Lewis vs.

Tyson

Main article: Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson

The Lewis-Tyson fight that took place on June 8, 2002, was one of the most
anticipated heavyweight fights in years.

Tyson once again had the opportunity to fight for a heavyweight championship in
2002. Lennox Lewis held the WBC, IBF, IBO and Lineal titles at the time. As
promising amateurs, Tyson and Lewis had sparred at a training camp in a meeting
arranged by Cus D'Amato in 1984.[119] Tyson sought to fight Lewis in Nevada for a
more lucrative box-office venue, but the Nevada Boxing Commission refused him a
license to box as he was facing possible sexual assault charges at the time.[120]

Two years prior to the bout, Tyson had made several inflammatory remarks to Lewis
in an interview following the Savarese fight. The remarks included the statement "I
want your heart, I want to eat your children."[121] On January 22, 2002, the two
boxers and their entourages were involved in a brawl at a New York press conference
to publicize the planned event.[122] A few weeks later, the Nevada State Athletic
Commission refused to grant Tyson a license for the fight, forcing the promoters to
make alternative arrangements. After multiple states balked at granting Tyson a
license, the fight eventually occurred on June 8 at the Pyramid Arena in Memphis,
Tennessee. Lewis dominated the fight and knocked out Tyson with a right hook in the
eighth round. Tyson was respectful after the fight and praised Lewis on his
victory.[123] This fight was the highest-grossing event in pay-per-view history at that
time, generating $106.9 million from 1.95 million buys in the USA.[95][96]