Lennox Lewis - Emanuel Steward Press Conference Transcript

01.06 - Lennox Lewis (Phot: Tom Casin/Showtime) and Emanuel Steward discuss heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis' eagerly anticipated matchup with former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson live on pay per view, Saturday, June 8, from The Pyramid Arena in Memphis, Tenn. Lewis-Tyson is presented by Budweiser and promoted by Lion Promotions, Main Events and Fight Night, Inc. in association with Prize Fight Promotions, LLC. The historic heavyweight showdown is being co-produced and co-distributed by HBO and SHOWTIME and will be available to approximately 50 million pay-per-view homes.

LENNOX LEWIS

"Manny (Emanuel Steward) said it all. He did not leave very much for me to say. Just let me share something with you still. In 1983, when I was boxing for the world junior championship I need some sparring and we searched all over the place looking for sparring partners, but we could not find any. We heard about this young cat up in New York named Mike Tyson, so my trainer and I got on the road and we drove up to the Catskills, NY to a little gym like an old fire station. There was a guy in there and his name was Mike Tyson. There was another guy named Cus D'Amato. We went in there and decided we could help each other and do some sparring. Anyway, the first day when we stepped into the ring to spar, this cut runs across the ring and wanted to knock me out. I gave him my Muhammad Ali impression and I was dancing around, boxing him. We were going at it pretty good. We went at it pretty good for four days. Tyson never knocked me out in those four days. He did give me a fat lip, but I gave him a bloody mouth, so we were pretty even in that exchange. After all that sparring, D'Amato did say one thing that always stuck in my mind. He told me that one day Tyson and I would meet. Time went on and I did not think it was going to come true, but rest assured, it has come true. Our sparring back then was pretty explosive and I predict this Saturday is going to very explosive as well. The only thing is, I am not only going to give him my Ali impression, I am going to give him my Lewis impression as well. I am a pugilist specialist. I am going to go in there and do what comes naturally. I am very focused and very positive. I cannot wait. I am looking forward to this. That is all I have to say. All the talking is done. It is time for some action."

Question: After this fight, where do you see your career going?

Lewis: Let's get past this fight first.

Question: After being champion for so long, does it bother you that Tyson is getting all the press?

Lewis: No. I do not think that too much attention has been focused on Tyson. I am up here doing he press conference and he is not. He elected not to do it. I think he is scared of the press.

Question: Can you comment on the trash talking coming out of Tyson's camp about you?

Lewis: The main thing is the trainers do not do the fighting, Tyson does. The trainers can say what they want. They are trying to psych him up and get him ready. They realize he likes that kind of talk and excitement, so if they want to do the talking, they have to remember they are not in the ring.

Question: If Tyson is down late in the fight, are you prepared for him to do the unexpected?

Lewis: I always expect the unexpected. Looking at last Saturday's fight (Holyfield-Rahman), I understand why a man got bit. Holyfield brings an extra facet to the game, a headbutt. I don't expect Tyson to do that with me.

Question: Can you talk about what winning this fight will do to you legacy in boxing?

Lewis: This is a fight that is very important to me, especially in this era of boxing. It would be unfortunate for me if I don't fight the best boxers of this era. I wanted to Bowe, but he elected to join the marines. That was some tough luck. I think Bowe is in the scouts now. This is a fight that was foreseen by Cus D'Amato and my old trainer and it has finally come about.

Question: Do you have any bad feelings towards Tyson as a person?

Lewis: I do not have any hate for Tyson. We are two combatants and gladiators. I am not worried about him biting me because he had a reason to bite Holyfield, as evidenced by Holyfield's fight Saturday against Rahman.

Question: How important is your jab going to be in this fight?

Lewis: My jab is the most important weapon I have. It leads my arsenol of punches. Nobody's jab compares to mine.

Question: Does feat figure into this fight for you or Tyson?

Lewis: We both have a little fear in the sense that he fears me and I do not want to lose. I think fear will help us both do the best job we can, especially me.

Emanuel Steward

"I am very happy for Lennox Lewis. When I first got involved with Lewis in 1994, I made a prediction he had the ability and potential to be the greatest heavyweight since Muhammad Ali. We are only three days away from the legacy being fulfilled. Lewis always wanted to fight the best. I have seldom been with a fighter that has not dodged anyone. Lewis has fought more undefeated heavyweight challengers than anyone in the division.

It is very interesting when I hear people say the only reason they are picking Tyson is because Tyson is going to run out and scare Lewis to death and turn him into a big, awkward kid flopping around. This man (Lewis) is 6'6", 250 pounds, has been in two Olympics, was a gold medal winner in 1988, knocking out Riddick Bowe, won a world jr. championship and is the three-time heavyweight champion. He has only lost two fights and came back to knock out both of those fighters in rematches. Lewis has been boxing nearly 25 years. How is that little, small man going to run Lewis around the ring?

It is ridiculous.

When you speak of courage and toughness, the only person that ever ran from someone is Tyson. He gave up the most prestigious title in boxing, the WBC title, nearly five years ago, rather than fight this man (Lewis). If he was afraid of Lewis then, how has he got any better?

I think three or four years of that time, Tyson was in prison, while Lewis has been fighting the best fighters in the world. This is the fight Lewis wanted. He has fought all the best fighters in his era. He wanted to fight Bowe, remembering he had knocked him out in the '88 Olympics, but Bowe ran away. Lewis fought Holyfield twice. He does not even consider Holyfield much of a challenge. That is why he did not do as much damage to Holyfield as he could have. He did not get too close to him because he was worried about getting butted. Then, Lewis finally got the opportunity to fight Tyson. Tyson has been on record continuously saying Lewis is not afraid of him. In fact, Tyson said Lewis has intimidated him a lot.

Tyson said openly that Lewis is not afraid of him. Tyson has never fought a guy who was not afraid of him, that he did not have a big problem with. He has never fought a guy as good as Lewis. Also, Tyson will be going into the ring as an underdog for the first time in his career. If you don't think that plays on his mind………his trainers can say what they want and they can do what they want, but Tyson has to fight a man that is not afraid of him. Who has fought the best fighters in the world while Tyson has been incarcerated.

Even after he got out (of prison), he went on a world tour, fighting all over the world, everywhere but America. Lewis has been doing more in America than Tyson does; living, training and fighting in America. Even though he could easily fight in his own country, where he has the advantage, he chooses to fight, train and do all of his business in America. He has been more American than Tyson has been during the last few years and I give him credit for that. This fight here, when it was finally made, we had every reason to get out of the fight; the actions by Tyson leading up to this and possible protests. Lennox said no. I want to knock Tyson out. He is the last one. I want to finish him off. That is why this fight is being made. There were a lot of reasons for everyone, including me, I do not feel Tyson deserves to be fighting for the heavyweight championship of the world, but Lewis himself chose to take this fight. He is very determined, not to just beat him, but to knock him out. I cannot see anyway that Tyson is going to do anything against this fighting machine (Lewis) I have here.

Where five years ago, Tyson was pretty good and he was afraid of Lewis then. Even though they are the same age, it is generally acknowledged that Lewis is fighting better than ever. Tyson has been fighting second rate fighters. Nevertheless, everyone is holding on to this image of Tyson from 12 or 13 years ago. They don't want to let that go. That Tyson is gone. Lewis is the best today and one of the greatest heavyweights of all-time. Lewis' record will be appreciated after he is done. I do not think it will be today because he does not make himself available to the media. He is very reserved. I am raining him and I know he is phenomenal to train and one of the finest human beings I have ever dealt with. That is why I chose to stay with him a few years back, instead of going with Tyson when I could have made three million dollars for a fight. Lewis is worth being with because of his character, in addition to the talent he has. I have not been disappointed in my decision to come with him eight years ago. I think you are going to see a great fight.

I do not think it is going to be marred by a lot of illegal tactics like everyone thinks. Forget the craziness that Tyson has with him, he has three good boxing trainers now. I have a lot of respect for them. Most of them I am very close with. Mike McCallum , who does not get much recognition, but was one of my champions I managed and trained. Also, Stacey McKinley, who has been there all the time and was one of my fighters and Ronnie Shields, I have known since he was 14-years old when I used to take him on a lot of trips as an amateur. Tyson has a great training staff and they are going to get him back into a boxing mode for the first time in years. I think you are going to see the most determined Tyson he can be in this fight. The fight has the possibility of not only being a slugfest early, but possibly going to the late rounds because I can see a possible problem between the styles of the two fighters.

Tyson has always had trouble with tall fighters and I do not know how he has gotten any better. Lewis may have trouble with Tyson's bob and weave style. It could end up being a great fight that goes down the stretch and ends up with the judges being a big factor in this fight. I think it is going to be a very explosive fight. I think it has all the elements that make a good fight and that primarily means emotions and determination; not so much skill. I am really looking forward to it. I have been in a lot of great fights. This is one that has really got me nervous. I am waking up in the morning and shadow boxing myself. I am getting all excited about this. I love big-time fights. I like competition. I do not like easy fights. Lewis is the same way. That is why it is easy to beat us in what are perceived to be easy fights. When Lewis feels threatened, that is when he is the most dangerous. In Tyson, we feel confident, but Lewis feels threatened. Tyson is in danger of going out of the top of the Pyramid with a vicious uppercut."