Mike Tyson once avoided the Lennox Lewis fight just after delivering one of the most illustrious KOs inside the ring
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Mike Tyson and lennox lewis
Mike Tyson is from one of the most amazing and competitive eras of heavyweight boxing. At that time there were many Titans of boxing and Tyson was the biggest of all. However, during his prime, fans always wanted to see the mega fight between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson. Lewis was the one who called out Tyson for a match-up and after a fight, Tyson was asked about his response.
Tyson admitted that he was not ready for the fight. The fighter revealed that he wants to be at his 100 percent to fight Lewis. Mike mentioned that he wants to train more so that when he finally meets Lewis, he will be able to beat him convincingly.
He said: “Well listen right. Imma keeps it real, I’m not ready for him right now. But when the time comes, I investigate him. He’s no match for me when I’m right. There’s no one that can ever match me when I’m right. I need more training, I haven’t had time. I want him when I’m right. So I can eat him and rip out his heart and feed it to him.“
However, there was no progress regarding that fight. Many fans accused Tyson of being scared of losing to Lewis and ducking him. Nevertheless, in 2002, the pair got the opportunity to settle the score between themselves. It was a massive event and Lewis won the fight via KO. At the age of 35, Tyson was old and wasn’t as sharp as before. In that fight, he looked sluggish. The fight might not have been a great one, but the build-up to it was definitely what the fans remember.
Lennox Lewis talks about his infamous press conference against Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson back in the day was ferocious and most of his mind game started during press conferences. Tyson used to do outrageous things to get into the heads of his opponents and with Lewis, it was no different.
Ahead of their much-awaited fight, Lewis and Tyson met each other at the press conference which ended up in a brawl. Both parties took swings at each other and it was absolute madness. While talking about it Lewis said: “All of a sudden he came walking over to me. declaration of war he threw his hat down on the ground. I looked at it as a declaration of war. He walked up to me and my security stopped him. He took a swipe at my security and then the battle began.”
It’s been years since these legends fought each other and now they have already squashed their beef and moved on. But they surely put on a great show for the fans when they were in their prime.
How Mike Tyson’s loss to Lennox Lewis changed Tyson’s public image
When Mike Tyson came up against Lennox Lewis in 2002 he was no more the same ruthless fighter from his prime. He was just a shadow of the fighter once known as the baddest man on the planet. The 35-year-old boxer was struggling with his demons outside of the ring and this loss proved to be the final nail in the coffin.
After a competitive first round, Tyson who had peaked much earlier than his opponent stopped moving under a constant assault of Lewis uppercuts and jabs. Lewis finally knocked out Tyson with a powerful right hand in the eighth round when he was bleeding from the nose and both eyes.
But Tyson’s bravery in the ring and graciousness thereafter served as the foundation for his public comeback. A journey that took an outcast and made them one of the most well-liked ex-athletes on the globe. During the post-match interview, Tyson paused to gently wipe away blood from Lewis’s face as Lewis and Tyson showed respect to one another in the ring. He then acknowledged that his pre-fight taunts were only a part of the publicity.
Also Read: When Mike Tyson collided with Sugar Ray Robinson’s bodyguard just to meet his hero
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Soumya Ranjan
(2167 Articles Published)