Thread by @TheRealDoctorT

The writing continues for the book. Most of my medical narratives are going there, so I’m going to tweet a little less moving forward.

Below is a non-medical thread I wrote over the weekend, revolving around a concept that has always fascinated and inspired me:

The underdog.

February 11th, 1990.

Tokyo, Japan.

Mike Tyson steps into the ring, the undisputed heavyweight boxing champion of the world.

He is undefeated, and widely regarded as the best fighter in the sport.

His fights end in knockouts.

Opponents fear him, and his brutal uppercut. 1/

His opponent on this day is Buster Douglas. A good fighter, but not in Tyson’s league.

Douglas is such an underdog that only one casino in Vegas (the Mirage) is offering betting on the fight, and the odds are 42-1 against him.

Tyson sees the fight as an easy “warmup.” 2/

The media even makes fun of Douglas’ dog.

Tyson has a dog named “Duran” (after his idol, famed boxer Roberto Duran).

Douglas has a beagle named “Shakespeare.” He says his favorite play is “Romeo and Juliet.”

Sports commentators laugh. “Couldn’t he at least pick Macbeth?” 3/

On the day of the fight, however, something has changed.

As Tyson steps into the ring, he doesn’t know it yet, but his opponent has become vastly more powerful.

Heartbroken and sick, Douglas has become that most dangerous of fighters:

A man with nothing left to lose. 4/

Twenty-three days before the fight, Douglas’ beloved mother dies. Douglas dedicates the fight to her memory.

Also, tragically, the mother of Douglas’ son is diagnosed with kidney failure.

The day before the fight, the grieving fighter gets a viral respiratory infection. 5/

Douglas steps into the ring with a heavy heart.

He is sweating before the fight even begins, as the virus saps his energy.

But as he faces Tyson, he has something critical in his favor.

He is not afraid.

What pain could Mike Tyson inflict beyond what he already feels? 6/

The fight lasts into the tenth round.

Tyson is in unfamiliar territory, used to quickly and easily destroying opponents.

But Douglas isn’t backing down.

Tyson even manages to land his famed uppercut, but Douglas is able to get back up and fight on.

Tyson is visibly tiring. 7/

As Tyson’s face swells with cuts and bruises, his medical staff are forced to improvise.

They were so sure of a quick victory that they didn’t bring any ice packs.

Instead, they fill a rubber glove with cold water and try and press that to the wounds. 8/

Finally a powerful combination of punches from Douglas sends Tyson reeling, his head snapping back from the force, mouthpiece dislodged.

For the first time in his career, Tyson is knocked down.

On his hands and knees, he struggles to comprehend what is happening.

Dazed. 9/

Tyson tries to get to his feet, staggering. The referee counts him out, waving his hands.

The fight is over.

Buster Douglas is the new undisputed heavyweight boxing champion of the world.

It is widely regarded as one of the greatest upsets in sports history. 10/

After the fight, reporters swarm the new champ. They ask him how he was able to win when nobody thought it possible.

Douglas lowers his head, in tears as he answers. No longer a boxer but, in that moment, a grieving son.

“Because of my mother... God bless her heart.” 11/

In the years that follow, Tyson’s career is never the same. The fearsome mystique is shattered. In 1991 he is convicted of rape.

Douglas never has another moment like his legendary upset of Tyson.

He still fights, but his passion for the sport fades.

He retires in 1999. 12/

I often find my mind traveling back to that night, almost thirty years ago.

My father, and his father, had always loved boxing. I was never much into it, but I still remember this fight.

I remember the sense of awe.

To overcome 42-1 odds.

For one night, to become immortal.