LENNOX LEWIS maintains that he would have emerged victorious against Mike Tyson even in the latter’s prime, citing his versatility as a “five-dimensional” fighter.
In 2002, after an explosive build-up, the two boxing legends finally squared off in the ring in what became the most lucrative boxing match of all time.
However, the pre-fight tensions threatened to overshadow the event, with an incident during the face-off almost leading to the cancellation of the fight altogether.
In his new documentary, “Lennox: The Untold Story,” the events leading up to the showdown are revisited, including an altercation where Tyson attempted to strike Lewis’s bodyguard, resulting in Tyson having to compensate Lewis for the incident.
While some argue that Lewis only faced a past-his-prime Tyson, the British icon is adamant that he would have emerged victorious regardless, even if they had clashed ten years earlier.
During an appearance on Good Morning Britain, Lewis asserted, “Yes – I’m a five-dimensional fighter and he’s a one-dimensional fighter.”
Reflecting on his earlier interactions with Tyson, Lewis revealed, “Mike Tyson is a great guy in one sense. I knew him when he was younger.
He took me to his room, he was nice, we looked at lots of old films and he was more into boxing at the time than I was.”
Despite the original plan for the grudge match to take place in Las Vegas, Tyson was not re-licensed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, leading to the event being relocated to Memphis, delaying it by two months.
Tyson, who had not lost since 1997, when he was disqualified for biting Evander Holyfield’s ear, faced Lewis, the unified heavyweight champion at the time. Ultimately, it was Lewis who retained his crown with an eight-round knockout.