Just wondering what you all think. Last I heard the odds were Lewis 2-1.
Many are reporting that Tyson is training very hard for this one. He is getting up there though in age. Personally, I would like to see him win as I just don’t like Lewis. Not to say that I think Tyson is a person to be looked up to but rather I would love to see the Tyson of old. Yeah, I know, there’s a very slim chance of that happening.
Tyson’s (no, there is no relation, and if people ask me that one more time I’m liable to bite their ears off) legs will give out and he’s done in 10 rounds. I hope that Lewis hits him so hard that Tyson’s melon goes into a low, geo-synchronous orbit.
I hate Lewis as well, but you have to hand it to him. He fights smart, a bit too smart in my estimation.
Tyson will come on very strong in the first three rounds. Lewis is smart enough and slick enough (especially after Rahman) to keep away from him. After the third round it will be all Lewis. He will continually pepper Tyson with his jab. Tyson will be frustrated, but won’t have the endurance to do anything at that point. There won’t be a Lewis knockout, because I think Lewis is scared enough of Tyson that even if Tyson looks like he’s in trouble, he won’t go for the knockout.
Watch a tape of the David Tua / Lennox Lewis fight. Tua has a physique and style very similar to Tyson’s. He’s much more talented than Tyson is at this point - I’d call him a 1987 Mike Tyson.
Let’s just say it was a boring fight. The 5’11" Tua lunging and jumping, trying to reach the 6’5" Lewis through a slow-motion barrage of jabs. Lewis, as usual, not willing to mix it up and fight, coasts to a decision victory (to KO Tyson, he’d have to actually risk getting hit). Virtually unwatchable. Save your $54.95 for something slightly more interesting.
Tua a 1987 Tyson? Not a chance. Not even close. There hasn’t been a boxer at the heavyweight level who’s been at '87 Tyson level in the past 25 years of professional boxing.
My vote (if Tyson doesn’t go berserk and get the fight stopped): Lewis by decision.
Either Tyson in either the first or second round, or Lewis after the 7th, either by KO or decision. I hope for the love of all things sacred that Tyson gets his ass kicked. Maybe the loss will be so humiliating that he’ll shut up and go away. Why this man is still allowed to earn a living in his sport is beyond my comprehension. If he were in ANY other profession…ANY…he’d be tossed out like yesterday’s garbage.
Both fighters feel each other out for the first 1/2 rounds, then Lewis unleashes a barrage of lefts and rights that has Tyson reeling, but Tyson is saved by the bell.
Lewis continues to wail on Tyson in the 3rd & it becomes clear that he intends to punish and hurt Tyson, but not to knock him out.
This goes well until the middle of the 5th round when a killer whale rips through the tarp in the center of the ring and bites Ttyson in half.
Tyson is not a stupid boxer. He will win by knockout somewhere in rounds 8-10. He is not going to chase Lewis around and jump at his head. He is going to break his ribs one by one. Prison does not make you soft.
What SHOULD happen? Lewis should use that long reach and pop Tyson with jab after jab after jab, and make Tyson look like the feeble, washed-up punk he is.
Problem is,
Lewis is a moron.
Lewis can’t take a punch.
The first Rahman bout proves both contention #1 and contention #2. Rahman should have had NO chance at all of beating Lewis, ever. The second bout showed clearly that Rahman was no match for Lewis in top form. But Lewis was stupid, arrogant, and careless enough to let Rahman land a few good punches, and with a weak chin like Lewis’, that alone was enough.
Tyson is a bad joke. Lewis SHOULD handle him easily. He SHOULD humiliate Tyson. But if here’s ANY champion dumb enough to throw away his natural advantages and let Tyson get lucky, it’s Lennox Lewis.
I think that no one has addressed the critical issue in determining the outcome…people think that Tyson is some masterpiece of athletic skill-ergo ONLY a KO will serve for Lewis to win. (cf. Ken Norton v. Ali). As we saw when he fought Buster Douglas, ANY skill can put the poor boy down. And he’s pretty old, really, but I think Lewis will be too intimidated by the PR and the hype and won’t go for a good KO.
What a piss poor performance. Tyson looked good for about 2 minutes then fell apart. I think I saw him three punches that were any good. And yet, surprise of all surprises, he actually fought a clean fight and was gracious at the end. Is Mike starting to finally grow up?