A legends heavyweight tournament featuring former champions Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis is the logical next step as a rematch stalls.
As World Boxing News reported earlier this week, a second fight between the pair initially set for September has failed to materialize.
A long-standing supporter of the now-retired Prizefighter format, WBN sees a three-round tournament between some of the biggest names the top division has ever seen as a winner.
Given the fact that the biggest punchers in the world shouldn’t get advised to trade blows longer than a few rounds in their later years, pitting Tyson, Lewis in with Evander Holyfield, Shannon Briggs, and possibly even Vitali Klitschko is a no-brainer.
Tyson fought eight rounds against Roy Jones Jr. last year. But it was clear both had to conserve energy throughout the contest. This scenario meant large portions of no action in the bout.
If they condensed this into three rounds, it would be a lot more entertaining and certainly more action-packed.
Organizers, potentially Tyson’s Legends Only League, wouldn’t be short of competitors either.
Many heavyweight champions of the past are already preparing for swansong appearances. Jones Jr. and James Toney could join Tyson, Lewis, Holyfield, Briggs, and Klitschko.
The last name could come from a pool featuring many contenders.
HEAVYWEIGHT CONCEPT
It makes complete sense not to allow heavyweights over a certain age to bash each other in the head later in life. The dangers posed are grave.
Going back to the Prizefighter format without doing it all in one night seems the way to go. One night, having the quarter-finals would be a huge event, followed by the semi-finals with another current bout added as the headliner.
Then, the finale could be staged as part of a broader Pay Per View event and possibly another tournament from a lower division.
It all makes sense. It’s just a wonder nobody has begun putting it together yet. Tyson’s “Legends Only League” had the idea. However, they are yet to reveal any details of putting it into practice.
They also stated intentions to have celebrities involved, which is wrong any way you look at it.
Hopefully, somebody puts the concept together soon. It looks to be a sure-fire winner with fans.
