Lennox Lewis Cements A Legacy of Greatness
By Cliff Clark
09.06 - Fighting with a cold fury, Lennox Lewis battered challenger Mike Tyson into an eighth round stoppage Saturday night in Memphis, TN. Lewis won every round by a wide margin. Tyson has a boxing style many boxing experts said would be Lewis’ undoing, but the finished boxing skills of Lewis adeptly solved the problems presented by the Tyson style of slipping punches and ripping with powerful inside combinations. Utilizing a quick hard jab, a smashing right cross, a brutal right uppercut and crisp left hooks, Lewis pounded Iron Mike until his rock like ability to absorb punishment faded to black. It was the best performance of Lewis’ long career, and perhaps the poorest performance of Tyson’s long career. Tyson is 35, and Lewis is 36 years old.
In the first round Tyson tried to come out and slip his head from side to side, Lewis tried a few short jabs, slipped a couple jabs, and retreated from a couple of bull like charges from Tyson. Lewis held Tyson a few times forcing the referee to separate them. Lewis frequently employed a stance with his legs spread fairly wide, so he wouldn’t have to punch down as far at the much shorter Tyson. Lewis tried to chop down at Tyson’s mobile head with strong right hands, as well as employing uppercuts. They traded several jabs evenly in one exchange and then Lewis landed a hard right uppercut that rocked Tyson, Lewis followed up with a hard left hook and right uppercut as Tyson covered up near the ropes. Tyson landed a hard left hook to the jaw later in the round, but it had little effect on Lewis. At one point Lewis grazed Tyson with two hard right uppercuts as Tyson grazed Lewis with two big left hooks. The first round was the most competitive of the fight but Lewis still won it easily. Lewis kept tying Tyson up on the inside, and frequently leaned on him. Tyson complained to his chief trainer Ronnie Shields about Lewis’ holding, and asked him to talk to referee Eddie Cotton about it. Shields made a very vocal complaint
In the second round Lewis quickly received a stern warning from Cotton for holding. Lewis kept his left jab pumping and went hard to the body with a big right. He began to tag Tyson with some brutal right hands. They exchanged a few hooks and jabs but Tyson was getting the worst of the exchanges. Lewis tried some combination punching and everything was working well. Lewis received a second severe warning for holding later in the round. Lewis’ greater upper body strength and leg power allowed him to shove Tyson around. Lewis won the second round with ease and between rounds Shields demanded an “ugly fight” from Tyson. Lewis’ corner told him to keep his hands up.
In round 3 Tyson landed a few jabs and they traded a few hooks. Tyson ripped Lewis with one particularly good left hook. Tyson seems to be moving his head well to start the round, but he slowed down as the round wore on. Lewis’ was starting to sit down on his jabs, and they were starting to rip open cuts on Tyson’s eyes. Lewis kept his hands low, looking for opportunities to land hard right uppercuts and combinations. Those opportunities came with increasing frequency.
The fight was increasingly becoming a mismatch in round four. To add to his repertoire of blistering jabs, hooks and rights, Lewis landed a brutal left hook to the body. Tyson seemed ready to be taken at that point. Tyson increasingly landed fewer punches and was absorbing more punishment. Near the end of the round, Tyson doubled over and went down from an illegal punch to the kidney. Cotton deducted a point from Lewis for the infraction. Between rounds Manny Steward screamed at Lewis in a rasping voice. He unleashed a tirade of profanity at Lewis, and demanded he go for the KO.
Tyson was bleeding form both eyes and his nose by the fifth round. Lewis put more steam on his jabs, and went to the head and body with the jab. Tyson absorbed the punishment without flinching. Just as he had in his fights with Buster Douglas and Evander Holyfield, Tyson demonstrated that he could stand up to severe punishment. He also absorbed some hellacious right uppercuts. Tyson was reduced to loading up with a right hand to the body that landed to little effect. Lewis received a severe warning before the end of the fifth, for holding and hitting.
In the sixth round Lewis put on a jabbing clinic, landing the punch virtually at will. He continued to land brutal left hooks, straight rights, and right uppercuts. Lewis was also warned for pushing off with his forearm. Between the sixth and seventh rounds, Steward told Lewis that Tyson was dangling out there and wanted to quit. He pleaded for a knock out. Ronnie Shields seemed to be losing control of the Tyson corner. Everybody seemed to be giving Tyson advice at once, and Shields couldn’t seem to shut them up.
In the seventh round Tyson was very rocky and landed a couple of low blows. Lewis did not complain, and Cotton said nothing. It was a round of savage punishment for Tyson and he seemed intent on quitting when he got to his corner following the round. I think that would have been the intelligent thing to do. Ronnie Shields had stopped the Floyd Mayweather-Jesus Chavez fight before Chavez had taken anywhere close to this much punishment, and I thought it was a good time to stop that fight. I was sure they would stop it to save Mike from unnecessary punishment, but his corner told him that he had already taken Lewis’ best punches, and that Lewis was now tired. They allowed Mike to go out for the eighth round telling him that this was for the heavyweight championship.
In the eight round Tyson tried desperately but uselessly to land a good punch. He missed a wild right hand by a mile, and was nearly decked but a terrific left uppercut. Tyson’s knees buckled so badly that it was incorrectly ruled a knockdown. The end was inevitable at that point. Lewis soon caught Tyson slipping to his left with a terrific right hook. The blow had all the earmarks of a knockout punch. Tyson would have remained on his feet, but Lewis shoved the nearly unconscious battler to the canvas for the second knockdown. Tyson lay there gathering his will for a few seconds, and then tried to beat the count. Of course the fight was stopped.
After the fight Tyson was extremely humble and contrite. He told Lewis how much he loved and respected him, and what a masterful boxer he is. He said he could never use foul tactics against someone he so greatly loved and respected. Then Mike reached up and gently stroked some swelling under Lewis’ left eye. It was a touching scene, and for a second I was afraid Mike was going grab Lennox and kiss him. Tyson is a puzzling soul. Every which way Tyson plays it, he plays it to the extreme. For his part, Lewis was gracious in victory, and said he was amazed at the powerful punches that Tyson could absorb. Lewis said he would consider giving Tyson a rematch, depending on what boxing fans want. I don’t think boxing fans will demand a rematch real soon. I feel that Tyson deserved this title shot, but boxing fans will want a fresh challenger. Lewis-Klitschko perhaps. It depends on what happens in the up coming Klitschko-Mercer fight. Photos: AP
Send comments to cliffclark77@hotmail.com
Sharkie’s Machine: Lennox Lewis vs Mike Tyson
A Myth Crumbles While The Truth Rumbles
Hype Vs. Reality
By Frank Gonzalez Jr.
10.06 - Saturday night at “The Pyramid” in Memphis Tennessee, the heavily hyped and long awaited showdown between Iron Mike Tyson (49-3-0/2NC-43 KO’s) and Lennox Lewis (39-2-1-30 KO’s) finally happened.
The Pay-Per-View event was a cooperative venture of Showtime and HBO. It was a funny mix of personnel with HBO’s Jim Lampley paired up with Showtime’s Bobby Czyz as the ringside announcers. It was comical to see Lampley apparently holding back bursts of laughter at the things Czyz would say. Czyz goes out of his way to make sure everyone knows that he’s a former fighter. He also has a tendency to drool over Mike Tyson. Listening to Czyz talk about Tyson, you’d think they were getting married after the fight. Showtime’s Jimmy Lennon Jr. and HBO’s Michael Buffer introduced the different fights on the under-card separately. For the main event, they both introduced their respective network’s fighter. Buffer introducing Lewis and Lennon introducing Tyson. For $54- plus tax, the two networks tried their best to give a good show. Whether or not they were successful, is left for you to decide.
Samuel L. Jackson appeared with HBO’s Jim Brown for a pre-fight analysis. Jackson was colorful and articulate to listen to as he broke down his reasons for why this fight was such an exciting event. For a man who makes his living as an actor and not a commentator, he put the entire combined announce team to shame with his ability to be informative and entertaining. Jackson’s succinct words were a fine example of what good Boxing commentators should sound like. Later, a very energetic Cuba Gooding Jr. was on with Brown and although his sobriety was questionable, his predictions for the fight were right on target. He practically prophesized the script as it would later play itself out in the ring moments later.
Jim Grey, who acted as the roving reporter, interviewed various people involved in the grandest hype machine I’ve yet seen. Grey is not very tactful in his approach, often asking questions that are rude or unwelcome. Since his infamous interview with Baseball legend Pete Rose, I lost respect for Grey and how he does his job. Its one thing to ask tough questions, its another thing to simply be obnoxious. To me he’s the Jerry Springer of sports reporting.
The hype surrounding the event was like a swarm of Locusts. There was the reporting of the mansion Tyson stayed in, the 100 rooms in the hotel that he rented yet never used (and you wonder how this guy owes so much money?). The gated community Lewis stayed in leading up to the fight. The separate weigh-ins, held three hours apart for security reasons. There were interviews with various police personnel overseeing security. Hell, there was enough security on hand to overthrow a small nation.
Before the fight, the Judges were announced. There were some very interesting selections for a fight not expected by anyone to go to the scorecards. There was Alfred Buqwana of South Africa, who had NO Heavyweight title fights on his resume, and had not judged a fight since May of 1999, three years ago. Then there was the infamous Anek Hongtongkam of Thailand, who recently judged the Mayweather vs. Castillo bout, which ended with a controversial decision. Hongtongkam scored that fight 116-111 in favor of Mayweather in a fight that most ringside announcers and fans saw Castillo winning. Lastly, there was Bob Logist of Belgium, whose most notable decision was scoring the Trinidad vs. De La Hoya bout, 114-113 in favor of Trinidad, in what was also considered a controversial decision.
Stacy McKinley, one of Tyson’s co-trainers, was given a microphone and a moment in the spotlight where he ranted about how Lewis, “Has a lot of bitch in him. He’s a real bitch!” said McKinley. Wow, that’s a lot of bad karma, I thought. Considering that Max Kellerman, of ESPN 2 predicted Lewis would win, I figured McKinley’s bad karma had nullified Kellerman’s usual jinxed prediction. Whew.
“Iron” Mike Tyson was polite when interviewed before the fight, even lightheartedly joked with reporters. There was a certain eerie calm about Tyson that was uncharacteristic of the man who recently said he wanted to eat Lewis’ children and once upon a time branded himself, “The Baddest man on the planet.” Now he’s just one of the baldest.
Lennox Lewis was ‘no frills,’ he looked serious and focused. Like he’s said many times before, “Mike Tyson has never seen a fighter like Lennox Lewis.”
Ringside seats went for $2400.
The Fight
Round 1
Tyson starts in his famous, fast and furious manner, throwing lots of punches, going for the quick knockout. Lewis holds his own, clinching whenever Tyson gets too close. Lewis lands big shots to Tyson’s head and body after warding off a barrage of Tyson leather. Lewis landed the cleaner punches but Tyson may have thrown more as he dictated the initial pace of the fight. Lewis did more holding than Tyson. I scored round one for Iron Mike, just barely.
Round 2
Seconds into the round, referee Eddie Cotton sternly warns Lennox about holding. Tyson still comes forward with bad intentions. Forced by Cotton to stay off of Tyson, Lewis finds his jab and the range to throw it. Both fighters later clinch and Cotton angrily warns Lewis again about holding. I thought both guys were holding in spots. Apparently Cotton was looking for reasons to take a point from Lewis. Both fighters were fighting a clean fight. It’s a known and proven strategy to clinch with Tyson when he comes in close so as to neutralize his power punches. Cotton looked like he was rooting for Tyson and couldn’t stand to see what was unveiling before him. Lewis gets the better of the exchanges and wins the round.
Between the rounds, Tyson’s trainer Ronnie Shields tells Mike, “you got to make this a very ugly fight…NOW!”
In Lewis’ corner, Emanuel Steward tells Lennox, “He’s slowing down real bad now. Work your jab. Your jab is pumping. You’re on your way baby!”
Round 3
Lewis establishes his range and catches Mike on almost every try. Although Tyson is frustrated, he continues to fight cleanly, except for hitting on the break. Cotton said nothing to Tyson. Mike gets cut above his right eye. Tyson catches Lewis with a big left uppercut. Lewis’ chin holds firm as he returns the favor with a solid right hand. Tyson’s chin is like a rock. Lewis battles both Tyson and Cotton. He controls the tempo and wins the round, wary of the biased referee who stalks him in another angle of the fight. After the round, Tyson looks bloodied and tired. In Lewis’ corner, Steward implores Lennox to, “shoot that damn uppercut some, the man is tired!”
Round 4
Lewis is in control of the fight. Tyson lunges on occasion but mostly misses, usually throwing only one punch at a time. Lewis pops Tyson with multiple shots. Tyson is dazed. Working the jab, Lennox dominates Tyson, whose confidence is shot. With 11 seconds remaining in the round, Tyson gets caught with a Lewis right hand and starts to fall down as Lewis goes to clinch, giving the appearance of a push by Lewis. Cotton calls the knockdown a slip and charges Lewis a point for pushing, something Lewis was not previously warned for. Mike Tyson took exactly nine seconds to get up. He was wobbled and his face was a mass of swelling. Between the rounds, Emanuel Steward was livid as he screamed at Lewis, “Get this M*fkr out of here man! Step it up! The man is ready!” I wondered if Steward was worried about Tyson as much as Cotton.
Round 5
Tyson lunges forward and misses. Lewis smartly sticks to his game plan and jabs and sets up his right hand shots. During a clinch, Tyson leans low and Cotton comes in and singles Lewis out again, threatening to take another point for hitting on the break. It was target practice for Lewis at this point. Tyson’s both eyes were cut and his nose was bleeding. Even with Cotton’s help, Tyson was clearly involved in a mismatch. Only this time, Tyson was the prey. With 13 rounds fought in five years, against lesser opponents, Tyson was hardly prepared for Lewis. Apparently his lack of dedication and proper preparation would lead to Tyson’s demise.
I’ve never seen Emanuel Steward so riled up. He demanded of Lewis, “Finish him off! Take him out!” It was clear to Stewart that Tyson was ready to go, but Lewis just wouldn’t pull the trigger. His safety first mentality was driving Steward crazy, but it would prove to be the right recipe.
Round 6
Tyson has a chin of stone. Lewis batters him with big shots. Tyson still stays on his feet, even though he looks like he’s sleep walking. With Tyson being totally dominated, Bobby Czyz continues to sing Tyson’s praises, saying, “Mike is dangerous at all times, etc. etc.” Between clinches, mostly initiated by Tyson (apparently with Cottons permission), Lewis peppered Mike with jabs and big right hands. After the round, Steward implored Lewis, “The longer he’s in there, the more dangerous it is. Take him out!”
Round 7
Lewis dances round Tyson, popping the jab and following up with right hands to Tyson’s head. Tyson is little more than a punching bag at this point. Cotton found a reason to stop the action so he could warn Lewis about using his elbow to push off. Ridiculous. Bobby Czyz immediately noted that Lewis was using illegal tactics, etc. Lewis lands a big right countered by a Tyson uppercut into Lewis body. Czyz gets excited and again starts talking up Tyson. Meanwhile, Mike is being pummeled by Lewis’ jabs. Wobbling a bit, Tyson continues to come forward for more punishment. Tyson gets off a low blow. Cotton says nothing. He must have been checking his watch at that instant. As the bell rings, Tyson looks destroyed. His corner tells him to do this and do that, calling him ‘champ’ and Tyson mumbles to them, “I’m done!” It was almost sad.
Round 8
Tyson might have thrown a total of eight punches in the span of 1:30 of the round. Lewis teed off on him and as the fighters are in close, Lewis hits Tyson with a vicious uppercut to the chin and he starts to fall but doesn’t. Cotton accidentally counts it as a knockdown. With all looking lost, Tyson lands a big uppercut inside. Lewis didn’t even budge as he rocked Tyson with another right hand, sending Tyson down probably more from the accumulation of punches. Tyson would not beat the count. Lennox raised his arms in victory. Eddie Cotton cuddled Mike and helped him to his corner. There would be no mysterious scorecards to worry about.
It was over.
* * *
As Lampley and Czyz mull it over in closing, they speculated about Lewis’ future. Would he retire, or take on the winner of Ruiz vs. Johnson? And as for a rematch with Tyson, Jim asked Bobby why anyone might think it would even be competitive in light of the one sidedness of this fight. Czyz said, “He’ll probably go after the winner of Ruiz, Johnson. I bet that’s what comes out of his mouth in the post fight interview!” Bobby Czyz seemed almost annoyed at the outcome of the fight. He went on to say that Lewis knew, and Tyson knew that he’d picked Tyson to win and that if they had a rematch, Tyson would be better prepared. Next time he would know what to expect…” etc. etc.
Mike Tyson shocked the security forces who, “ooh’d and aah’d” as he made his way over to Lewis and hugged him in a show of good sportsmanship. Tyson was gracious in defeat. He was humbled before Lewis, whom he praised as the greatest fighter. He thanked Lewis for the opportunity and the great payday. Lewis smiled.
Later in the interview, Tyson reached over and wiped the sweat off Lewis’ face while he was answering a question by Jim Grey. He even kissed Lewis’ mother on the cheek as she stood by her son in the ring surrounded by a swarm of people.
With all the niceties going on, Jim Grey sort of instigated bad blood by reviving questions of the nasty things they said about each other in the moments leading up to the fight. Tyson admitted that he’s known Lewis since he was 16 years old and their old trainers were friends and that he knows that Lewis knows that he has nothing but respect for him. Lewis didn’t deny this. Tyson also admitted that the trash talk was all in line with promoting the fight.
Although Lennox Lewis sought to humiliate Hasim Rahman after their last fight, which he won by knockout, he was almost friendly with Mike Tyson when after their fight. And Lewis never mentioned anything about Ruiz or Johnson, as Czyz had predicted. (So much for the prediction powers of Bobby Czyz.)
With his legacy secured, Lennox Lewis has got to be satisfied with Boxing. He has made lots of money and has been disciplined, so he must be very wealthy. It could be said that he has nothing left to prove. Yet, of the four most recognized Alphabets soup organizations (the IBF, WBA, WBC and the WBO), Lewis might want to capture the WBO title, which is better regarded in Europe, where Lewis is from. After all, he may be Jamaican, but he’s from England, which is in Europe.
Wladimir Klitschko, a 6’5”, 250-pound, athletic Heavyweight owns the WBO title but may not be ready for the likes of Lewis just yet. Wladimir is still young and being carefully managed. It would make for an interesting fight though. The winner of Ruiz Johnson would seem like a walk in the park for Lennox, who has once again shown the world that he is the best Heavyweight in the World. A rematch with Tyson would be looked at as a fight just for the money. Can the hype machine reinvent Tyson again? If so, you never know.
Agree or disagree? Send comments to dshark87@hotmail.com
Lennox Lewis - New Millennium Champion
By Ben Yap
09.06 - Although this fight did not turn into the classic that I had hoped it would, it was an important fight in the history of boxing and it accomplished two things. One, it allowed Lewis to complete his legacy and to prove that he is the best heavyweight of the 90's and the True Heavyweight Champion of the New Millennium, and Two it allowed Tyson to show that he was a former great, with a champion's heart who refused to quit, and when he finally did, he accepted the defeat graciously.
Lewis finally put it all together. He showed why in his entire career spanning over a decade, every fighter he has faced he has beaten. And the fighters he didn't beat the first time, he made sure he beat them the second time. As Emmanuel Steward said, Lennox Lewis can really do it all. He showed in this fight that he was physically stronger than Tyson, pushing him back on many occasions. He showed that he could keep Tyson at bay with his jab and his footwork. Finally, he showed that he could also do what Tyson does, and punch with knockout power. I don't think there's been a heavyweight champion in history who could do it all. Power, Defence and Ring Generalship, Lewis was able to display his full arsenal tonight.
The Fight
In the beginning, the fight started quite slowly, however Lewis did assert himself in the first round, when the referee called a break, Lewis upon being separated pounced on Tyson with some punches which surprised him. Other than that the first few rounds consisted of Lewis leaning on Tyson. Tyson went down in round one due to a punch and Lewis leaning on him.
Lewis was warned alot by the ref for this as well as an elbow. But Lewis was starting to win the war, by getting Tyson's respect.
From the fourth or fifth round, Lewis began using his jab and boxing. This was when it started to really become Lewis's fight.
Tyson's early window of opportunity had suddenly shut, and Lewis was gaining in confidence. He would box and move. On a break Tyson tried a hard body shot but it missed the mark. I think Tyson only landed one hard left hook in the whole fight and Lewis was able to take it without flinching.
A big turning point in the fight was when Lewis landed a combo which including a big uppercut. Tyson bent down to his needs and then got back up and cowered trying not to get hit again but Lewis got in another uppercut. This reminded me very much of the Tommy Morrison fight where Lewis used a similar combination. Lennox was able to knock down Tyson with a straight right.
Through rounds five to eight, Tyson offered very little offense.
Meanwhile Emmanuel Steward was pleading to Lewis to knockout Tyson as they realised that whilst Tyson was around he would always be dangerous.
Before the final round, both of Tyson's eyes were cut and he was bleeding badly. He sat back on his stool and his corner told him that he musn't quit. They told him that this was for the championship of the world, and he had taken Lewis's best shots. But the problem was that Tyson now cut on both eyes, simply couldn't see the attacks, and Lewis was now pretty much treating him like a punching bag. Nevertheless Tyson came out anyway.
Tyson tried one more rush at Lewis, but Lewis used his footwork and Tyson simply couldn't reach him.
Lewis ended matters with a straight right and Tyson went down, he didn't beat the count and Lennox Lewis completed his legacy showing that he deserves respect.
The Future
So overall Lennox Lewis has nothing left to prove. The missed fights against Riddick Bowe seem like nothing now. He faced and beat all the fighters the good and the great over the past 10 years and now with Mike Tyson his legacy is complete. This fight proved that the losses to Rahman and Mccall were due to his lack of focus as these fights meant nothing to him. This means that he should really go out on a high note now. If he stayed around and the opponents did not really challenge him then he would simply fight below his ability, basically achieving very little.
As for Mike Tyson, he did himself proud. He fought like the true champion he is, he didn't give up though he wanted to, cut on both eyes, and being out manouvered and out punched by the bigger guy he didn't want to quit. He was also graceful in defeat. But it seemed like his reflexes were
gone, and he just didn't have it.
There's nothing left for Lennox Lewis to prove. He's beaten everyone there is to beat, and he's even avenged his two defeats. He's carried himself as a champion both in and out of the ring, and he took on all the fighters of his era who would face him and he beat them. He can leave on a high note as the Millennium Champ.
Lewis - Tyson Preview: Mr. Lazy and the Loon
By Steve Trellert
With the Lennox Lewis-Mike Tyson Heavyweight Superfight before us it is now time to put down the teacup and chess pieces and leave ‘Boobies and Brawls’ nightclub behind. Barring any arrival of the worst aspects of either fighter, hence the title, we may actually get to see one heck of a fight. If this is the case an analysis is due. In this and the following week we shall take a look at five critical areas of comparison between these two boxing behemoths: Experience, Stamina, Mental Toughness/Heart, Offense, and Defense. The latter two shall be observed next week.
With both fighters garnering over a decade of professional experience it would seem moot to make a comparison, not so. After Mike Tyson’s second loss to Evander Holyfield in June 1997, both he and Lennox Lewis took very different paths. Lennox has fought and defeated numerous true top ten contenders in Evander Holyfield (twice really), Hasim Rahman, Michael Grant, David Tua and Andrew Golota. Only three secondary fighters in Shannon Briggs, Zelkjo Mavrovic and Franz Botha were fought. Mike Tyson on the other hand avoided top ten opposition like the plague and fought only secondary fighters in Franz Botha, Julius Francis, Orlin Norris, Lou Savarese and Brian Nielson. It could be argued Andrew Golota was a marginal top ten at the time but he had already been defeated by Lewis and Grant in the interval and won an unconvincing victory over Orlin Norris. Mike Tyson never came near a serious threat and always proclaimed he needed ‘two more fights’ before facing Lennox Lewis. Now suddenly Mike is ready? Not likely! With only six fights in five years against questionable opposition in comparison to Lewis’ 10 fights against primarily elite opposition, it is quite obvious Lennox has the experience edge.
Now some may claim that recent experience is of little importance as Mike has been there before. He knows how to adjust to the ‘big fight’. Is age a factor? Nominal age does not as Tyson is younger than Lewis. How about ‘real age?’ After all, some fighters are washed up much earlier than others. Is Mike prematurely aged in terms of athletic ability? It is obvious that his skill have diminished over the last decade but is it age related or rust? The jury here is still largely uncertain as the progression has not been a steady decline. In fact it could very easily be argued that Tyson has become progressively better since the Franz Botha fight at least in terms of handspeed. This would seem to suggest rust rather than age related decline as the primary suspect. So under the presumption that Mike Tyson will attempt to revamp himself and continue to improve and be more reminiscent of his old efficient self (weight is currently down as well reflecting a greater degree of discipline), does this eliminate Lewis’ more recent experience advantage? No, for two reason’s. One is the fact that the gap Mike has to adapt to is too large. Going from Brian Nielson in front of him to Lennox Lewis will likely provide such a shock that Tyson will have to be the one to adapt to Lewis rather than the expected opposite. Whereas most expect Tyson to be at his most dangerous in round one, he may in fact be at his most vulnerable. In his most recent fights Mike Tyson has barely had a real punch thrown at him never mind one coming from a man who can pack a serious wallop. Lennox’s heavy jab and long reach will likely come as a surprise as Tyson will have to go through some heavy artillery to get to the core. This in addition to Tyson’s now limited head movement means he may be an easy target for Lennox’s potent arsenal. The fact that Tyson has ‘been there’ will allow him a greater ability to adapt than a green fighter, but it will still create difficulties in the early going. The second reason is that other element of experience, legacy. Despite the frequent romanticization of Tyson’s glory years in the late 1980’s, the fact of the matter is that Lennox Lewis is, and has been, the better fighter historically. How do we know this?
Surprisingly overlooked is the fact that both fighters have fought many of the same opposition. We actually have a large sample size within which we can make a comparison.
The above chart clearly indicates Lewis’ supremacy against the same opposition as he had superior results against five of the seven fighters. Tyson had supremacy only against Britain’s beloved Frank Bruno (note: One could argue Lewis had supremacy over Tony Tucker as well since he knocked him down twice unlike Tyson). If the gap was but one or two, one could dismiss this as a ‘styles make fights’ anomaly, but here there is a four-fighter advantage which reflects more of a pattern. In terms of experience and head to head comparison’s, Lennox Lewis has the advantage.
It seems a forgone conclusion that Lennox Lewis should have the advantage here as he has fought the distance a number of times of late while Tyson has not. Most seem to see Tyson fading and being vulnerable after the sixth round. Lewis’ advantage here may not be quite as large as many suspect and for good reason. The first is the fact that stamina largely depends on the training before a fight. Tyson’s weight, as previously mentioned, has been down for awhile which implies he is training harder than usual. This should expand his stamina. Additionally, Tyson’s last fight against Brian Nielson went a solid seven rounds in which he was pretty well punching continuously. He did not seem anywhere winded enough to make us think he was going to fall apart. Additionally, Mike (unless in a disqualification) has never lost a fight due to exhaustion. He has demonstrated a tremendous amount of willpower in adversity as the Douglas fight and first Holyfield fight demonstrate. Mike loses by ‘punching’ attrition rather than fatigue.
Lewis on the other hand is not devoid of any fatigue. There have been occurrences of slowdown usually around round nine. This may present an opportunity for Tyson in the later rounds but nevertheless Lewis’ recent distance experience and relative rarity of tiredness should give him the advantage (though slighter than suspected) here.
Usually Human beings tend to become more stable with age but in Mike Tyson’s case the reverse seems to be true. Irrespective of occurrences outside of the ring it is plain that inside the ring Tyson seems less able to handle adversity as he has in the past. The Holyfield ear episode, late foul on Orlin Norris causing a no-contest, Botha arm-twisting and Savarese referee assault all point to Tyson as a loose cannon when things do not go his way. All of these episodes occurred in the last five years and there is little reason to think it would not happen again. Tyson is a frail soul. In the event his mental durability has increased Mike has demonstrated innumerable times his ability to fight to the end. Which Tyson will show up? Who knows! Nevertheless, the very fact that the ‘Loon is likely’ should give Lennox Lewis a wide advantage in this department, but hold on a minute.
Like Tyson, Lennox Lewis is his own worst enemy as demonstrated by his two embarrassing knockout losses to Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman. While Mike Tyson’s mental weakness stems from insecurity, Lewis’ derives from arrogance. Against Rahman, Lewis contemptuously kept his hands low and fought as if the guy before him was Joey Buttafouco. Lewis clearly did not take the opposition seriously and allowed himself to be vulnerable. The knockout punch was delivered by a guy who had all day to wind it up and let it go as Lewis stood there against the ropes with his hands down by his waist. Against Oliver McCall Lewis decided he could trade a right hand shot with the Atomic Bull. The bull got there first. A measured Lewis would never have allowed such a powerful puncher the opportunity, ask David Tua. Despite the justified criticism hurled at Lewis for his complacency, it must be stated that whenever Lewis felt the opposition a true threat he arrived at his peak. Razor Ruddock, Andrew Golota, David Tua, Tommy Morrison, Hasim Rahman II and Evander Holyfield were all regarded to be serious threats to Lennox Lewis and he dominated them. Against Hasim Rahman, Oliver McCall, Zelkjo Mavrovic, and Shannon Briggs he was expected to win easy and he struggled. The perception of threat is Lennox Lewis’ motivation. Is he thinking Tyson is spent shadow of his former self who will be easy meat? Or does he see him as a serious threat who can put him on the canvas for the third and maybe last time? Chances are more likely the latter as he has wanted this fight for ten years and has seen it as his crowning achievement. Lewis is very likely to be highly motivated and therefore at his best. This should make him very difficult to defeat.
Finally at question is Lewis’ heart. For years and even now Lewis still takes heat for not taking risks or brawling. Is this an indication of a lack of heart? No, in fact it is an indication of intelligence. Why should one brawl if one does not have to and risk permanent brain damage? To entertain the fans that could largely care less about you after you have exited the limelight? I think not! One should only brawl if one has too. Does Lewis have the heart to pull through a situation where he has to make a gut check? The answer here is yes to anyone who witnessed Lennox Lewis fight Ray Mercer. Mr.Merciless fought Lewis tooth and nail and gave him no quarter. Lennox was forced to brawl and he performed admirably at it. Don’t believe me? Look at Lennox Lewis’ face after that fight and the conclusion becomes self-evident. Lennox Lewis most definitely has heart. With Lewis motivated and adversity for both a likely scenario sometime during the fight, Mr.Loon is much more likely to arise than a de-motivated Mr.Lazy. Hence advantage Lewis.
At their worst, Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson have become ‘Mr. Lazy and the Loon’ which usually results in their defeat. The first one to demonstrate either of those tendencies will likely end up on the canvas without his hand being raised in the air (its hard to raise your hands in handcuffs), and leave with a legacy greatly diminished. Of course if neither alter ego’s arise we may have to take a look at catapult and fortress.
With Experience (particularly recent), Stamina, and Mental Toughness favoring Lennox Lewis, it would seem easy to conclude Iron Mike as a write-off this Saturday night, right? Wrong! If Tyson is able to land his patented haymaker, the above three advantages will end up alongside last week's article for Monday morning back alley pickup by the sanitation department. This week we take a look at Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson in terms of their offensive and defensive capabilities. We shall start with the former.
There are two existing blueprints to defeating Iron Mike. First is slugging a la Evander but that would be suicide for Lennox due to his brittle chin. The second is the Buster jackhammer jab, which Lewis should utilize. The only problem here is the fact that Lewis will likely have to increase the normal activity rate of his jab, which could mean fatigue may become more of a factor. Nonetheless it is the logical route, for Lewis the jab will likely be the decisive factor. Lewis will have to use it with authority to keep Tyson off of him just as Buster did. Now Buster still ended up knocked down despite his efforts, but he did not have the height and reach advantage of Lennox. This should work to Lewis' advantage and significantly lower his percentage chance of getting nailed to the floor.
For Tyson the key is his head movement. If Mike remains stationary he will likely suffer a battering before Lewis' heavy jab and right hand (remember David Tua?). He will never get through the jab if he is eating leather and combinations all night, and remember that Lewis' straight jab will likely hit the target before Tyson's hooks can arrive. Additionally, head movement will allow Tyson to come at Lewis through more unconventional angles that may enhance his chance of landing the big shot. Another potential strategy for Tyson, though highly unlikely to be used, is to use Lewis' other main weakness (besides the chin) against him. That would be to lull him into a false sense of security. I think Lewis may be at his most vulnerable at a time when he thinks victory will come easy. For instance, if Tyson comes out of his corner passively instead of doing the expected and charging at Lewis, this may startle Lewis psychologically and force him to be aggressive which is contrary to Lewis' true nature as a counter puncher. It would also likely take Lewis out of his game plan and throw a monkey wrench into the equation. Of course this could prove awkward for Tyson as well as Lewis as Mike is naturally assertive, but it still creates food for thought and an interesting, if unlikely, scenario.
Despite Lewis' substantially inferior chin and marginally inferior offensive capabilities, Lewis is still the hardest puncher and arsenal carrier Tyson has ever faced. Additionally Lewis has a mental advantage over Tyson in terms of strategy and game plan aided by trainer Emanuel Steward. Tyson is unlikely to have a plan beyond looking for a knockout. Tyson without a plan 'b' will result in adversity (he is fighting the world champion so adversity is likely to arise), and we all know how well he handles that of late! The fight should come down to who uses their key to victory more proficiently. Lennox with his jab, or Tyson with his head movement. Lennox's superior corner and ring intelligence should place the advantage on his side, but if Tyson rejuvenates himself he may be knocking out more than the rust off of himself. No result outside of a Tyson decision would surprise me in this fight. I could see either fighter knocking out the other in the first round. But I suspect Tyson's lack of head movement will continue allowing Lewis' jab to predominate. Despite occasional bouts of adversity for Lennox in which he will try to tie up Tyson in moments of peril. I see Tyson being too easy to hit and slowly being worn down by Lewis' reach and jab. If a disqualification does not occur, I see Lewis wearing down Tyson through attrition in a tense fight that will end in round nine. For the sake of boxing and the public, I hope neither Mr. Lazy nor the Loon is spotted on Saturday night. If they are not we may actually witness not only a great fight, but also the perfect springboard for the next generation waiting backstage for their prompt. Keep your fingers crossed.
