Saturday, June 08, 2002
Uncertainty clouds Tyson-Lewis
The Associated Press
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Mike Tyson returns to the ring tonight for his biggest fight since he bit Evander Holyfield's ears. As unstable and unpredictable as ever, he's also just one big punch away from being the heavyweight champion again.
The undisputed star of a spectacle that is more theater than boxing, Tyson fights Lennox Lewis in a bout that could become the richest ever.
For the first time, Tyson is an underdog against a champion who outweighs him, can out-jab him and will tower over him. But Lewis has a suspect chin, giving the fight some uncertainty.
“I'm just ready to get it on and crush this guy's skull,” Tyson said. “I want to show them who the real world champion is — the best fighter in the era.”
The fight will take place under extraordinary circumstances. The two fighters won't touch gloves, and if one commits a foul that ends the fight, he will have to pay the other $3 million.
For Tyson, 35, the bout is a chance to get out of a reported $15 million in debt and re-establish himself as a force.
If his declining skills are exposed in a loss, though, it could be the end of multimillion-dollar paydays for a boxer who has fought sporadically against second-rate opponents since losing to Holyfield five years ago.
Between those fights, Tyson served time in jail for punching two motorists after a fender-bender, punched out a promoter, bit Lewis at a news conference and was accused of raping three more women.
“I'm scared of some things he does,” Tyson adviser Shelly Finkel said. “I worry about him after boxing.”
Lewis is determined to make that time come soon, ready to secure his legacy in the sport that embraces him reluctantly as the heavyweight champion.
Lewis (39-2-1, 30 knockouts) has tried to define the fight as a classic battle of good vs. evil. He's a 36-year-old three-time champion and wanted this fight badly.
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Uncertainty clouds Tyson-Lewis
