Rematch Play

First of all, forget that “Crime of the Century” nonsense.

Yes, Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield last March in their battle for the undisputed heavyweight championship at New York’s Madison Square Garden. But to call the subsequent decision, a draw, the crime of the century, as did a London newspaper, is ridiculous.

Lewis may have been a victim of bad judging, but he was also guilty of bad strategy. He backed away and failed to finish off a struggling Holyfield, making the fight much closer than it needed to be and leaving the judges some wiggling room.

Judge Eugenia Williams may have embarrassed herself by saying her view of the fight was blocked by photographers, but even she would have had no trouble seeing Holyfield lying on the canvas.

Whether Holyfield’s sub-par performance was caused by the stomach cramps he later claimed he had or simply the result of a fighter becoming old overnight, Holyfield, who turned 37 last month, was beatable that night.

Yet Lewis seemed in awe of a three-time heavyweight champion who had twice beaten Mike Tyson. As bad as Holyfield looked, he still appeared to intimidate Lewis.

Which brings us to tonight’s rematch at the Thomas & Mack Center, where Holyfield (36-3-1, 25 knockouts) will put his International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Assn. titles up against Lewis (34-1-1, 27 knockouts), the World Boxing Council champion.

If Lewis was intimidated by a clearly whipped Holyfield, how will he react tonight if Holyfield looks revitalized? How will Lewis respond if the old Holyfield appears--aggressive, inspired and dangerous?

That is the key to this fight.

From a physical standpoint, Lewis has the advantage that merits his position as a 2-1 favorite. At 242 pounds, four fewer than he weighed in the first match, Lewis has a 25-pound advantage. At 6 feet 5, Lewis is three inches taller. And Lewis’ 84-inch reach is seven inches longer than Holyfield’s.

You can’t measure heart. But it is in that category where Holyfield has the edge.

It is fitting that he will enter the ring as the underdog tonight because that is the position he has been in for much of his career. Holyfield was discounted as a blown-up cruiserweight when he entered the heavyweight division. Could he beat Buster Douglas, who was coming off the monumental upset of Mike Tyson? Could he beat the ageless George Foreman? Could he avenge losses to Riddick Bowe and Michael Moorer?

The answer was yes to each of those questions.

In the ultimate challenge of his career, Holyfield faced the seemingly unbeatable Tyson as a 25-1 underdog. Holyfield not only won that challenge but the rematch as well, emerging with an image as the ultimate warrior of this boxing era.

Lewis’ image has long been blurred by questionable opponents and lost opportunities. Lewis was the opponent when Oliver McCall had a nervous breakdown in the ring and when Henry Akinwande made a farce of a heavyweight title fight by holding so much he was disqualified in the fifth round.

Unable to lure Tyson into the ring and laboring under the reputation for mediocrity stamped on British heavyweights, Lewis’ finest moment was a first-round TKO of Andrew Golota in 1997. But after beating Shannon Briggs on a fifth-round TKO in 1998, Lewis eked out a decision over the less-than-formidable Zeljko Mavrovic in his other fight last year.

His chance to show that he had the heart of a champion came against Holyfield. But Lewis failed the first test.

WHAT LEWIS MUST DO TO WIN

Using his height and reach advantage is advisable to nullify Holyfield’s strength and inside punching power.

As long as Lewis stays outside, he can also avoid another deadly Holyfield weapon--the head butt, which proved so effective against Tyson.

But as Lewis should know by now, some judges will reward the aggressive fighter and penalize the conservative boxer when rounds are close.

Don’t buy any of the talk about Lewis accepting the task of invigorating a sport plagued by controversial or dull fights by wading in for a dramatic finish. Lewis will do what benefits Lewis, not boxing. And that is as it should be.

But if the fight follows the form of the first one, Lewis must move in and use his physical advantage to end the proceedings or he will find himself nervously pacing the ring after the final bell, wondering if he has done enough to satisfy the judges.

If Lewis can, it will be better for him to wait until the later rounds to move in after trying to batter and tire Holyfield from the outside.

But move in he must.

WHAT HOLYFIELD MUST DO TO WIN

Intimidation must be uppermost in his mind.

He has to be aggressive from the opening bell, lower his head, absorb the inevitable jabs sure to pepper his face and serve notice to Lewis that he is facing the old Holyfield rather than an old Holyfield.

Holyfield must burrow his way inside and start landing the uppercuts that will test Lewis’ stamina and courage.

If Lewis shows he has a heart to match that of his opponent, Holyfield will be in for a long struggle. If not, Lewis will struggle.

In the first fight, Holyfield foolishly predicted a third-round knockout, labeled that Plan A and said he didn’t need a Plan B. How wrong he was.

For Lewis, Plan A obviously will be to fight as he did back in March but with a different ending. What Holyfield must do tonight is force Lewis into a Plan B and see if he has one.

So what will happen?

A victory by either man cannot be considered a big upset. Both are capable of winning, Lewis because of his physical advantages and boxing skill, Holyfield because of his brawling style, inner strength and ability to overpower opponents.

But on this night, Holyfield will reach back one more time, prove the oddsmakers wrong and Lewis vulnerable, winning a tough, brutal decision.

LEWIS VS. HOLYFIELD

WHAT

Heavyweight

Unification Bout

WHEN

Card begins

at 6 tonight

WHERE

Thomas &

Mack Center,

Las Vegas

TV

Pay Per View