Tyson vs Lewis: why it didn't happen(1996)

[Joeyzagz]

i have said all the above for a long time now yet on these UK based Boxing Forums the members cannot accept the truth of the matter was Lewis was very reluctant to face Tyson or Bowe

How do you come to this conclusion after reading the above articles? The quotes were more about Don King, HBO and shady business people, not the fighters.

When the smoke cleared, King paid Lennox upwards of 4 million dollars to step aside. The shrewdest, most notorious swindler of all time doesnt give up coin that easily.

[sonnyboyx2]

How do you come to this conclusion after reading the above articles? The quotes were more about Don King, HBO and shady business people, not the fighters.

When the smoke cleared, King paid Lennox upwards of 4 million dollars to step aside. The shrewdest, most notorious swindler of all time doesnt give up coin that easily.

read the articles.. Lewis turned down £9 million which equates to $18 million+and a guaranteed title shot.... yet he accepted a meager $3 million... Seth Abraham said Lewis never had any intention of fighting Tyson... The $3 million step-a-side-money was paid so that Tyson could fight Bruce Seldon and add the WBA title to his WBC title and fight Lewis next.. Lewis accepted the $3 million and Tyson won Seldon's WBA belt... Lewis then wanted nothing to do with Tyson and in the exact way that he done 3yrs earlier with Rid**** Bowe he dragged his feet and priced himself out of a fight knowing fine well that Tyson would be stripped of the WBC title just like Bowe was to be stripped of it back in 1993 with the difference being that before they stripped Bowe he beat them to it and said,"up yours" to the WBC and dumped their belt in the garbage can..IronMike has posted up the evidence as proof.. Rid**** Bowe tells his side in the video and even with it right here under your nose you still cannot accept it and still go along with the drivel that Tyson & Bowe was terrified of Lewis.. put some proof up to show this is not the truth.

[SBleeder]

Why is everyone acting like Don King was doing business personally with Lennox Lewis himself?

"Don King offered step-aside money, which Lewis accepted."

You never hear "Tyson offered Lewis step-aside money", or "Don King offered step-aside money, which Lewis' business managers thought was an appropriate sum to delay a bout between the fighters."

P.S. The bolded sentence is likely the most accurate of the three.

[Joeyzagz]

Its impossible to tell whats going on with the Pacquiao/Mayweather negotiations, and that unfolded right in front of our eyes last year. This stuff with Tyson/Bowe happened 15 years ago and the characters involved are Don King, HBO, Showtime, and Rock Newman. The greatest crooks and swindlers in the business.

I prefer to form my opinion on observation, not on the words of professional liars and money managers.

Watch the first minute of this video and you will see why I dont trust the word of Rock Newman. Does he look like a guy interested in making a Lennox/Bowe match?

[JAB5239]

Why is everyone acting like Don King was doing business personally with Lennox Lewis himself?

"Don King offered step-aside money, which Lewis accepted."

You never hear "Tyson offered Lewis step-aside money", or "Don King offered step-aside money, which Lewis' business managers thought was an appropriate sum to delay a bout between the fighters."

P.S. The bolded sentence is likely the most accurate of the three.

This is the thing Lewis detractors fail to consider in every argument....business decisions. Lewis declined Bowes offer of 10% equals a smart business decision. Accepting 3 mil to step aside and possibly make much more money down the road equals a good business decision.

Bowe Low balled and dumped the belt when a fight with Lewis would have been lucrative for both with a fair split.

Tysons camp offered step aside money in order to take a much more lucrative fight with Holy rather than chance his monster payday against a dangerous fighter who would bring in the same cash.

All this isn't very hard to understand if you don't have an agenda.

[joseph5620]

This is the thing Lewis detractors fail to consider in every argument....business decisions. Lewis declined Bowes offer of 10% equals a smart business decision. Accepting 3 mil to step aside and possibly make much more money down the road equals a good business decision.

Bowe Low balled and dumped the belt when a fight with Lewis would have been lucrative for both with a fair split.

Tysons camp offered step aside money in order to take a much more lucrative fight with Holy rather than chance his monster payday against a dangerous fighter who would bring in the same cash.

All this isn't very hard to understand if you don't have an agenda.

Exactly............

[sonnyboyx2]

This is the thing Lewis detractors fail to consider in every argument....business decisions. Lewis declined Bowes offer of 10% equals a smart business decision. Accepting 3 mil to step aside and possibly make much more money down the road equals a good business decision.

Bowe Low balled and dumped the belt when a fight with Lewis would have been lucrative for both with a fair split.

Tysons camp offered step aside money in order to take a much more lucrative fight with Holy rather than chance his monster payday against a dangerous fighter who would bring in the same cash.

All this isn't very hard to understand if you don't have an agenda.

2 questions...

what would you call a "Fair Split"?... HBO offered an 80/20 split and Bowe offered a 75/25 split with Lewis turning both down. Lewis then fought Tony Tucker with the purse split being 80/20 for Lewis.

you are claiming Lewis would have brought Tyson the same cash as Holyfield in 1996 with Lewis coming off a KO loss to McCall and a split-decision over Mercer?

[JAB5239]

2 questions...

what would you call a "Fair Split"?... HBO offered an 80/20 split and Bowe offered a 75/25 split with Lewis turning both down. Lewis then fought Tony Tucker with the purse split being 80/20 for Lewis.

60/40, 66/33, both are much more reasonable offers. It has to be taken into consideration the aura surrounding the fight. Both undefeated and both coming off huge wins with verbal agreements to fight one another. You seem to look past this as well as the business aspect. I've also noticed you have given a purse split for Lewis-Tucker (no source) but haven't answered the question I posed earlier in either this or the other thread asking what the split was from the first Bowe-Holyfield fight.

you are claiming Lewis would have brought Tyson the same cash as Holyfield in 1996 with Lewis coming off a KO loss to McCall and a split-decision over Mercer?

Not at all. Im claiming it was a wise business decision to accept to the step aside money for a more lucrative payday down the road.

[sonnyboyx2]

Not at all. Im claiming it was a wise business decision to accept to the step aside money for a more lucrative payday down the road.

Holyfield v Bowe (1) purse split was 75/25 for the champion
Holyfield v Bowe (2) purse split was 75/25 for the champion
Bowe offered Lewis 75/25 split in 1993 Bowe was champion.... That is what Bowe claimed in the video which i have posted up on many occasions... Have you watched that video?

[JAB5239]

Holyfield v Bowe (1) purse split was 75/25 for the champion
Holyfield v Bowe (2) purse split was 75/25 for the champion
Bowe offered Lewis 75/25 split in 1993 Bowe was champion.... That is what Bowe claimed in the video which i have posted up on many occasions... Have you watched that video?

I don't care to watch a video from a biased party 15 years after the fact. Do you have sources for these numbers besides the video? And even if the numbers are correct how can you excuse Bowe Low balling Lewis with a 10% offer when the fight would have been at its apex?