The epic collision between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson in 2002 at The Pyramid in Memphis marked the dramatic culmination of the last great era for heavyweight boxing.
Tyson, Lewis, Evander Holyfield and Riddick Bowe dominated the division for almost two decades. In all, there were nine bouts, including an Olympic final, in which they fought one another. The various subplots were underpinned by a rich cast of characters and contenders including Buster Douglas, George Foreman, Michael Moorer, Oliver McCall, Razor Ruddock, Andrew Golota and Frank Bruno, which made each fight meaningful as well as memorable.
The Last Dance - by Ron Borges and Brian Doogan, who chronicled each of these fighters' lives and careers - will tell the story of this defining period in the history of heavyweight boxing.
Tyson was first to burst onto the scene in the 1980s, dominating the sports landscape with quick knockouts and power that provoked shock and awe in fans as well as foes. The youngest man to win a world heavyweight title, his shock defeat by Buster Douglas less than four years later remains one of the biggest upsets in the history of sports.
Tyson's conviction and imprisonment for rape cleared the path for Holyfield, Lewis and Bowe to take centre stage. On his release, Tyson rejoined them in a kind of heavyweight hegemony. Their seismic series of fights included:
* the 'Fan Man' fight in Las Vegas when a paraglider bizarrely dropped into the ring mid-bout during Holyfield's classic series with Bowe
* the notorious 'Bite Fight' between Holyfield and Tyson when Tyson bit chunks out of both of Holyfield's ears
* the controversial draw between Holyfield and Lewis at Madison Square Garden followed by the rematch which confirmed Lewis's ascendancy to the undisputed crown
* the climactic showdown at The Pyramid between Lewis and Tyson, preceded by Tyson provoking a brawl and biting into Lewis's leg at a press conference in midtown Manhattan
Borges and Doogan take a deep dive into an exhilarating period in sports history, recapturing the essence of heavyweight boxing's last great era and the compelling stories of these four giants of the ring who dominated The Last Dance.
- ISBN13 9781838133764
- Publish Date 18 October 2022
- Publish Status Forthcoming
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint BDM Publishing
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 288
- Language English