Best-selling author Robert Whiting, who penned an epic series for The Japan Times examining the legacy of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics last fall, has lived in Tokyo for decades. He is a keen observer of the ties that bind the United States and Japan, especially through the prism of sports.
In a recent interview, Whiting offered his analysis and recollections of the Mike Tyson-James "Buster" Douglas bout (Feb. 11, 1990) with the broader picture of that era at the height of the bubble for the Japan's economy.
"I thought Tyson looked lethargic and by all accounts he did not take the fight very seriously — sort of like the MLB 'All-Stars' who played in Japan last fall," Whiting said. " I also remembered thinking that it was probably a mistake to hold the fight in Tokyo because the city's night life would be too much of a distraction — especially for someone like Tyson.