LEWIS-TYSON QUOTES:

(Mike Tyson before the Nielsen bout) "I'm trying, but it's tough. I've been inactive for a long period of time. After every fight, I always consider it my last fight, but people offer me more and more money and it's hard to turn it down."

Tyson is in line for a huge payday against the winner of the Nov. 17 title rematch between Lennox Lewis and Hasim Rahman, the WBC-IBF champion.

He'd prefer Rahman.

"He's kind of got that style for me," Tyson said. "He don't move much, he's right in front of you." Tyson said he'd like to retire as a champion.

"That's my goal and that's my main objective, and I'm just interested in doing that," he said. "I'm just hoping that it happens."

(Holyfield on who he preferred to fight: Lewis or Tyson) If I had a choice, I would rather fight Lennox because if I fought Lennox, I wouldn't have to fight Mike. But I would fight Mike if I had to.

(Holyfield on who would win: Tyson or Lewis) I like Tyson because Lewis' style is the type of guy Tyson has beaten all the time. And he's so quick and strong. I have been watching Tyson fight for a long time and I think he'd beat Lennox. -Fightnews

(Don King on whether we'll see a Mike Tyson/Lennox Lewis match-up): "If I was doing it, it would get done. But, unfortunately, they just don't have the capacity of the stick-to-itivness to be able to go out there and persevere...Fools rush in where wise men fear to tread. I rush in. So then make me a fool. I get the job done no matter what it takes. I don't make excuses. Only results." -Fightnews

"Right now, Mike Tyson is very set on getting back into the ring and fighting and beating Lennox Lewis," Finkel said. "He will take one fight, probably in April, and then he will be ready for Lewis." -Shelley Finkel, Tyson's manager

Emanuel Steward of Detroit, Lennox Lewis' manager, said Wednesday that Tyson's representatives contacted him about a world heavyweight title bout in April. "But Lennox has no interest in fighting Tyson," Steward said.(THE MEDIA MUST HAVE TWISTED HIS WORDS, IT SHOULD READ, "But Tyson has no interest in fighting Lennox," Unless Steward is playing mind games with the Tyson camp.

"I've heard Tyson is in training again, but he's not got anyone to fight, so he's probably just trying not to get fat," Lewis said. "The door is open for Tyson to fight me. Tell him any time, any place."

"To date, no one has approached us. We have not approached anyone, and therefore nobody can say that legitimate discussions have taken place concerning a Tyson-Lewis fight in Malaysia or anywhere in the world."

"Showtime is excited by the enormous public interest in a potential bout between Tyson and Lewis but we will only entertain proposals from the Lewis camp or legitimate third parties. To no date no such conversations have taken place." -Jay Larkin, Showtime

"I mix truth with lies," he said. "Some of it is a lot of fun."

"I had no personality when I started fighting," Tyson said. "Now I do. There's nobody nicer than Evander (Holyfield), at face value that is. Nobody nicer than Lennox Lewis. But they can't sell tickets. I can."

"You know, Lennox doesn't have any kids," Tyson said. "I knew that." -Tyson reasons his expressions

"I'm not fighting to win a title. I'm fighting to see how good I am. If I lose, I lose. I know I could kill Lennox Lewis. I could beat him into oblivion. If he ever tries to intimidate me I'm gonna put a bleeping bullet through his motherfuckin' skull."

"I don't know anything about being the heavyweight champion or being a good, respectable person. I just want to keep bringing guys on. Bring on [Lennox] Lewis. They can keep their titles, I don't want to strip them of their titles, I'm going to strip them of their fuckin' health". I bring a lot of pain. - Tyson on Lennox Lewis

"These guys think I'm playing, right? Dig, right, [Lewis] tried to bully me once, and he kind of big. He makes me kind of nervous without his gloves and shorts on, so if he ever tries intimidate me again, I'm gonna plant a bullet in the back of his motherfuckin' skull." - Tyson on fearing Lennox

"A Tyson-Lennox fight with two belts would be the same as a Tyson-Lennox fight with three belts. "It's the individuals - they've created their own auras, they're actually perceived to be the best two in the world at this moment in time. "I think if he wants to fight Tyson for two belts or three belts or no belts, the world will still want to see that fight. It doesn't matter if you want to put another 10 belts on the line.

"I would give up my IBF belt now(to fight Tyson)." Lewis said. Lewis wants Mills Lane to referee the(Tyson) fight. When reminded that Lane is retired, Lewis said he's sure Lane could be persuaded to return for enough compensation. Lewis also said, "Hearing the statements that he wants to eat my heart and eat my children kind of confuses me because I thought he was a vegetarian."

- Fightnews.com

"I look at myself as the saviour of boxing, getting rid of all the misfits. With Tyson you could say he's the last misfit in boxing. He definitely doesn't intimidate me".

Lewis' Response: "I'm willing to side-step Tua and box Tyson straight away. The Tua fight doesn't really matter to me. I want to box guys in my era, Tua is out of my era, I don't think Tua should even be in the ring with me.

"I'd give up the IBF belt. Right now the belts don't matter to me because I'm still undisputed. If he's mentally and physically right I'd fight him tomorrow. I would get a lot of money but the main reason for getting in the ring would be to knock him out.

"He's a train-wreck ready to happen. It's no big thing for me to fight him. Tyson's style cannot beat me. He's at a disadvantage, he's only 5ft 10in and weighs 220 lbs so unless I stick my chin out there, that's only way he can beat me.

"I'd hate to give up on him and say he's mentally finished. Right now he's got a lot of dramas in his life. He's got to come to a big realisation and wants to straighten himself out mentally.

"I guess he doesn't get any peace anywhere he goes, his life is basically an open book. Everybody is waiting for the next thing to happen.

"The guy he fought came out of retirement, wasn't physically prepared for it, wasn't mentally prepared for the fight. I don't call him Lou Savarese, I call him Lou Savar-easy.

"Some people want me to go in there and give him seeing-to, sort him out because he's got no right coming out with those sort of insults. He's talking about eating my heart, eating my babies, he's got to eat my right and left hand first.

"I've had a whole bunch of phone calls saying 'shut that geezer up, go knock him out', simple as that, that's what people are telling me. I would love to that.

"There are people who say I shouldn't go in the ring with him and there are people who say I should knock him out. If his mentally and physically fit and deserves a chance against me, yeah, I'll go in there and knock him out. I'm willing to do that".

-End of response-

"I want your heart. I want to eat your children. He is no match for me when I am right. I want to rip out his heart and feed it to him." "I am not ready for Lennox Lewis. Of course, he wants to fight me right now. I am not ready yet. I need more training. I am rusty." Tyson's message to Lewis.

"He is boxing all over the world right now and if we both keep on winning, we can meet up soon," Lewis said. "But I'm ready. Tyson's name is synonymous with money. I definitely want some of that dough."

�I want to give him(Tyson) a good whipping and then after that it is a strong possibility I will retire. I want Tyson. I am pushing for him and want to get him before the end of the year."

"Tyson is in need of some action before we can meet. Right now it would be an easy fight for me."

"Lewis is not aggressive and Tyson is. He has quicker movement, although of course I realise everyone can change and adapt." Holyfield said. "I look at a fight as an artist, but Lennox would be a big match-up. Styles make fights - it's not necessarily the case that the guy you beat is your toughest opponent."

"If Lennox is going to knock Tyson out he has to be aggressive. He has shown he can deal with a style like mine - but can he deal with Tyson or Michael Grant? They both fight different styles."

"Tyson's definitely a fight I would want," Lewis said. "But politricks get in the way. I'll definitely push for it. I want it. Tyson's the only man of my era that I haven't fought. I want to put a whipping on him. He paid me money once not to fight him. If he still feels that way, I don't mind."

"Mr. Lewis is the champion of the world and I have a few fights before I'm ready to fight him. But when the time comes I'm sure I'll be victorious." said Tyson.

"For me it is not only the money," said Lewis. "I have earned millions. Mike is the last heavyweight of my era left for me to defeat and I want my place in history."

"It is the fight everyone wants, Lennox will destroy Mike Tyson." -Frank Maloney

"Tyson will need to meet me for the undisputed title if his comeback is to have any meaning,'said Lewis. Tyson, himself, has indicated that he wants to fight again for the heavyweight title. 'All I want is my title back,' exclaimed the former champ. 'I don't care who it will be against.'