Japan and Robert Whiting

Robert Whiting: 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, according to The Japan Times. They held the fight in Tokyo for economic reasons. Most fight fans in the U.S. thought the match with Douglas would be inconsequential just a warm-up for an anticipated match with Evander Holyfield. Holding it in Japan would generate more interest. Moreover, at that time, Japan was at the peak of its economic power, buying up expensive properties like Rockefeller Plaza and Columbia Studios and Best-selling author Robert Whiting, who penned an epic series for 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. 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. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.