Mike Tyson for a more lucrative box-office venue, but the Nevada Boxing Commission refused him a license to box as he was facing possible sexual assault charges at the time. Two years prior to the bout, Tyson had made several inflammatory remarks to Lewis in an interview following the Savarese fight. The remarks included the statement "I want your heart, I want to eat your children." On January 22, 2002, the two boxers and their entourages were involved in a brawl at a New York press conference to publicize the planned event. A few weeks later, the Nevada State Athletic Commission refused
Mike Tyson vs. Donovan Ruddock II Greg Page and Phil Jackson. This would set up a match with Lennox Lewis for the right to face the winner of the Evander Holyfield–Riddick Bowe fight for the Undisputed Heavyweight Championship. Ruddock would end up being knocked out by Lewis in the 2nd round, costing him a chance at the title and effectively ending his status as one of boxing's premier heavyweights. Mike Tyson vs. Donovan Ruddock II Mike Tyson vs. Donovan Ruddock II, billed as "The Rematch", was a professional boxing match contested on June 28, 1991. Three months earlier, Tyson and Ruddock, who were boxing's number one