Gone are the days where Tyson once said he was going to eat Lennox Lewis’ kids things have changed now since those times.
Tyson was very wild in those days and the two have put bad blood behind them since then when Lewis stopped Tyson inside the distance many years ago.
Tyson vs Paul is this month November 15th and Lewis spoke on it below as well as other big fights in the heavyweight division.
Speaking to Sky Sports Lennox Lewis said:
“Well, it’s so nice to see you. Thank you so much for your time, and thanks for having me. It’s great to see you here in the UK! Why don’t we start by having you tell us a bit about what you’re doing here in London and what you’ve got planned for the next few weeks?”
“Well, I’m traveling around England, visiting places like Gateshead and Coventry, and meeting my fans. I’m letting them interact with me, ask questions, and get my thoughts on things.”
“Tell us a bit about the tour. How does it feel to meet fans and talk about past and current fights?”
“It’s great meeting fans. They only have that one moment to meet you, and you can see it in their eyes and on their faces when they’re speaking to you. I’m very happy to go around, talk to them, and let them know I’m real.”
“I’m sure many fans want to ask about your time in the ring and also what’s happening right now in the heavyweight division. I think Daniel Day’s recent win over Anthony Joshua is on everyone’s mind. You were there—what did you think of the fight?”
“I thought it was a great fight. Daniel threw an unbelievable punch in the first round and came out ready to rumble. Like he said in his interview, ‘I’m not scared of you; who are you trying to scare?’ When he said that, I knew we had to watch out for him—he was serious. He’s a legitimate heavyweight and a great guy.”
“You mentioned some of his comments in the lead-up to the fight. It felt like even during fight week, he was saying all the right things, but no one really believed he’d pull it off. Was it something you expected?”
“You know, sometimes when someone is quiet, you have to pay attention to the few things they do say. He really meant what he was saying, and I knew we were in for a great fight. He was focused and prepared.”
“That fight really felt like a moment of him establishing himself. How excited are you about him as a British heavyweight?”
“Very excited! He calls himself the ‘King Slayer,’ and he went out there and proved it. I don’t think people realized how serious he was. Heavyweight fights, especially between two British fighters, are always explosive with a lot of talk. But, in the end, you’ve got to back it up.”
“Would you like to see a rematch? Do you think Joshua would want one?”
“I’m not sure if there will be a rematch, but if there is, I think Joshua would want it. It’d be another great fight.”
“Rematches are something you know well. What’s it like going into a rematch with someone who’s beaten you? How do you prepare mentally and physically to try for a different result?”
“I’ve been through that a few times. When you announce a rematch, people get concerned since you lost the first time, and they wonder if you’re mentally prepared to face that same opponent. For me, it’s about getting back up. For Joshua, it’s going to be tough. He was counted out a couple of times, so he’ll need to be both mentally and physically prepared to say, ‘I’m ready this time.'”
“Confidence must be crucial in a rematch. How do you regain that confidence when facing someone who’s already beaten you?”
“If your opponent knocked you out, it’s tough. You can try to convince yourself you weren’t fully prepared the first time, but in reality, you just have to be ready. I’m not sure if Joshua will be prepared for the next fight if they have a rematch.”
“One rematch everyone is excited about is Fury vs. Usyk. What’s your take on their first fight?”
“In the first fight, Fury may feel he won, but in reality, I don’t think he did enough. He’ll need to do more work this time. I initially thought Fury would win on points, but Usyk was more active and did what he said he would do: stay on Fury from round one. I think Fury might come in heavier this time, throw more punches, and try to dominate.”
“If you were working with Fury, what would you advise him to do differently?”
“I’d suggest he throw more punches, push Usyk back to the ropes, and capitalize on those moments.”
“What’s your prediction for the rematch?”
“If Fury puts in the work, he’ll win; if Usyk does, then he’ll win. It’s all about who does the work first.”
“Another interesting match is Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul. What was your first reaction when you heard Tyson would be fighting him?”
“I thought Jake Paul was in for a tough night. Mike Tyson knows how to throw excellent body and head shots. It’ll be interesting to see if he can pull them off in the ring.”
“There’s a lot of excitement, but some people are concerned about Tyson fighting at age 58. What do you think?”
“It’s a challenge to box at that age—moving, throwing punches, taking punches—but I think he can handle it.”
“Do you have a prediction for that fight?”
“I expect Tyson to cut off the ring and land body and head shots if he catches Jake Paul, though Jake will probably try to move quickly to avoid getting hit.”
“Are you excited to attend, and are you bringing your kids?”
“Yes, I’ll be there with my kids. They’ll love it.”
“How do you feel about the ‘Misfits’ boxing scene with YouTubers? Do you think it helps or hurts the sport?”
“It’s good and bad. It brings attention to the sport, but serious boxers who have worked hard for their chance sometimes get overlooked. YouTubers bring excitement and money, but it’s not always fair to the traditional fighters.”
“Are you ever tempted to get back in the ring yourself?”
“There’s always a temptation. But for me, I know when it’s time to move on. I’ve retired, and I’m happy with that.”
“How do you feel about the current British boxing scene?”
“It’s big and growing. When I was fighting, we laid the foundation, and it’s great to see how far it’s come. British boxing is only going to get bigger and better.”
Interesting that he thinks Tyson will look to go to the body of Paul too.
If Paul tries to box on the outside to essentially run away from Tyson it might be a booing night for him from fans as Tyson will be expecting that and will look to cut him off.
At some point however Paul will engage and whether he or Tyson can take one another’s punches will be a key question on both sides.
It is a heavyweight professional fight at the end of the day.
