Is Mike Tyson fighting Lennox Lewis in a rematch?
'Iron' Mike Tyson has stirred up the combat sports world yet again with news that has everyone talking. The former heavyweight champion of the world stated that he will be fighting Lennox Lewis in September of 2021.
Mike Tyson was recently interviewed by a TMZ reporter. As Tyson slid into his car, he was asked whether he would enter the ring again, given that his trilogy fight against Evander Holyfield was now off the cards. In response, Mike Tyson said:
"I'm going to fight Lennox Lewis... in September."
Why has the possibility of a rematch between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson got fans excited?
Lennox Lewis became only the third person to defeat 'the Baddest Man on the Planet' when the two fought in June of 2002. At the time, Lennox Lewis held the WBC, IBF, IBO, and The Ring heavyweight titles. The bout was an opportunity for Mike Tyson to get back to the top of the food chain.
However, the fight did not go in Tyson's favour. 'The Lion' knocked Mike Tyson down twice during the fight before eventually knocking him out in round 8 of the bout.
Lewis sent Tyson crashing to the canvas with a huge right hand, winning by KO. After the fight, Lennox Lewis defended his titles one more time against Vitali Klitschko in June of 2003 before hanging up his gloves.
Meanwhile, Mike Tyson fought thrice after his fight with Lennox Lewis before calling it a day. He returned to the ring 15 years later to fight Roy Jones Jr. in an 8-round exhibition boxing match in November of 2020.
The original Mike Tyson vs. Lennox Lewis bout was almost called off
The first bout between Lewis and Tyson was marred with controversy. There was a lot of tension in the build-up to the fight and when the fighters faced off for the cameras, all hell broke loose.
As soon as Lennox Lewis stepped onto his podium, Mike Tyson stepped off his own block in an aggressive manner to come face-to-face with his opponent. As Lewis' bodyguard stretched out a hand to ensure nothing untoward happened, Mike Tyson unleashed a punch that barely missed Lewis' bodyguard.
Lennox Lewis immediately threw strikes of his own and there was chaos before the two were separated. After the disastrous press conference, there was talk of calling the fight off due to both fighters' actions.