Tucker Outlasts Multiple Mike Evanses to Win by Decision

Tony Tucker, the last man to defeat heavyweight champion Buster Douglas, found himself in an unexpectedly difficult fight at the Forum Thursday night, but he pulled out a unanimous decision over lightly regarded Mike Evans.

Tucker was either thumbed or was hit on his left eye--depending on whose version you believe--in the fifth round and said afterward he was seeing “in doubles and triples” when one Mike Evans was plainly enough.

Tucker, who weighed 243 1/2 pounds and was fighting for third time in a comeback that began in December following 2 1/2 years of inactivity after he lost the International Boxing Federation title to Mike Tyson, improved to 37-1. Evans, a part-time actor who once wrestled internationally for U.S. teams, fell to 19-4-1 but was cheered by the crowd of 6,305 at the finish.

The slow-starting Evans, 6-2 and 238 1/2, seemed to win only the middle rounds on most cards. Tucker threw the first 22 punches of the first round, as Evans peered warily at him from behind his gloves.

One judge had it 96-95 for Tucker. The other two had Tucker by 98-92. The Times’ card had Tucker trailing by a point after seven rounds but winning the last three rounds and the fight, 96-94.

Tucker seemed to be in charge until the middle of the fifth round when he winced in pain immediately after a jab by Evans. The left eye bothered him for the rest of the fight, and it also was nearly swollen shut by the 10th round.

Tucker claimed later Evans thumbed him. Evans said it was a clean left jab. Tucker closed with a very strong 10th round, and Evans claimed it was due to his being thumbed by Tucker.

“After he thumbed me, I couldn’t see him (very well), so I slowed down, took it easy,” Tucker said. “I had a bad night. That happens in boxing.”

Tucker earned $20,000, Evans $7,500.

“This was my first fight in nine months, but I was in great shape,” Evans said. “He never hurt me. He wasn’t as tough as I thought he’d be. I backed him up some and he stood still a lot. He doesn’t have devastating kind of power. I’d fight him again tomorrow.”

Evans seemed to falter briefly in the eighth round, just when it appeared victory was attainable. First, he sagged on the ropes after Tucker rocked him with a body punch with a minute left in the round. Then, on the other side of the ring, Tucker caught Evans on the chin with a left hook.

Just one round earlier, Evans had put the crowd in his corner by boldly throwing bombs and landing some of them. But he finished the eighth round in rocky fashion and Tucker took control.