Lewis’s Tyson Rematch Condition Wasn’t Met
Jake Paul defeated Mike Tyson by unanimous decision on Nov. 15, 2024, so the condition Lennox Lewis named for considering a rematch was not met.
In October 2024, former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis said he would consider facing Mike Tyson again if Tyson first beat Jake Paul. Lewis’s comments came before Tyson’s scheduled November bout, more than two decades after Lewis stopped him in their 2002 title fight.
What Lewis said about a rematch
Speaking to TMZ Sports in October 2024, Lewis said he wanted to see how Tyson performed against Paul before deciding whether to pursue another fight. “If he’s in good shape he should be able to take it,” Lewis said of Tyson’s chances against Paul. Lewis also pointed to Tyson’s mobility and ring experience as factors.
The Paul fight changed the picture
The bout took place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Nov. 15, 2024. Paul won an eight-round unanimous decision over Tyson. The result meant Tyson did not meet the win condition Lewis had set for considering a rematch. Reuters’ fight report recapped the decision.
Their first fight
Lewis and Tyson previously fought on June 8, 2002, in Memphis. Lewis controlled much of the contest and stopped Tyson in the eighth round, retaining his heavyweight titles. ESPN’s report from that night described Lewis’s eighth-round knockout victory.
Lewis’s October 2024 remarks were conditional, not an announcement that a rematch had been scheduled. Tyson’s loss to Paul left that stated condition unmet.
Sources
Tags: MMA, Combat Sports
