PEORIA — Buster Douglas was once the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
The boxer, who knocked out legendary fighter Mike Tyson in the 10th round of a famous 1990 bout, knocked out a plate of chicken Marsala on Saturday at Jim’s Steak House in Downtown Peoria.
Douglas joined a long list of celebrities who have dined at the elite restaurant over the years.
“We thought he’d get a big steak, but he got the chicken marsala,” said Jim’s manager Kristin Comfort, part of a third generation of family ownership. “He just sat in the dining room, at a table in the middle of the room, and everyone knew him. Some (patrons) at a couple tables got up and came over for pictures with him.
“He was great, a super nice guy.”
Douglas was in town to appear at a speech and debate tournament for elementary and middle schoolers, speaking to students and sharing his life story in boxing.
The Columbus, Ohio native talked about overcoming odds – like his longshot status when he KO’d Tyson – and his desire to give the students support and encouragement.
The 66-year-old Douglas defied 42-1 odds to defeat Tyson in a bout no one thought he had a chance to win, an event staged in Tokyo that proved to be one of the greatest upsets in sports.
He claimed the WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight boxing titles, and reigned for eight months before he was defeated by Evander Holyfield.
Douglas was 38-6-1 with 25 knockouts in a career that covered 1981-1999.
“My father is the owner and my brother and I are third-generation (operators) to keep it going,” Comfort said of Jim’s Steak House. “It’s 60-plus years with the family in the business.
“It’s just a proud moment, looking around seeing all the customers gazing at this heavyweight champ who decided to come to our restaurant, it’s just a great moment for us.
“There are a lot of great restaurants in the Peoria area, and they hear about yours and choose to come there.”
Jim’s Steak House is no stranger to celebrity visits. There is an impressive list of diners going back decades.
Led Zeppelin lead singer and lyricist Robert Plant ate there.
Actors Ray Liotta, Ernest Borgnine, David Carradine, Chevy Chase and Hal Holbrook have eaten there.
So did comedian Eddie Murphy and late-night talk show host Jay Leno.
The walls inside Jim’s Steak House are adorned with autographed pictures from many of them and more.
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star senior writer and sports columnist, and covers Bradley men’s basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: ‘Great moment’: Former boxing world champion dines at Peoria restaurant
Reporting by Dave Eminian, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
