Title
To honor, recognize and celebrate the 25th Anniversary of James “Buster” Douglas’ historic victory over “Iron” Mike Tyson on February 11, and his life of excellence and service which continues today.
Body
WHEREAS, James “Buster” Douglas, the son of Professional Boxer William “Dynamite” Douglas, was born April 7, 1960, in Columbus, Ohio; and
WHEREAS, A product of the Columbus Public Schools, James “Buster” Douglas Graduated from Linden McKinley High School where he played football and basketball, and led Linden McKinley to a AAA State Basketball Championship in 1977. He then went on to play college basketball at Coffeyville Community College, Sinclair Community College, and Mercyhurst University before moving back to Columbus to focus on boxing; and
WHEREAS, on February 11, 1990, in Tokyo, Japan, James “Buster” Douglas knocked out undefeated champion “Iron” Mike Tyson who was considered to be the best boxer in the world and the most feared heavyweight champion in history. Douglas became the undisputed heavyweight champion in what is considered the biggest upset in the history of heavyweight championship fights; and
WHEREAS, James “Buster” Douglas has leveraged his success to serve his community in ways such as appearing at a Senate subcommittee meeting to oppose President Bush’s plan to drastically cut funding for the Low Income Energy Assistance Program, presented a $10,000 check to support the Police Athletic League and re-establish its boxing program, donated $25,000 to create a computer lab for free computer instruction for children and adults in Columbus; and
WHEREAS, in 1993, the Windsor Recreation Center in the Windsor Terrace neighborhood where Mr. Douglas grew up was razed, rebuilt, and renamed the Lula Pearl Douglas Recreation Center in honor of his mother and legacy; and
WHEREAS, James “Buster” Douglas joined the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department in 2014 and continues to be an example to Columbus area youth as the coach of the ...
Click here for full text