Former heavyweight champions Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis squared off in the boxing ring in the 2002 classic fight, generating around $103 million. Although Lewis won the fight, Tyson stole the show with his post-fight comments. After his loss instead of reflecting on the performance, the New Yorker boxer spoke about how he fought the whole fight with a broken back. Despite not providing any context about his performance in the fight, Tyson’s interview gained a lot of attention. However, 18 years after the fight, Mike Tyson finally gave an explanation for his comments about his injured back during that interview.
‘Iron’ Mike ended his career with an impressive record of 50 wins and six losses and the fight against ‘The Lion’ would be the fourth loss of Tyson’s remarkable career.
By then, the ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ had lost his immortal aura and thus his comments about ‘broken back’ were polarizing. Whilst some fans sympathized with the boxer, others felt as if he was providing an excuse.
Mike Tyson opens up about his broken back comment
18 years after the fight, Tyson sat down for an interview with Compubox TV. During the interview, Tyson opened up about his loss against Lennox Lewis and his infamous post-fight statement. ‘Iron’ Mike said:
“Well listen right, I have a bad back and since all of the work that I’ve put over the years, the spine in my back just starts shifting. I have to get the operation but the doctor said, ‘Hey eventually you’re gonna have to start bending over’. And so I was trying to explain my situation. I just wasn’t eloquent enough to explain it in the way I wanted it to be explained.“
“I broke my back. My back is broken. SPINAL.”@MikeTyson finally explains the story behind one of the most infamous post-fight interviews ever.
Full interview: https://t.co/o6wb2tM1rt pic.twitter.com/Y6CvSG3hts
— Dan Canobbio (@DanCanobbio) November 23, 2020
Tyson claimed that he really had an issue with his back. The ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ mentioned how he was not eloquent enough to explain it in the spur of the moment. However, he was eloquent enough to give birth to one of the most significant lines in boxing history.
Tyson’s ‘Alexander’ speech
Before his fight against Lewis, Tyson was supremely confident and despite breaking his back, Tyson wasn’t speaking about it. He was claiming that heading up to the battle, he was the better fighter.
Tyson said, “Lennox Lewis, I’m coming for you … I’m the most brutal and vicious and ruthless champion there has ever been. Lennox is a conqueror? No. I am Alexander. He’s no Alexander. I’m the best ever … My style is impetuous, my defense is impregnable and I’m just ferocious. I want your heart. I want to eat his children.“
Lewis termed these comments as ‘crazy’ and stated that he was coming for Tyson and not the other way around. Despite winning the pre-fight conference and trash-talking, Tyson lost the fight.
