Mike Tyson, the former undisputed world heavyweight champion dispatched the challenge of British heavyweight champion Julius Francis in just four minutes last night. Francis was floored five times before the referee stepped in to stop the fight in the second round. Speaking to reporters, Tyson paid tribute to his British opponent.
"I knew Francis would show a lot of heart, but I wanted to bang him out," explained the winner of the fight. "I was hoping the referee would stop the fight earlier."
The defeated Francis was disappointed. "I am OK now. I did not do as well as I thought," he said. "He's very powerful. What surprised me was those short punches inside. All those punches hurt me. Few boxers will stand up to Mike Tyson, but I got in some shots and Tyson knew I hit him."
Speaking after the bout, Tyson predicted that he would beat reigning world heavyweight champion, Lennox Lewis. His manager Shelley Finkel believed a meeting with Lewis was just "three fights away". Promoter Frank Warren is hoping to stage that fight in the UK, but says he will need the approval of US TV interests before that can happen.
Meanwhile, in an earlier bout at the same venue, Welshman Joe Calzaghe retained his WBO super-middleweight title for the fifth time with a laboured points victory over Suffolk's British champion David Starie.
