Tyson vs Lewis 1996: Don King's offer to Lewis

[Kid McCoy]

Rid**** Bowe was "Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World"... when Lewis beat Ruddock it was not for any world title it was a final eliminator(i was at the fight) when Bowe beat Holyfield he accepted a 75/25 purse split because he felt he could beat Holyfield.. Yet Lewis wanted nothing to do with any 75/25 split from "The Undisputed Champion"... Lewis camp wanted a 50/50 split an "OPTIONS" on Bowe's next fights should Lewis lose, The WBC gave Bowe 60 days to make the fight with Lewis their No1 contender or be stripped of their belt, Lewis had already "Priced himself out" so he then dragged his feet for the next 60 days, Bowe said to the WBC "UP YOU" and dumped their belt into the garbage can.. Everyone in Britain & Canada then for evermore claim Rid**** Bowe was afraid to fight Lennox Lewis yet that was not the case.

is Antonio Margarito getting more or less than 75/25 cut in this weekends fight with Manny Pacquiao ?

Have the Klitschko brothers ever defended their world titles against any opponent and that opponent has had a better deal than 75/25?

Mike Tyson was paid £32 million - Mike Spinks got $10 million

Who was Lennox Lewis and his camp to tell the Undisputed Heavyweight Champ that they wanted options on his fights plus a 50/50 purse split... laughable

What options did Lewis want? I never said Lewis-Ruddock was a title fight. It was an eliminator and the agreement was the winner would face the winner of Bowe-Holyfield. Bowe won and reneged.

Bowe was undisputed when days after his Holyfield win Maloney offered him $12million to face Lewis. According to Maloney, Bowe's offer was more like a 90-10 split and that it was Bowe who rejected a 75-25 split (in Bowe's favour). He wasn't undisputed by the time of the Newman offer you mentioned, as he lost that distinction the moment he threw one of his belts in the dustbin so he could fight two turkeys instead of his mandatory. Lewis was champion in his own right by then so there was no reason why he should accept such a tiny offer.

Given Lewis' willingness to take hard fights throughout his career and the fact you can name more top 90s heavyweights Bowe didn't face than did, I'm happy to believe it was Bowe (or Newman) doing the ducking.

[sonnyboyx2]

What options did Lewis want? I never said Lewis-Ruddock was a title fight. It was an eliminator and the agreement was the winner would face the winner of Bowe-Holyfield. Bowe won and reneged.

Bowe was undisputed when days after his Holyfield win Maloney offered him $12million to face Lewis. According to Maloney, Bowe's offer was more like a 90-10 split and that it was Bowe who rejected a 75-25 split (in Bowe's favour). He wasn't undisputed by the time of the Newman offer you mentioned, as he lost that distinction the moment he threw one of his belts in the dustbin so he could fight two turkeys instead of his mandatory. Lewis was champion in his own right by then so there was no reason why he should accept such a tiny offer.

Given Lewis' willingness to take hard fights throughout his career and the fact you can name more top 90s heavyweights Bowe didn't face than did, I'm happy to believe it was Bowe (or Newman) doing the ducking.

a couple of questions for you.

1/. who was this agreement with that the winner of Bowe v Holyfield would fight the winner of Lewis v Ruddock?

2/. you say Bowe fought "2 turkeys" who was these?

3/. you say Lewis was champion `in his own right` ?

4/. Frank Moloney was a virtual nobody, he was a clown. Rock Newman was the manager of the Undisputed Heavyweight Champ of the World

here is a link... are you claiming Bowe is telling lies?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0eins2DhSo

[Kid McCoy]

1. The agreement was between the fighters and HBO.

2. Michael Dokes, 34, about a decade past his best years and not ranked, despite what Newman claimed. Jesse Ferguson, 36-year-old journeyman who'd gone 2-4 in last his six fights. Two of the softest opening title defences ever.

3. Yes Lewis was champion in his own right. If a fighter wins a belt that was ditched by the "undisputed champion" so he could face a couple of soft touches instead of his mandatory, then he's legit.

4. You dismiss Maloney and accept the word of someone like Newman?

5. I could probably find a video of Lewis giving his version of events but I bet you wouldn't believe that.

[CarlosG815]

1. The agreement was between the fighters and HBO.

2. Michael Dokes, 34, about a decade past his best years and not ranked, despite what Newman claimed. Jesse Ferguson, 36-year-old journeyman who'd gone 2-4 in last his six fights. Two of the softest opening title defences ever.

3. Yes Lewis was champion in his own right. If a fighter wins a belt that was ditched by the "undisputed champion" so he could face a couple of soft touches instead of his mandatory, then he's legit.

4. You dismiss Maloney and accept the word of someone like Newman?

5. I could probably find a video of Lewis giving his version of events but I bet you wouldn't believe that.

As champion, when did Lennox every give a challenger a 50/50 split? He priced himself out of a fight with Bowe because he knew he would be KO'd and he didn't want that. Bowe would have ended his career and showed the world Lennox true colors.

[Kid McCoy]

As champion, when did Lennox every give a challenger a 50/50 split? He priced himself out of a fight with Bowe because he knew he would be KO'd and he didn't want that. Bowe would have ended his career and showed the world Lennox true colors.

Lewis was also a champion for much of these negotiations and was willing to accept a 75-25 split according to Maloney. Bowe's team paid lip service to making the bout with offers that Lewis wouldn't accept like a 90-10 split or when he already had another fight arranged, but in reality he and his team were more interested in big money, low risk affairs with Jesse Ferguson, Herbie Hide and Michael Dokes. Ask yourself why so many top 90s heavyweights are missing from Bowe's record.

[sonnyboyx2]

Lewis was also a champion for much of these negotiations and was willing to accept a 75-25 split according to Maloney. Bowe's team paid lip service to making the bout with offers that Lewis wouldn't accept like a 90-10 split or when he already had another fight arranged, but in reality he and his team were more interested in big money, low risk affairs with Jesse Ferguson, Herbie Hide and Michael Dokes. Ask yourself why so many top 90s heavyweights are missing from Bowe's record.

where did you get this 90/10 split?.... are you saying Rid**** Bowe is lying in that video?

1/. Mike Dokes was on a 10 fight win streak and a former heavyweight champion, yet Bowe destroyed him.

2/. Jesse Ferguson had just beaten Ray Mercer in a "Final Eliminator" which was exactly the same as the WBC "Final Eliminator" between Ruddock v Lewis

Lewis was never a champion during any negotiations as Bowe was the man who beat the man.

please try and provide links to back up your claims as otherwise it is nothing but your opinion of events.

Do you believe Rid**** Bowe is telling lies in this video??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0eins2DhSo

[TBear]

Don't know which direction this thread is going, but looking back I know King twice paid Lewis step aside money because Lewis was the top WBC contender and either Tyson or King did not want Tyson to face Lewis. Which was obvious when the step aside money ran out Lewis said no and Tyson gave up the WBC belt rather than fight Lewis. But this was post prison Tyson and many of us knew then that this version was not to be confused with the Iron Mike that ruled in the 80's.

[Obama]

The 90/10 split is bull****. Only a fool would believe it.

[Kid McCoy]

where did you get this 90/10 split?.... are you saying Rid**** Bowe is lying in that video?

1/. Mike Dokes was on a 10 fight win streak and a former heavyweight champion, yet Bowe destroyed him.

2/. Jesse Ferguson had just beaten Ray Mercer in a "Final Eliminator" which was exactly the same as the WBC "Final Eliminator" between Ruddock v Lewis

Lewis was never a champion during any negotiations as Bowe was the man who beat the man.

please try and provide links to back up your claims as otherwise it is nothing but your opinion of events.

Do you believe Rid**** Bowe is telling lies in this video??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0eins2DhSo

What do you want me to say? I don't accept Bowe's version of events. I've no doubt you'd dismiss whatever Lewis said on the matter. The 90-10 offer was quite widely reported at the time:

http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10615FC3F5C0C748EDDA80994DA494D81

http://news.google.co.uk/newspapers?id=0PghAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tKIFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1358,3835662&dq=bowe+lewis&hl=en

Dokes was champion in 1983, ten years and one coke addiction prior to the Bowe fight. Who were his opponents during that "10 fight win streak"? List their names and records. It's not inspiring reading. His last ranked opponent, Razor Ruddock, KO'd him in four rounds. No one not named Bowe or Newman thought that fight wasn't a turkey.

I'm not sure Ferguson-Mercer was an eliminator, more a soft touch warm-up before Mercer fought Bowe where Ferguson unexpectedly put a spanner in the works. In any event, Ferguson beating Mercer says more about Mercer than Ferguson. The guy needed a prayer to beat Damiani. Another mismatch that Bowe was derided for. What would you say if Lewis fought those two?

Speaking of links, I'm still hoping for some evidence of Lewis turning down $30million to face Roy Jones. And I don't mean an outlandish figure plucked out of thin air in a newspaper report but a concrete offer that Lewis turned down. Amplification on Lewis ducking the fearsome Herbie Hide would be nice too.

[sonnyboyx2]

What do you want me to say? I don't accept Bowe's version of events. I've no doubt you'd dismiss whatever Lewis said on the matter. The 90-10 offer was quite widely reported at the time:

http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10615FC3F5C0C748EDDA80994DA494D81

http://news.google.co.uk/newspapers?id=0PghAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tKIFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1358,3835662&dq=bowe+lewis&hl=en

Dokes was champion in 1983, ten years and one coke addiction prior to the Bowe fight. Who were his opponents during that "10 fight win streak"? List their names and records. It's not inspiring reading. His last ranked opponent, Razor Ruddock, KO'd him in four rounds. No one not named Bowe or Newman thought that fight wasn't a turkey.

I'm not sure Ferguson-Mercer was an eliminator, more a soft touch warm-up before Mercer fought Bowe where Ferguson unexpectedly put a spanner in the works. In any event, Ferguson beating Mercer says more about Mercer than Ferguson. The guy needed a prayer to beat Damiani. Another mismatch that Bowe was derided for. What would you say if Lewis fought those two?

Speaking of links, I'm still hoping for some evidence of Lewis turning down $30million to face Roy Jones. And I don't mean an outlandish figure plucked out of thin air in a newspaper report but a concrete offer that Lewis turned down. Amplification on Lewis ducking the fearsome Herbie Hide would be nice too.

That link you provided states that Moloney left the talks with the offer being 75/25 which is what Bowe claimed.

Ferguson beat Mercer who was the No1 contender with Mercer alleged to have tried to bribe Ferguson during the fight.

Dokes was nowhere near as bad as Tony Tucker or Lionel Butler or Phil Jackson.. Tucker was also a ******* addict:
Here is a link from Bowe's trainer Eddie Futch on Lewis vs Tucker.

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/61780405.html?dids=61780405:61780405&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+30%2C+1993&author=Ron+Borges%2C+Globe+Staff&pub=Boston+Globe+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&desc=Missed+match+Bowe+debacle+was+turn-off&pqatl=google

Herbie Hide was undefeated and called-out Lewis on a monthly basis when he appeared on British TV Hide vs Lewis would have been a huge fight.

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-106201085.html

http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00610F93B5B0C708DDDAB0894DB494D81

Lewis turned down a legit $32 million offer in the link above