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Whatever slim chance Danny had of ever landing a rematch with Mike Tyson - and proving that last summer's fourth round KO was no 'fluke' - evaporated on June 12 when an exhausted 'Iron Mike' sat down on his stool and retired after six rounds with Kevin McBride in Washington DC.
Here, for the first time since Tyson retired from boxing, Danny passes comment on the McBride fight, how the result affects the memory his own win over Tyson, and ranks Iron Mike as one of the best three heavyweights of all time.
By Danny Williams: "I watched the McBride fight live on TV and from the first round I could see that Tyson wasn't himself. He wasn't fast, he wasn't explosive, and he couldn't even fire a right cross like he used to. He had no balance. He looked terrible in the very first round and if he looked that bad in the first round I knew he wasn't going to look any better as the fight went on.
"When Tyson came out for the second round he was twice as bad as he was in the first and I knew then that if Mike didn't land a massive shot right away then it was all over for him. He looked so poor, I can't believe he actually trained for the fight.
"It just wasn't Mike Tyson. From early on in his career he's always started at 100miles an hour and then slowed down as the fight went on. He did that against Tony Tucker and Bonecrusher Smith in the 1980s and he even did that with me last year; although of course in the 80s he'd go on to win on points but with me, when he was old, he was open to attacks after three rounds.
"Against McBride, he didn't even have 30seconds of aggression and speed in him. He started off slow and then lost speed.
"Kevin McBride essentially beat nothing. I know people are now going to say that I beat nothing, too, and try and take way my victory.
"To be honest, it does upset me and hurt me a bit because only real boxing fans would be able to understand that the Tyson I fought was still throwing combinations and moving his head while the Tyson of the other week couldn't do any of that.
"Those people who really know their boxing will be able to tell that the Tyson I fought threw some beautiful shots, was in much better condition than the one who McBride beat.
"I've always said that I beat a 40% Mike Tyson. I admitted that before and after I fought Mike that I'd have no chance against even a 80% Mike Tyson. But I still think what I did was a good achievement - even people like Evander Holyfield said the Tyson I fought looked great for the first three rounds.
"But the Tyson who turned up the other Saturday didn't want to fight. I think he was there because the people he owes money to made him fight and I think he was almost glad he got beat because now he doesn't have to train or run or do anything like that no more. Maybe he'd thought to himself that 'If I can lose to a guy to Danny Williams, I don't want to be here no more' but whatever it was, he was in no shape to fight.
"It is sad that he's fought to this age. I know that I'm almost contradicting myself here because if he hadn't have fought on so long I'd never had beat him and got a big pay-day and a world heavyweight title shot last December - but I grew up idolising Tyson and can't help but feel for him and his fans.
"I think Mike Tyson is one of the two or three best heavyweights of all time. He let himself down in later years, in many ways, but at his peak he'd have beaten nearly every fighter who ever lived. I'd rank him much higher than either Lennox Lewis or Evander Holyfield in spite of the defeats.
"There are two ways to judge fighters in an historical context. One is who you think would have beaten who, and I believe Mike Tyson at his best would have wiped out Lewis and Holyfield inside three, four rounds.
"The other way is to look at who at achieved what in their careers, who had the most titles, title wins, beat the most champions and reigned the longest. Judging on that, Lewis and Holyfield and some others join Tyson at the top but if you prefer to look at who's best was better than anyone else's best, then Mike Tyson is right up there with Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes.
"At his best, Tyson was an unbelievable fighter and boxing fans will be watching fights of his on tape or DVD or whatever else for decades and decades to come. I hope Mike is happy with his legacy and can now find some peace in his life."
Danny hat mit allem recht was er da sagt.
Here, for the first time since Tyson retired from boxing, Danny passes comment on the McBride fight, how the result affects the memory his own win over Tyson, and ranks Iron Mike as one of the best three heavyweights of all time.
By Danny Williams: "I watched the McBride fight live on TV and from the first round I could see that Tyson wasn't himself. He wasn't fast, he wasn't explosive, and he couldn't even fire a right cross like he used to. He had no balance. He looked terrible in the very first round and if he looked that bad in the first round I knew he wasn't going to look any better as the fight went on.
"When Tyson came out for the second round he was twice as bad as he was in the first and I knew then that if Mike didn't land a massive shot right away then it was all over for him. He looked so poor, I can't believe he actually trained for the fight.
"It just wasn't Mike Tyson. From early on in his career he's always started at 100miles an hour and then slowed down as the fight went on. He did that against Tony Tucker and Bonecrusher Smith in the 1980s and he even did that with me last year; although of course in the 80s he'd go on to win on points but with me, when he was old, he was open to attacks after three rounds.
"Against McBride, he didn't even have 30seconds of aggression and speed in him. He started off slow and then lost speed.
"Kevin McBride essentially beat nothing. I know people are now going to say that I beat nothing, too, and try and take way my victory.
"To be honest, it does upset me and hurt me a bit because only real boxing fans would be able to understand that the Tyson I fought was still throwing combinations and moving his head while the Tyson of the other week couldn't do any of that.
"Those people who really know their boxing will be able to tell that the Tyson I fought threw some beautiful shots, was in much better condition than the one who McBride beat.
"I've always said that I beat a 40% Mike Tyson. I admitted that before and after I fought Mike that I'd have no chance against even a 80% Mike Tyson. But I still think what I did was a good achievement - even people like Evander Holyfield said the Tyson I fought looked great for the first three rounds.
"But the Tyson who turned up the other Saturday didn't want to fight. I think he was there because the people he owes money to made him fight and I think he was almost glad he got beat because now he doesn't have to train or run or do anything like that no more. Maybe he'd thought to himself that 'If I can lose to a guy to Danny Williams, I don't want to be here no more' but whatever it was, he was in no shape to fight.
"It is sad that he's fought to this age. I know that I'm almost contradicting myself here because if he hadn't have fought on so long I'd never had beat him and got a big pay-day and a world heavyweight title shot last December - but I grew up idolising Tyson and can't help but feel for him and his fans.
"I think Mike Tyson is one of the two or three best heavyweights of all time. He let himself down in later years, in many ways, but at his peak he'd have beaten nearly every fighter who ever lived. I'd rank him much higher than either Lennox Lewis or Evander Holyfield in spite of the defeats.
"There are two ways to judge fighters in an historical context. One is who you think would have beaten who, and I believe Mike Tyson at his best would have wiped out Lewis and Holyfield inside three, four rounds.
"The other way is to look at who at achieved what in their careers, who had the most titles, title wins, beat the most champions and reigned the longest. Judging on that, Lewis and Holyfield and some others join Tyson at the top but if you prefer to look at who's best was better than anyone else's best, then Mike Tyson is right up there with Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes.
"At his best, Tyson was an unbelievable fighter and boxing fans will be watching fights of his on tape or DVD or whatever else for decades and decades to come. I hope Mike is happy with his legacy and can now find some peace in his life."
Danny hat mit allem recht was er da sagt.
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