Lennox Lewis bares all about brutal sparring session with Mike Tyson 35 years ago

Lennox Lewis reveals he learned some stern lessons from the sparring - and that Mike Tyson's coach pre-empted their future bout. In quotes made in 2015, which have recently re-surfaced on Reddit, Lewis said: “When he comes out, he’s trying to knock my head off. “I was just trying to protect myself but he was coming out like a whirlwind. The first day was rough. “We sparred for a couple of days and it got easier after a while. “Then there was one time Mike Tyson didn’t want me to run around so he put his hands down and I gave him a one, two. “All I could hear is ‘Mike don’t do that, you’re going to fight that guy one day’. I turn around – Cus d’Amato (Tyson’s trainer) said that.” “I learnt that this sport isn’t for jokers and separates the men from the boys,” he added. “It’s not about friendship, it’s about knocking someone out and imposing your will on them.”

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