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CNN Live At Daybreak

Lewis-Tyson Fights Starts 74 Days Early

Aired January 23, 2002 - 05:49   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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Put down your coffee, set aside that cereal bowl. We've got pictures to show you this morning. Everyone is talking about the big fight that was meant to be -- that was meant to announce the big fight.

We get the blow by blow from Terry Baddoo.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, Lewis versus Tyson is on.

TERRY BADDOO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): And, indeed, it was, though some 74 days early. As the two men, scheduled to meet on April 6th in Las Vegas in a fight worth a reported $100 million, went at it for free in New York.

There was some debate as to whether the skirmish was contrived, especially as it echoed Lewis' studio clash with Hasim Rahman ahead of his last fight.

Provoked or not, Tyson's response was widely condemned, except by his own camp, that is, who claimed the entire incident was "boxing business as usual."

STACEY MCKINLEY, TYSON TRAINER: Call up and ask Joe Frasier why him and Ali did the same thing? Why you act like this is something new? This ain't nothing new. You've got two -- you've got two heavyweights ready to go to war. And one of them is a cold killer and one is a coward, you know?

QUESTION: Which is which?

MCKINLEY: I don't even have to answer that question. You know Mike Tyson is going to destroy that boy in that ring. You already know that.

BADDOO: Whatever the catalyst, the Lennox Lewis camp claims to be taking what happened extremely seriously. The Britain, via a spokesman, making it known he intends to review his plans to fight.

ADRIAN OGUN, LEWIS' BUSINESS MANAGER: As a result of today's events, I will evaluate my options after the relevant Boxing Commission's rule. And that's all that Lennox has to say at the moment. BADDOO: The commission in question is the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which is due to consider Tyson's application for a boxing license on January 29th. On seeing the incident, however, that decision was not their immediate concern.

MARC RATNER, NEVADA STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION: Someday somebody's going to get either knifed or killed at one of these things. And I certainly don't want the blood on our hands. I'm very, very adamant about this. I said this morning early to the participants, "Do not let them pose," so there would not be a problem. And then yet they did.

BADDOO: So as Tyson left for his hotel, his boxing future hung in the balance. But then, for a man well used to controversy, the uncertainty is nothing new.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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