Lennox Lewis Reveals the Fight That Delayed Retirement

On June 8, 2002, at The Pyramid, Memphis, Tennessee, Lennox Lewis vs Mike Tyson finally happened. Lewis entered as the unified WBC, IBF, IBO, and The Ring heavyweight champion. The Brit dominated, ultimately stopping Tyson in the eighth round. In a resurfaced clip from the Joe Rogan Experience, Lennox Lewis admits he once feared he would never get the Iron Mike fight following his arrest.

Lennox Lewis vs Mike Tyson: The Fight That Nearly Didn’t Happen

Lewis Reveals How Tyson’s Arrest Changed Everything

Tyson started well in the opening round against Lewis, landing a sharp left hook that rocked the Brit. Lewis tried to stifle Tyson, but it was a promising start for Iron Mike.

Lewis settled in the second round, catching Tyson coming in. A messy third round saw a clash of heads, with Tyson appearing to butt Lewis, but the champion’s accuracy and power were beginning to show – evidenced by the swelling on Tyson’s face.

In the fourth round, Lewis was deducted a point for pushing Tyson down. The British fighter increased the pressure as the fight went on, landing eye-catching shots almost at will. By the eighth round, it was all but over for Tyson. After a second knockdown in the eighth, Tyson was counted out and Lewis had finally got his man.

In the resurfaced Joe Rogan clip, Lewis was asked if he thought his chance of fighting Tyson had gone following Tyson’s arrest in 1992: “Yes. Straight away, it’s like, oh no. I’m gonna have to wait and delay my retirement.”

Lennox Lewis vs Mike Tyson Undercard Results

• Manny Pacquiao defeated Jorge Eliecer Julio in the second round by TKO.
• Joel Casamayor defeated Juan Jose Arias in the eighth round by TKO.
• David Starie defeated Roni Martinez by first-round TKO.
• Malik Scott defeated Dan Ward by unanimous decision.
• Jeff Lacy defeated Kevin Hall by third-round retirement.
• Nedal Hussein defeated Ronnie Longakit by unanimous decision.
• Rico Hoye defeated George Klinesmith by second-round TKO.
• Corinne Van Ryck DeGroot defeated Jo Wyman by unanimous decision.
• Cornelius Bundrage defeated  Anthony Bowman by unanimous decision.