[617543]

The fight may go on because of the money involved, but if it does I think Mike will bow out in some bizarre manner.

Tyson had great promise as a young heavyweight. And when he terrified opponents, he rolled over them.

But his skills have eroded, he surrounds himself with poor advisers, and he has tasted fear.

When he realized Holyfield would beat him a second time, he bit his ear off to get the fight to end.

It appears he is so terrified of Lewis that he tried to bow out BEFORE the fight.

If the fight does go on, and Tyson does not knock Lewis out quickly, Lewis will put some hurt on Tyson and Tyson will find a way to end the fight. Hmm, he could:

* Bite (as in Holyfield II)
* Try to break Lewis' arm (as in the Botha fight, which he was also losing until he got a good punch in)
* Hit after the bell (as in his Norris fight)
* Knock out the referee (as in the Savarese fight)
* Come up with a new cowardly way to lose without really admitting it.

Kind of a shame, but I am as guilty as the next. I remember the days of the great fighters, and when boxing may have been dirty but in different, some how more dignified ways.

But despite realizing that Tyson should be in a straight jacket, I'd like to see the fight.

Either:
* Tyson gets a good punch in, and we get to see the big guy Lewis fall like a felled tree for the 3rd time
or
* Tyson takes some punishment and either bizarre acts himself out of the fight or gets knocked out cold by Lewis

(I realize this is a fishing site, but heck, its January and discussion of a local fighter seems a bit better than picking on women who fish).

Peter R

 

[617543]

Well, maybe Tyson was a bit hungry, but he was mostly scared.

Must be tough to have stood on top of a sport, considered in line to be one of the greatest, and then slip so far. When Douglas beat him first, it was considered a fluke. Tyson didn't train, his "supporters" said, Douglas got lucky, etc.

But actually, he had turned into a big punch fighter only. He had lost ALL of his defensive skills (when he lost true supporters like Gus), and other than one punch that almost won the fight for Tyson, Douglas breezed by him.

That fight, Tyson learned what it was like to be hit, to get his face busted up, to get knocked out. But, strictly speaking, Douglas is no big puncher and a kind of a gentle soul in the ring.

Holyfield was another matter. Holyfield pushed him, hit him, humiliated him in the ring, and then knocked him out cold in the first fight.

When Holyfield looked like he'd get the same result in the second fight, Iron Mike melted.

Yup, he might have been hungry, but mostly he felt fear - fear of pain, fear of loss, fear of humiliation.

The Lewis fight could go either way. Sure the start of the conference was staged, but Mike headcased out. He's afraid. He knows he is not in good enough shape to fight Lewis, that he's too small to fight Lewis, that he has no defense. My prediction if the money lets the fight go on - Lewis wins by disqualification in the 6th round. I have no idea what Mike will come up with if he doesn't score a quick knockout, but if he's getting hit by Lewis I doubt he is man enough to continue to fight.

(Apparently the only odds being offered since the press conference are on disqual).