Tyson vs Lewis, circa '96?

The handlers of Mike Tyson couldn't win in court, so they paid Lennox Lewis, who agreed Thursday to step aside and let Tyson fight World Boxing Assn. champion Bruce Seldon on July 13 in Las Vegas.

The New Jersey Supreme Court had blocked Tyson's bid to fight Seldon after Lewis had gone to court, claiming that he should be fighting for Tyson's World Boxing Council title, rather than Seldon. Attempts by Tyson and promoter Don King to overturn that decision failed, and that crown will not be at stake when Tyson fights Seldon.
Though terms of the agreement were not announced, Lewis reportedly will be paid an amount in seven figures and is guaranteed a fight with Tyson by Sept. 1 for the WBC title, provided Lewis wins a tune-up bout.

He did, he beat Mercer.

Or another source.

Tyson would now have to deal with the WBC's number one contender, Lennox Lewis, who was guaranteed a title match against the winner of the Tyson–Bruno fight. Rather than face Lewis, Tyson paid Lewis $4 million in order to step aside and allow Tyson to face Seldon for the WBA Heavyweight title.

Meanwhile, Tyson would officially vacate his WBC title and proceed with his much anticipated match with Holyfield for the WBA Heavyweight championship.

So what was Lewis supposed to do then seeing as you are so sure he could have got the fight if he had " wanted " it.

He's won the court case, won the tune up v Mercer, got the step aside money, only for Tyson to renege, dump the belt and fight Holyfield instead.

Tyson wanted NO part of Lewis at anytime other than when he was in so much debt he was left with no choice. Even thanking Lewis in the ring afterwards and asking if they could do it again ( obviously in the hopes of keeping some for himself instead of paying debts )

Ironic that these sources were American sports writers, not British, not Jamaican, not Canadian, American.

 

Do you think King may have paid off Seldon to take a dive and potentially scare Lennox away from Tyson?

 

:rofl

 

I was being deadly serious I love a good conspiracy theory

 

Why would King waste money by paying Seldon when Tyson would have knocked him out either way.

 

Just watch the overhand right Tyson hit Holyfield with in the first seconds of their first fight and then look at Lewis glaring weakness....a big right hand.

Holyfield himself actually picked Tyson to beat Lewis, saying "he cant bend in the wind, he just breaks".

 

It's funny that Lewis was WBC mandatory contender in 1996 anyway, on the strength of a win over a fat bum Lionel Butler.

 

Maybe they felt bad about the McCall stoppage? Probably not, but it does seem foolish Lewis-Butler was an eliminator

 

Lewis probably wins, Tyson has a punchers chance in the first 3 or 4 rounds but even then he probably isn't elusive to not get beat to the punch or countered.

 

Sorry I thought you were joking. Seldon had less chance of beating Tyson than I would have now, and I draw an old age pension from England.

I can't really think of anything that needs adding to that.:good

 

Post prison Tyson was ****

Totally shot

PED abuser holyfield really lucked out there

Lewis would have killed him and that's why Tyson's people paid millions to keep Lewis off him

 

Lewis had the footwork of a Camel. Tyson was not addicted to prescription anti-depressants, alcohol, cocaine & cannabis in 1996 like he was in 2002 so i see this fight being over very quickly in Tyson's favor.. Tyson KO1

 

How is the weather on Fantasy Island? For a Tyson nut hugger you don't know too much about him do you? He was on booze and drugs from 88 onwards.

For the record Arnie Boehm took 18 year old Lewis and Razor Rudduck to the Catskills to spar the 17 year old Tyson ( who had done nothing but train and spar since he was 13, because the semi literate moron definitely didn't attend school ) Rudduck didn't even spar a round, and went back to Canada. Lewis did, and after a few sessions ended up taunting, and laughing at Tyson, so Old Tomato jumped in the ring and stopped the action.

THAT is when Tyson knew he could never bully the big man, and THAT is when he decided he would avoid him like AIDS, until in the end circumstances FORCED him to fight Lennox.

 

Probably Lewis on points. If Mike doesn't bite his nose or ear off....

 

:rofl

These 1983 teenage sparring stories change every year.