THE PIT BULLY-Y TURNED INTO A PUSSYCAT By Saratogamist

Saturday, June 8, 2002 marked the date of the most anticipated heavyweight match-up in over a decade. Much hoopla and drama surrounded this one, with the participants having had a "taste" of each other in the opening promotional press conference. From accusations that Lennox Lewis had written into his contract that he didn't want Tyson "looking at him" prior to the bout, to separate weigh-ins, to Tyson allegedly under contractual obligation to behave or el$e; you name it, it was either in the contract or on everyone's minds. How will it play out? What will Mike do this time? How hard will Lewis fall?

I must confess that I have never been a Tyson fan. I strongly feel that he should have been banned for life after the Holyfield incident. I have never been a big fan of Lennox Lewis either, as he has always left me wanting more, like the perennial half-empty glass which optimists would refer to as being half-full. I found his lackadaisical style irritating and I was very relieved when the welterweight division kicked in and Felix Trinidad carried the sport for a couple of years. Trinidad and company made boxing fun and exciting, thrilling to watch, a feat that Lewis never seemed to have been able to accomplish.

Well, we came full circle this evening, and all the boxing Einsteins who continued to envision Mike Tyson as the "baddest man on the planet" certainly were put to the test by Lennox Lewis, undisputed champion of the world; Lennox Lewis, the man that supposedly feared Tyson so much that Tyson paid HIM several million dollars to not have to fight him. Makes a lot of sense, doesn't it? Yeah, that's what I was thinking too.

As I saw the fight developing, the height and reach disadvantage would be too much for an over-the-hill Tyson to overcome, but of course, there was always that fighter's punch chance. I was questioned several times over the course of the last month as to whether -in my humble opinion- Tyson or Lewis would end up in the winner's circle tonight. Trying very hard to set aside personal feelings, I still couldn't see how Mike Tyson could beat Lennox Lewis. So my answer was always the same, Lewis by KO in the later rounds.

As most of you probably know by now, Lennox Lewis did win, by KO in the 8th round and no, I am not bragging, but I am gloating. Lewis put away the misfit in very convincing fashion. But wait, I am getting ahead of myself. Let's start with the ring entrances, most annoying to some fans, but as I see them, the beginning of the psychological warfare. Is it fair to say that fights are won or lost when a fighter begins his walk to the ring? Well, you decide...

Zab Judah didn't seem himself when he walked out to meet his "destiny" against Konstantin Tszyu. He seemed tense, and even his choice of music was off; after all what the heck was the "Prince of Hip Hop" doing coming in to "Eye of the Tiger" while Kostya rocked to "I'm Going To Knock You Out?"

William Joppy certainly looked, shall we say, uncomfortable, when he stepped out to the sea of Puerto Rican flags at Madison Square Garden a year or so ago. Who can forget Fernando Vargas disastrous entrance when all the phony blocks that made up his Aztec ruins came crashing down on his head, only an omen of the beating he had coming at the hands of Felix Trinidad. Prince Hamed didn't even jump over the top rope on the night he met Marco Antonio Barrera, indecision or premonition? Felix Trinidad looked tight, tense, when he took his walk to meet up with Bernard Hopkins. "Tito" even tried to dance as he walked, something that I don't believe he had ever done before. Dead men walking, have I made my point?

When Mike Tyson started his ring walk tonight his face was tight, he was frowning, had a worried look about him. Lewis on the other hand, was all business, not a frown on his face, not a tight muscle on it either. It was the look of a confident man who was about to prove himself to the boxing world by beating up on one of its least talented but most adored stars. In that lies the irony of this victory.

Lennox Lewis has been criticized, attacked and generally disrespected by most boxing geniuses and fans alike for everything from the all too familiar "who has he fought?" to "he has a China chin." Nothing he has done throughout his career has been enough to get him props; not even his rare display of emotion after the hit-and-run on "Has-Been" Rahman helped to ingratiate Lennox to most boxing fans.

Enter "Iron" Mike Tyson, the pit bull-y, the guy who puts butts on the seats no matter how much his skills have eroded and how pathetic his performances. To recount blow by blow would be most boring, it's all academic now. If I were pressed to write some sort of a recap I would say that Lennox Lewis has one hell of a jab, one which he pumps with good speed and great accuracy, a thunderous right hand and heart, yes, HEART. Lewis, the self-appointed "professor of Boxingcology," "pugilistic specialist" took Mike Tyson to school tonight and in the process, gave him a taste of his own medicine.

Lewis threw elbows, pushed, hit while holding, leaned on Tyson quite deliberately and overall showed no respect for his power, his reputation as a KO artist. If he threw 10 punches, Tyson caught 9-1/2 of them, it was that simple. Mike had no defense, no offense; as it goes for most bullies when they meet someone who shows them no fear. It happened with Buster Douglas, with Evander Holyfield and now with Lennox Lewis.

To say that Lennox Lewis is the greatest for having defeated Mike Tyson is, in my very humble opinion, a travesty. Mike Tyson is shot people, face it! It's over, done, finished. He looked pathetic tonight, lost, his head attached to Lennox Lewis' gloves. He was cut over both eyes, his nose was bleeding as well, and at the end of the seventh round it was apparent, at least to me, that he wanted no more. Where was all the bravado when after folding in the eighth round and looking up at the brick wall called Lennox Lewis -unlike Arturo Gatti in the ninth round of his war against Micky Ward- Tyson decided he had enough?

Does this victory make Lewis the second coming of Muhammad Ali? No, at least not in my book. Lewis has been a good champion who has fought the competition available to him, has ducked no one. He has never done anything to hurt the sport, has been a positive role model and for that, I take my hat off to him. His greatness should not be measured by this victory over Mike Tyson. I believe that to do so, would be diminishing to his legacy and his career.

The commentators who drooled over Tyson's "good behavior" this evening, made me sick. Tyson wiping the blood on Lewis' cheek with his glove was even more sickening; coming from a guy who wanted to eat Lewis' children, some turn around I'd say. Roy Jones attempting to cover up for Mike's deficiencies by saying he was not "ready," how typical of "His Reluctance." Roy needs to concern himself with his own legacy and his shaky standing with the majority of boxing fans. Once again, he mouthed off he wants to fight someone, who was it this time? Hopkins? I guess I must have forgot, forgot, forgot...

Emanuel Steward, you said a mouthful with your "this big man" vs "that little man" recap at the last press conference. Steward should be congratulated for bringing Lewis up to this fight in tip top condition, mentally and physically.

Mr. Lewis, congratulations on your sound victory. However, if defeating "the last misfit in boxing" -as you so often called Tyson- makes you the real undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, the heavyweight division and the sport in general are in real trouble.