Boxing: Lewis-Tyson title bouts defining moment for Briton

Those who have made a career out of debunking Lennox Lewis and his credentials as a formidable force in the heavyweight division over the past decade may have been slightly startled by Lewis' fourth round crunching knockout victory over Hasim Rahman last Saturday night in which the much-maligned Briton regained the WBC and IBF Heavyweight Championships.

It was no surprise that Lewis stopped Rahman and did so with consummate ease. Rahman was a caretaker titleholder, comparable in championship caliber with Leon Spinks and Oliver McCall. He, like McCall, had the classic punchers chance against a durable champion with a china chin whose dedication to training and conditioning is not beyond question. It can be argued that Lewis has loaned his title away twice.

Well, it appears we will have Lennox Lewis to kick around again and his most recent ascension to the heavyweight throne affords him the challenge and opportunity of finally, near the denouement of his career, of defining himself as a worthy, even borderline great champion.

He must knock out Mike Tyson!

He must do so convincingly and, once and for all, remove the menace presented by Iron Mike, not only to the Heavyweight Championship of the World, but to boxing itself. He must dominate Tyson, use his height, reach and strength to overpowering advantage. He must punish Tyson with his jab, manhandle him on the inside, rake him to the body.

Most importantly, he must go to extreme lengths to protect that fragile chin lest Tyson emulate Rahman and McCall and land the one powershot that will stretch Lewis and his six-foot, six-inch frame across the canvas and return the heavyweight throne to the ex convict. This is Lewis' moment to turn aside the debunkers who have diminished his achievements and reveled in his two knockout defeats. He has never been recognized as an outstanding champion and a heavyweight to be measured against Larry Holmes, George Foreman and Muhammad Ali. Perhaps this is understandable. His performances, with few exceptions, have emphasized his dominating yet conservative style that has kept the mantle of greatness narrowly yet clearly beyond his grasp.

He convincingly beat Holyfield in their first encounter and was the victim of a first rate burglary in a bitterly disputed draw despite the argument that Lewis took a minimum of nine rounds. The return with Evander was a classic Lewis backstep. Widely forecast to stop Holyfield and send him permanently into retirement Lewis won a very narrow decision that left many ringsiders believing the three-time champion had outfought him.

Yet Lewis has amassed a domination of the heavyweight class that has been widely overlooked. He out gutted the tough Ray Mercer, halted the formidable Tommy Morrison and crushed Michael Grant and Andrew Golata. In contrast to Tyson's rage and at times frightening behavior, Lewis has been a gentle and unassuming champion. However, despite his stellar record there has been a lost element in Lewis style. His critics were quick to bury him after both of his dramatic knockout losses. He is again the champion with the opportunity for greatness knocking louder than every before, whispering through the door.

"Knock out Tyson!"

A loss to Tyson would irreversibly cast Lewis in the light of a capable heavyweight in a mediocre era who couldn't withstand a heavyweight's punch. Tyson is nearly a decade past his final flickers of greatness, wading his way with great care through the Buster Mathis, Jr's and Orlin Norris' of the world. However, his punch, and his demeanor, are still to be respected and it is not beyond credulity that his ferocious, Liston like persona could get into Lewis' heart and his head and produce a second rate performance that would again shear him of his crown.

The aura of a Lewis-Tyson Championship bout poses a conflict for boxing and it's fledgling resurgence. The sporting public fundamentally despises Tyson and eagerly awaits the battering that, once and for all, will remove him from the fistic picture and clear the path for a sustained recovery for the Sweet Science. However, the intrigue and undeniable interest generated by a Tyson title challenge combined with the "I still don't quite believe it" viewpoint many attach to Lewis' decade long domination of the heavyweight division makes the match irresistible, and potentially damaging to boxing.

Any Tyson bout, as history has informed us, has a potential for mayhem. The former champion's disturbed personality and inclination towards violence is ever present and another Tyson melee in the ring following a kick in Lewis' shin or elbow to his throat in the heat of action, particularly if Iron Mike is taking a lacing, will destroy the reemergence of boxing in the American sports mainstream in one fell swoop.

Tyson, on the merit of his punch and his ferocity, merits a title shot in spite of himself. He cannot be denied the opportunity, no more than Liston was 40 years ago. Lewis is not Floyd Patterson. He will enter the ring the favorite, yet not overwhelmingly. This is his one final opportunity to take his place at the table of the great heavyweight champions. At 36, a dominating performance against Tyson accented by two or three strong defenses will cement the Briton's prominence.

The champion need only view the tapes of the two Holyfield-Tyson bouts to define his strategy. When Tyson cannot establish domination over an opponent he unravels. He doesn't possess the discipline and balance to reverse the tide of a losing effort against Lewis. If Lewis hammers him with his jab, as he should and shoves the smaller Tyson away, as he should, and delivers the explosive right cross that leveled Rahman he will batter, and enrage Tyson. That is when we wait for the fireworks!

Tyson will fight with desperation. He will be aware that this also poses his final opportunity to reclaim the championship. Greatness eluded Mike years ago in a prison cell in Indiana. Perhaps before then. He is not fighting for history, he is fighting for redemption. That makes him dangerous.

Lennox Lewis will carry an enormous responsibility with him into the ring that night. Not only his place in boxing history as a worthy and great Heavyweight Titleholder. He carries with him, in all probability, the fate of boxing itself. One more Tyson inspired imbroglio, another evening of mayhem and scores of boxing fans may turn the dial, and keep it turned.

Forever!