared to punch for pay. But the call of boxing was proving too great. He then played at the Sinclair Community College from ’79-’80, before taking a basketball scholarship at Mercyhurst university. After high school he played for the Coffeyville Community College Red Ravens from ’77-’78 as a power forward, a position that saw him enter the college’s Hall of Fame. So he stepped away from boxing to concentrate on basketball. ![]() Truth be told, young James just enjoyed spending the time on those journeys listening to his father recall some of the highlights of his own career. But despite showing talent and winning the Golden Gloves, he just didn’t have the same desire his father had displayed. He had boxed up to the age of fifteen, trained by his father who used to drive him to tournaments. In the beginning however, things couldn’t have been more different.īorn 7 April 1960 in Columbus, Ohio, Douglas played football and basketball, his first love, throughout his younger years, and in 1977 he captained his high school to a Class AAA state basketball championship. But to the surprise of virtually everyone, he reached a level that only few could ever dream of, causing arguably the biggest sensation in boxing history along the way. ![]() But the young Douglas was more reserved and didn’t appear to have the drive and intensity that consumed his father. His father Bill ‘Dynamite’ Douglas was a world rated middleweight and light-heavyweight, known for his toughness and willingness to go in to battle. James ‘Buster’ Douglas heard this plenty throughout his career. However, when your father is a professional prizefighter, and one with a hard and fearsome reputation, the pressure to carry the family “name” can sometimes raise expectations to an unrealistic level. Influenced by this, many attempt to follow in the footsteps that have been laid out before them. They watch with love and admiration as the father provides for his family whilst being a strong and protective presence. In the cycle of life, a son will generally look to emulate his father.
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