The Home of Elvis Presley Rocks to Lewis-Tyson

By Tony Nobbs

06.06 - The home of Elvis Presley will be rockin' to a different and more thunderous beat on Saturday night when former Undisputed Heavyweight Champion Iron Mike Tyson (49-3-2NC with 43 KOs) attempts to dethrone reigning Heavyweight King Lennox Lewis (39-2-1, 30 KOs) at the Pyramid Arena in Memphis, Tennessee. Lewis, 36, will go into the fight a firm favorite but there is also a measure of doubt.

If Tyson turns up in the best shape mentally and physically, he can win.  He still has considerable power early and Lewis has been ko'd twice when he was as serious as a council worker. And that is why it will be the most-watched and highest grossing fight ever. Last figures suggested $300 million. Many have said that they won't watch, but come fight time they'll be glued to their television sets… Anything can happen. I've already booked it, watching it home in peace. And of course, keeping the pair apart until blast off is the best thing to do.

The fight has been heavily scrutinized and there are cases for each man but in boxing you're only as good as your last fight. The Tyson we have seen in recent years will be out boxed and stopped inside six rounds unless he bails out early, which he has done before. Lewis has one of the best jabs in history, once he gets it going, it will need a near miracle for Tyson to win. Tyson, 36 on June 30, will be in the kill zone and open for the right hand that has finished many other challenges.

If Lewis looks to brawl, Tyson has his best chance of landing a home run but the 6 ft 5 Brit, via Jamacia and Canada, is physically very strong and held his own in the trenches with iron chinned puncher Ray Mercer in 1996, taking a close 10 round decision. The Champion has handled short fighters comfortably in the past, most recently David Tua. The twelve round UD over Tua was a great exercise pre-Tyson, who will come with more fire at the start.

Tyson now has been working with Ronnie Shields and Mike McCallum, helping long-time pad man Stacey McKinley, and Lewis' trainer Emmanuel Steward has expressed concern in the build up. McKinley and McCallum are former Steward protégés, 3-division Champ McCallum being one of the best fighters over the past 20 years.

The pro-Tyson line has been Lewis has no chin, no heart and the American's camp have labeled the WBC-IBF Champ a "bitch" this week, a week Tyson himself has been silent.

It's fight time.

It is fitting that the fight happens during the Hall of Fame celebrations up in Canastota, NY. For all of his problems, Tyson remains a fighter, a boxing student who is fully aware that victory on the weekend can put him in the upper echelon of all timers, a place he looked destined for back in the mid 80's. When he became the youngest Heavyweight Champion in history by knocking Trevor Berbick down three times with one left hook on the temple in November 1986, he said he wanted to be the oldest Champion as well. In Lewis he faces the sixth oldest Champ in history.

Tyson took his lumps in the first Holyfield fight and lost like a fighter. What happened in the rematch needs no more said and there have been signs that could happen again in this fight.

Watching Tyson get backed up when Brian Neilson connected last start, he will be put back when Lennox lands. And even at his best, Tyson had trouble fighting on the back foot. Back in the day, he'd use his miniature 5 ft 11 frame to make taller boxers reach down to him and catch them on his way up. He now only rolls under shots on the way in for a couple of rounds, and then walks in straight up. Made to order for the ramrod Lewis (who has an 84 inch reach; 13 inches longer than Mike's) calls a left hand.

DOES LEWIS WANT THIS FIGHT?
Damn right. That question was answered way back in 1996 when the then mandatory challenger for Tyson's WBC Crown took Iron Mike to court attempting to force the fight. Tyson instead opted to defend the WBA Belt against the supposedly shot 33-1 underdog Evander Holyfield and we all know what happened from there. Lewis re-won the (vacant) WBC Title in 1997 when Oliver McCall, who knocked him out three years previously had a nervous breakdown in centre ring. This of course was not the first time Lewis had a Champion refuse to fight him. Riddick Bowe threw the WBC Belt in the trashcan rather than face him. Bowe got a taste of Lewis in the Gold Medal match at Seoul Olympics and wasn't coming back for second helpings. Lewis grew up being bullied and like Holyfield knows how to deal with a bully. And being called a "bitch" ain't much considering Hasim Rahman's insult prior to their return match last November.

LEWIS NEEDS THE WIN!
A loss for Lennox will damage severely his legacy, something he is aware of. Where he deserves to be placed right now is open to conjecture but a win will see him placed along the greats, a defeat will over shadow victories over Holyfield, Ruddock, Rahman, Tua.

In an interview late last year Joe Bugner told me that he felt Lewis was the best Heavyweight boxer since Larry Holmes and George Foreman this week stated the Londoner is the best since Ali!  If that is the case, Tyson's gonna have to turn back the clock to even come close. Lewis' four round knockout of Rahman was a reminder of what he can do when he is on his game, possibly his most dominant showing since blasting out Razor Ruddock in two rounds in 1992. There have, of course, been others: Golota, Botha, Grant, Morrison etc.

PREDICTION
In my amateur opinion, Tyson has a puncher's chance but if Brian Neilson can go six rounds with Mike, Lewis can go 100. A cautious Lennox Lewis wins in six (he could do it in less) but will not be upset of the century if Tyson pulls it off.