Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

A Little More Than Three Weeks Away From Showdown Between Tyson and Lewis

Aired May 16, 2002 - 10:47   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're a little more than three weeks away from the showdown between boxers Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis. The two will climb in the ring together on June 8th in Memphis. They last traded shots in January when a news conference turned sour. So, what can we look forward to in the official fight? Charlie Leerhsen is an executive editor for "Sports Illustrated," and he helped craft their cover story on Tyson.

That is quite an interesting picture. He joins us this morning from our New York bureau.

Charlie, good morning.

CHARLIE LEERHSEN, "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED": Good morning.

KAGAN: Are you are like (ph) our CNN/Sports Illustrated reporter Josie Karp headed out to Maui, where Mike Tyson is training for this fight and got some colorful comments from him as well.

LEERHSEN: Yes, Mike is in paradise. He's kind of the devil in paradise, or the monster in paradise, as he kinds of portrays himself. And this in some ways a typical Mike Tyson performance, hyping a fight. It's sort of ironic that he lost a PR person, a PR person quit on him, because no one needs a PR person if you are Mike Tyson. He is the master at getting publicity for his own projects.

KAGAN: That's the thing, and that's really what I got out of your article. It's not necessarily re-education about Mike Tyson. It was king of a reminder, that here is a guy who truly could have been the greatest boxer of all time, but really, in terms of the boxing ring, hasn't done anything phenomenal that's excellent. I mean, some things remarkable, but disgusting, but phenomenal in the boxing ring in a long time, and he gets it that entertainment is part of this whole gig. He has to be outrageous to keep his character alive.

LEERHSEN: He does, Daryn, and he kind of reminds me of the comedian Andy Kaufman, the late comedian, in the sense that he has an act that's out of control to some degree, and no one quite knows to what degree it's out of control. He is, you know, he has bitten people in the ring. He bit Lennox Lewis on the thigh during this altercation here, before you know, the weigh-in before the press conference here, I mean, and so he is somewhat out of control, but to a degree, it's also calculated. The thing about Mike Tyson is he got too big for boxing.

DARYN: Charlie, I'm sorry, I need to interrupt you real quickly here.

(INTERRUPTED BY LIVE EVENT)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com