This city of 1 million is where big-time boxing buzz meets barbecue and the blues.
And as Saturday night’s Lennox Lewis-Mike Tyson heavyweight title showdown hit center stage at the 32-story Pyramid Arena, fighting a few floors above an exhibit of czarist Russian treasures, the out-of-town contingent had grown with the arrival of Lewis’ English fans.
Reveling in both their soccer team’s early World Cup success and the prospect of Lewis’ title defense, they hit the downtown entertainment district carrying or draped in England’s flag of St. George. All along Beale Street, the white-with-red-cross flags traversed the blues crossroads.
But amid the buzz, one mainstay of major boxing events was notable by his absence. Boxing historian Bert Sugar, a veteran observer of title fights, opted to pass on what promises to be one of the heavyweight division’s biggest, at least financially.
“I don’t believe in what Tyson has done to this sport,” Sugar said.
Instead, he will serve as host for the International Boxing Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in Canastota, N.Y., on Saturday night.
Sugar has testified before Congress on behalf of the sport and proposed regulatory and safety reforms.
“I cannot defend boxing and Mike Tyson at the same time,” he said. “Boxing is nothing but legalized assault, and what elevates it to the sweet science are rules and regulations. Tyson obeys none of them, has no use for any of them.”
Sugar stressed that he was talking only about what Tyson has done in the ring–hitting after the bell, hitting a downed opponent, hitting a referee, biting Evander Holyfield’s ears in their 1997 title fight–not his outside-the-ring troubles ranging from sexual-assault allegations to a rape conviction.
Tyson’s loss of his Nevada boxing license as a result of his disqualification in the Holyfield fight caused Lewis doubts about giving him a title shot. But Tyson’s failure to get a license at a Nevada hearing after he bit Lewis in a prefight news conference in January seemed to motivate the champion to fight Tyson.
“I’m an action person,” Lewis said. “I’m a fighter and he’s a biter.”
Lewis remained about a 2-1 favorite all week. At 36, he came into Saturday’s fight having boxed 72 rounds in 11 bouts since 1997, when Tyson’s only fight resulted in a suspension of nearly two years. Tyson has only fought 19 rounds in six fights since then.
Each has fought Evander Holyfield twice, Tyson losing both and Lewis gaining a draw and a victory. After beating Hasim Rahman on June 2, Holyfield came to Memphis with an unwavering goal to regain the heavyweight title and an eye on how his former opponents perform.
Lewis and Tyson have fought six other common opponents–Francois Botha, Terrell Biggs, Frank Bruno, Andrew Golota, Razor Ruddock and Tony Tucker–and beaten them all. Tyson-Golota was ruled no contest, however, because Tyson did not take a required drug test.
Except for Golota, all those common opponents fought Tyson first. Ruddock is perhaps the best comparison. He went 19 grueling rounds in two 1991 fights against Tyson, but Lewis knocked him out in the second round a year later, a victory considered Lewis’ most dramatic.
Subject to debate is whether that proved Lewis has the bigger punch or whether Ruddock had been softened by Tyson’s punishment.
Like a show opening off-Broadway, the buildup for Saturday’s championship fight has played out for most of the week on stages some 30 miles south in Tunica County, Miss. That’s where 10 gaming casinos hoped to cash in on prefight activity at the casino cluster, including the two Tyson and Lewis chose as their headquarters. But by the weekend, the Memphis-Tunica action was centered in Memphis.
To be sure, there have been enough distractions to cause ambitious newcomer Memphis to doubt the wisdom of its Lewis-Tyson gamble after many other states turned it down.
Rumbles from Tyson’s past eccentricities dogged the prospect of how the fight would start, let alone end. Then there was the downgrade of an early sellout declaration to reports of the availability of tickets returned by overzealous promoters and event organizers who could not find buyers.
But following the lead of Mayor Willie Herenton, hospitable Memphians have declared all week, “The fight is on!” And hoped for the best.
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Tale of the tape
CATEGORY LEWIS TYSON
Record 39-2-1 49-3
Knockouts 30 43
Age 36 35
Weight 249 1/4 234 1/2
Height 6-5 5-11 1/2
Reach 84 78
Chest (normal) 44 42 1/2
Chest (expanded) 46 44
Biceps 17 17
Forearm 15 14
Waist 34 34
Thigh 26 26 1/2
Calf 18 17
Neck 18 1/2 20
Wrist 8 8
Fist 12 12
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