Mike Tyson vs Lennox Lewis: Who Wins?

Rumors are flying that "Iron" Mike Tyson will battle Lennox Lewis in the boxing ring again — and no, you haven't been transformed back in time to 2002. A rematch is being discussed under "exhibition" rules for this year. If it happens, who comes out on top? We have some predictions for what could happen!

Fighter
Mike Tyson	-160	-160
Lennox Lewis	+120	+120

All signs point toward a Mike Tyson vs. Lennox Lewis boxing fight happening sometime in 2021. It's not official (yet), but we wouldn't be surprised if confirmation happens within the next few weeks to a month.

Here is where talks currently stand: only days ago, Lewis told FOX Sports about the status of a fight, "not yet, but soon — maybe. We're talking." So there you have it, there is shared interest on both sides and heck, there's plenty of interest among the fans. When both those things happen, fights usually get made.

Tyson has certainly advocated for the fight. Of course, the one-time "Baddest Man On The Planet" came out of retirement last November to battle Roy Jones Jr. to a decisive draw. Tyson looked shredded for his return (after a 15-year layoff) and fought as well as a 54-year-old could inside in the ring.

Following the fight, Tyson said he wasn't done with the sport and specifically brought up Lewis and ear-bitten rival, Evander Holyfield, as possible opponents. But as of recently, he's mentioned a battle with Lewis is closer and even dropped September as a possible timeframe.

For the purpose of this article, let's assume Lewis and Tyson strike a deal. How would you bet a fight between two 50-year-olds? Welp, let's play the "what if" game and find out!

What Happened The First Time They Fought?

As we've alluded to before, these two have thrown hands inside a ring once upon a time. It was 19 years ago and it was a one-sided affair. Lewis retained his heavyweight belts with an eighth-round stoppage of Tyson, who hit the canvas twice during the bout. The fight was one of the most successful in boxing history in terms of pay-per-view buys.

It also marked the beginning of the end for Tyson, who fought professionally three more times, but further and further from the limelight. Lewis battled once more, defeating Vitali Klitschko, before retiring on top of the sport.

If a rematch happens, you can honestly toss this past result out the window. No doubt about it, Lewis is the more accomplished of the two during their primes — his 41-2-1 record confirms that (Tyson finished 50-6). But neither are in their primes, far from it actually.

Tyson is 54 years old and Lewis is 55. More than anything else, whoever comes into the rematch in better shape will have a significant advantage as both their skills have slipped over the past two decades.

Who Wins?

There's honestly no telling in what condition Lewis is in. We mean, he's done interviews recently and it's not like he's let his body go. But that doesn't mean he's prepared to fight eight rounds at two minutes apiece — the exhibition rules Tyson-Jones Jr. contested under.

We know Tyson can pull it off again. Albeit slower and less powerful, Tyson showed flashes of his old self against Jones, throwing his trademark left hook with ease. It also appeared he didn't tire out as quickly as Jones, which speaks to his conditioning.

However, we'd be remiss not to mention Lewis' clear size advantage. He's seven inches taller than Tyson with a whopping 13-inch edge in reach. We know we said body shape is the key to picking the fight, but you can't overlook that difference, either. Surely, bookmakers would handicap the line close given Lewis' upper hand in size.

Regardless, we can't overlook Lewis' inactivity inside the ring. Yes, that didn't stop Tyson from a storybook comeback, but we sense that was more an anomaly than the norm. Boxing isn't a sport that rewards fighters that haven't been punched in almost two decades.

If and when there's a rematch, our money is on Tyson. We were impressed with his performance against Jones Jr. and believe he can build upon that now that he's shaken off the ring rust and given himself a dose of mental confidence.

Without knowing the exact fight rules, it's tough to predict how the fight ends. However, picturing an early-round knockout is unlikely given how fast both will tire, robbing themselves of their knockout power. So Tyson by decision seems most plausible.

Betting pick to make: Mike Tyson

Phew — that was fun! In the event this fight does go down (which we think it will), you better believe it'll be bettable at online bookies. Past his prime or not, Tyson remains a box-office attraction and bettors would flock to wager on the event.

As soon as the contract ink is signed, you'll be able to find Tyson vs. Lewis odds at one of the betting sites below. Moneyline, over/under on rounds, props — all of it will have lines available for gambling.

Not only that, but these same bookmakers will roll out big-money bonuses to attract bettors to its platform. Heck, they already do. Look at the deals featured in the table underneath, there are bonuses worth thousands of dollars in free play. These offers will last — if not get better — once fight night rolls around. Tyson just has that effect on the betting public at large.