Lewis wants to play equalizer

Dean Juipe

Friday, Feb. 7, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

There's no deleting the one blemish on Lennox Lewis' professional boxing record, nor is there any erasing the image of Lewis sprawled on the canvas from the effects of a picture-perfect Oliver McCall punch.

But the next best thing from the Englishman's perspective is an age-old equalizer: revenge.

"If he beats me this time, I'll retire," said Lewis, confident his pipe-and-slipper days are still years away. "I'm pretty sure he won't."

Lewis, 29-1 with 24 knockouts, and McCall, 28-6 with 20 KOs, are rematched tonight at the Las Vegas Hilton with the vacant World Boxing Council heavyweight championship at stake. In their earlier meeting in 1994, McCall stunned Lewis in the second round with a now-famous right hand that cost Lewis this same WBC title.

"I realize I made a mistake," Lewis recalled. "My chin was out and exposed and he clipped it. It won't happen again."

It was surprising when it happened the first time.

"I was making a lot of mistakes back then," Lewis added, blaming it on his former trainer, Pepe Correa. "I had a great cheerleader in my corner but not much of a trainer."

It's a twist of fate, as they say, that the man now in Lewis' corner was in McCall's corner back in '94.

"When I got Lennox, I think he was performing at about 40 percent of his ability or potential," said Emanuel Steward. "Now I'd say he's at about 70 percent."

But if the 6-foot-5 Lewis is adding to his abilities, he's also adding to his waistline. He came in at 251 pounds at Thursday's weigh-in, or 13 pounds more than he registered for his earlier fight with McCall. (McCall, like Lewis 31 years old, came in at 237 pounds, a six-pound increase over his 1994 weight.)

The betting line continues to fluctuate moderately in the Hilton sports book, with Lewis more or less remaining a 5-to-1 favorite.

"He's got to win impressively," Steward said of his new man. "He wasn't impressive in their first fight. But my job is to bring out the best that Lennox has, and if I do that it should bring him a victory."

Lewis is looking to fulfill the promise he first exhibited earlier in the decade when it appeared he was about to become one of the world's best-known (and wealthiest) heavyweights. And he was on that track -- defeating decent fighters like Mike Weaver, Tyrell Biggs, Razor Ruddock, Tony Tucker and Frank Bruno -- before the surprising loss to McCall.

Since that defeat he has fought four times, although not since May of last year, handling Lionel Butler, Justin Fortune, Tommy Morrison and Ray Mercer.

"I'm with a great trainer, I'm mentally tougher than I ever was and I'm physically more aware," Lewis said. "I don't think I'll ever look bad again."

He isn't sure what to expect from McCall -- no one really does, given McCall's turbulent 1996 and, as of this week, his conversion and religious fervor -- but he dismissed the notion that he would come out "cautious" as McCall is predicting.

"Nah," Lewis said when appraised of McCall's forecast. "I'll say this: I'm prepared for a long fight; I don't think he can outbox me; and it would be fine with me if he comes out and comes right at me."

Sounds like he has all the bases covered.

"It's taken me two years to get into this position," Lewis said. "I'm not going to mess it up."

Besides, he said, "I don't see McCall being a better fighter since the last time we fought. I am, but I see him being just the same."

Lewis will be paid $2 million -- plus what could amount to an additional $1 million in English TV revenues -- for the fight, which will be televised in the United States by HBO (but supposedly will be blacked out in Las Vegas) at 7 p.m.

"This fight is going to be much better than people expect," Steward said. "They're both extremely powerful men and McCall is more intelligent than people think. But I've got to like Lennox for his natural ability."