On December 11, the most successful and well-known British heavyweights since Lewis’ reign over two decades ago will finally meet. Tyson Fury (36-2-1, 25 KOs) battles Anthony Joshua (30-4, 27 KOs) for the vacant WBA “super” heavyweight title. Netflix will broadcast the Ring show live from Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. 

Wednesday’s opening press conference in London brought back memories for the former undisputed champion. Lewis, 61, knows well what it is like to spend years chasing a rival. 

As a teenager, Lewis sparred with Mike Tyson as two promising amateurs on the rise, but Tyson’s swift, prodigious ascent set the American on a totally different trajectory.

While Lewis prepped for the 1988 Olympic Games, Tyson’s career peaked when he destroyed Michael Spinks in one unforgettable round — rubber-stamping his status as the undisputed heavyweight champion at the mere age of 21.

When Lewis claimed the WBC belt in 1992, Tyson was in the early stages of a three-year prison sentence. Legal issues, shock defeats and politics - or “politricks,” as Lewis was fond of calling the hurdles that delay so many big fights - would keep them apart for a further decade.

By the time they met at the Pyramid Arena in Memphis, Tennessee, in June 2002, Lewis was 36, and Tyson had lived a hard 35 years. However, the fight still captured the imagination of sports fans worldwide.

“Egos, TV stations, managers,” Lewis said when asked what prevents such a fight from taking place. “But you know what brings it together? Money. Money brings this fight together.

“HBO [Lewis’ television network] and Showtime [Tyson’s broadcaster], they couldn't get their thing together. So me and Mike were going to do the fight by ourselves, and they said, "No, no, no. We'll come together,” so they came together, and they made the fight happen."

After two decades of build-up, Tyson quickly ran out of steam following an electrifying opening minute. Lewis punished Tyson behind a heavy jab before knocking him out with a right hand in the eighth round. 

Over two decades later, after years of feuding, Fury and Joshua were civil when they sat on the same press conference dais. 

“We've been looking for this fight [Fury v Joshua] for a while. Now it's come together,” Lewis said.

Fury promised the fight would be a “gunfight at the O.K. Corral” and that he would “throw down” with the still-explosive Joshua. 

Lewis was an expert at calmly defusing big punchers like Tyson and David Tua, but he doesn’t think it's wise for Fury to plant his flag at center ring and invite Joshua in for a shootout. 

“Listen, I don't underestimate what Tyson Fury says,” Lewis said. “When he says something, he usually does it, but I don't think he's going to be standing in one position with Anthony Joshua. Joshua’s got too much power to stand there and withstand the punch. So he's going to be moving.”

Lewis refused to be drawn when asked to choose a winner, but as a master of keeping his punches straight and simple, he favors the man who can think calmly and hold his technique amid a pressure-cooker atmosphere.

“To me, the most accurate puncher out of the both of them,” Lewis said.

“Tyson Fury is an accurate puncher. AJ throws a great one-two - a great one-two - he’s caught many people with the one-two, and that's the most accurate combination to me.”