Columnist Dean Juipe: Rematch would likely be in Nevada

Dean Juipe

Monday, June 10, 2002 | 9:41 a.m.

Dean Juipe's column appears Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. His boxing notebook appears Thursday. Reach him at juipe@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4084.

Realistically, beyond the financial incentives there's no reason for Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson to fight again. But that doesn't mean they won't, or that it won't be in Las Vegas.

Pertinent to the notion of reprising their fairly one-sided Saturday fight in Memphis is the fact that there was a rematch clause in their initial contract. It was largely put into place by the Lewis faction as a way of assuring their man would get first crack at Tyson in the event the former champion somehow won in Tennessee.

The fact that Lewis all but dominated the fight before it was stopped in the eighth round is marginally irrelevant. By terms of their agreement, he is now obliged to give Tyson a rematch after taking an interim fight if he so chooses.

Given that Tyson was numbingly gracious in defeat and that he was on his absolute best behavior throughout the fight and its ensuing interviews, I'll predict here and now that he will be licensed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (assuming, of course, nothing dire happens to him before the licensing hearing).

It was never the NSAC's intent to ban Tyson for life. It only wanted to impress upon him the need for civil behavior in civil settings, and it was willing to banish him to a less-prosperous fight site when his conduct became too contentious.

Tyson, it can be said, has served his penance.

If he comes before the NSAC again -- which he would only do if he had a fight scheduled here -- he is likely to receive the panel's OK.

Of course neither fighter has committed to ever fighting anyone again, which is natural in the immediate aftermath of such a huge bout. Lewis is 36 and could easily retire while sitting atop the heavyweight throne, while Tyson is 35 and clearly is nowhere near the fighter he once was.

Retirement could be in store for either, or both.

But let's say it's not. Let's say everyone involved sees a rematch as easy money, albeit not on the level of their first fight, and worth pursuing. Nevada, having made its point, would welcome the bout.

Naturally, a second fight between these two wouldn't generate anywhere near the income of their first, and it would take a little salesmanship to pull it off. Tyson, for instance, would benefit greatly from an interim fight of his own, one that would test him but allow him to win and bolster his credentials, and he could do that while Lewis defended his WBC and IBF titles against someone along the lines of mandatory challenger Chris Byrd.

Thousands of fans who paid to see Saturday's fight in person, on pay-per-view or on closed circuit would never pay to see Lewis fight Tyson again. The bigger and more fit man took command early and won with surprising ease, and there would be widespread suspicion that a rematch would be more of the same.

But Tyson was out of shape and could rectify that with a greater commitment and, perhaps, an additional fight. He could also rectify it by jettisoning his training tandem of Ronnie Shields and Stacey McKinley, neither of whom did him a bit of good in preparing for Lewis and both of whom have become overbearing blowhards.

Lewis vs. Tyson II may never happen. But if it reaches the point of serious negotiation, this time Nevada won't stand in its way.