Lennox Lewis Would Consider Mike Tyson Rematch 'If the Public Wanted It'

Former heavyweight boxing champion Lennox Lewis said he'd consider a rematch with Mike Tyson if there was enough interest in the fight.

"If the public wanted it then we would probably talk," Lewis told TMZ Sports in an interview released Saturday.

He scored an eighth-round knockout of Tyson in their June 2002 meeting.

Lewis fought once more after his triumph over Iron Mike, a June 2003 knockout of Vitali Klitschko, before deciding to retire and vacate the heavyweight titles.

Tyson's last professional bout came in June 2005, a loss to Kevin McBride, but he returned to the ring for a highly successful exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. in November.

That fight, along with other lucrative exhibitions involving celebrities like the Paul brothers, Jake and Logan, of YouTube fame, have created an avenue for special events to generate major revenue.

Tyson and Jones were each guaranteed $1 million for their fight, which generated over $80 million in pay-per-view buys.

Lewis, 55, said he'd want to see the specifics before agreeing to a return.

"I don't know. I don't really have nothing pushing me in the ring right now," he told TMZ. "People would love to see that fight but I don't know."

Tyson, 54, looked strong in his return to the ring against Jones and was clearly the more prepared, polished fighter despite the bout somehow being scored a draw.

Another matchup with Lewis would probably generate plenty of mainstream interest, though it's fair to wonder whether the allure of exhibitions will eventually fade.