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<\/p>\nMike Tyson has cast doubt over the level of his own sporting success by sensationally suggesting that some of his fights were probably rigged in his favour. ‘Iron Mike’ is currently helping to train former UFC star Francis Ngannou ahead of his crossover boxing contest against Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia on October 28.<\/p>\n
But during the build-up to the fight, Tyson told the Boxing Arabia podcast that he believes that some of the referees during his career were allegedly expected to make sure he won. The 57-year-old also holds the view that the tables were turned on him by his own promoter when he suffered a surprise championship belt defeat to Buster Douglas in 1990.<\/p>\n
Tyson said: \u201cDon King did that BS to me. Don King set me up. I never said that before, but it made sense.<\/p>\n
“The 42-1 (odds), I could win this [fight with Douglas]. He and the referee talk that BS because I don\u2019t want to tell you what we did before.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not going to mention no promoters. But there were fights I had where the opponent didn\u2019t know they were fighting me and the referee.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Douglas had been a 42-1 shot to beat Tyson but despite being knocked down by the champion in the eighth round, he was allegedly given a slow count by the referee and was able to recover.<\/p>\n
The challenger then went on to floor Tyson in the 10th round with a triple combination and although Tyson was back on his feet by the count of nine, the referee refused to let him continue, ensuring that Douglas became the new champion in Tokyo. King and Tyson both argued after the fight that Douglas had been saved by a ‘long count’.<\/p>\n
‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ suggested that his shock loss to Douglas was simply a case of the tables being turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s just how it went. People are betting, the odds, they got ahold of the referee, so they\u2019re fighting me and the referee,” he said.<\/p>\n
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