The Fight: 2 Fearless Predictions : Blimp Over the Shrimp

The Blimp against the Shrimp.

When heavyweight champion James (Buster) Douglas weighed in Wednesday afternoon at 246 pounds, 15 pounds heavier than last February when he defeated Mike Tyson, he surprised even his own handlers. Meanwhile, Evander Holyfield weighed a trim 208. So the heavyweight title fight that has attracted the interest of many, has grown even more.

However, there’s no question here. Mike Tyson, get ready for your rematch, probably sometime in April at The Mirage. Buster is on his way.

It will happen like this:

Douglas, 30, will not have to go far to find Holyfield, 28. The challenger always comes to fight and unless he totally departs from previous form, Holyfield will be aggressive.

With Douglas weighing 246, Holyfield would be wise--and likely--to attack the champion’s body and try to wear him down.

“It will come down to who throws the most punches,” Holyfield said of the scheduled 12-round bout in the 16,100-seat outdoor stadium behind The Mirage. “I plan to put pressure on him--totally relentless pressure.”

Yes, that’s cool, Evander. Good plan. But the major problem Holyfield will face is Douglas’ quick, stiff and accurate jab. Douglas, although he’ll weigh 38 pounds more than Holyfield, may prove to be the quicker fighter. Holyfield, no doubt, may throw more punches. But how many jabs will he have to take to get his off?

By the sixth or seventh rounds, Douglas will be ready to land the big right hand. But it will be the left hook that eventually sends Holyfield to the canvas for his first knockdown since he was 16 and the first professional defeat in 25 bouts.

The prediction: While Holyfield may not get knocked out, referee Mills Lane will have to stop the fight somewhere about the eighth or ninth round.