Holyfield in Tyson's corner against Lewis

Mike Tyson received support from an unlikely corner on Tuesday when Evander Holyfield predicted the volatile former world heavyweight champion would defeat title-holder Lennox Lewis in Memphis, Tennessee next month.

"I believe Tyson will win," said Holyfield during a teleconference promoting his June 1 clash in Atlantic City with Hasim Rahman. "Under the circumstances, Tyson will fight the way he fights all the time.

"For Lennox Lewis it all depends on the type of fight he will try to fight.

"As for hoping who wins. One man (Lewis) don't want to fight me because he's going to retire if he wins...so why hope he wins?"

Holyfield also said Tyson was not crazy and that his recent outbursts were just part of the promotion of the June 8 fight which is expected to be the richest in boxing history.

Of course, Holyfield has millions of reasons for wanting Tyson to win, most of them dollars.

A Tyson victory would set the stage for a big-money clash with the 39-year-old, leaving Holyfield in position to achieve his goal of becoming a five-time heavyweight champion of the world.

Despite the possible financial rewards, Holyfield remains an unlikely Tyson ally.

In 1997, the two fighters were involved in one of the most disturbing scenes witnessed in a boxing ring when Tyson bit a chunk out of Holyfield's ear during the third round of their heavyweight title bout.

Tyson was disqualified, fined $3 million and had his licence revoked.

"I don't think he's crazy because crazy people don't talk much," said Holyfield, who also beat Tyson in their first meeting in 1996. "Crazy people just do crazy things.

"Is he kicking somebody? No, he's not really doing these things.

STRAIGHT JACKET

"If he wasn't talking and just looking and all of a sudden running and violating somebody you'd probably need to put him in a straight jacket.

"He's speaking his mind and getting a lot of attention. If the boxing people felt he was hurting the gate they'd tell him quietly.

"Hey, it's working, they ain't going to tell him to be quiet. Even they know, I know, it's going to cost him because people will really believe he's crazy.

"If an incident breaks out he's going to be penalised for all the things he's said. He better hope he doesn't kick somebody."

Holyfield's perception of Tyson runs contrary to popular public opinion.

Already considered wildly unstable, Tyson's reputation, as well as boxing's, has plumbed new depths during the build-up to the June 8 showdown at the Pyramid Arena.

The bout was delayed and moved from Las Vegas to Memphis after the Nevada State Boxing Commission refused Tyson a licence for triggering a brawl during the press conference announcing the fight. He was also accused of chomping on Lewis's leg during the melee.

During another press conference staged at his training camp in Maui, Tyson exploded into a verbal assault on his British opponent and the media, asking journalists if they had children because he wanted to "stomp on their testicles so you could feel my pain because that's the pain I have waking up every day".

"It is not about defending Tyson," said Holyfield. "When someone does something wrong, it's wrong.

"But it's my choice to forgive a person and I forgave him. It means I don't hold it against him.

"What he did was wrong but does that mean he's crazy for doing it?

"No, it only means he was crazy for doing it for a way out. I was winning the fight and he wanted out of it and made a decision.

"What makes you think he would want to do that again? People just won't let you forget about their past.

"I just don't think it's right to keep throwing things up in people's faces when they've paid for it," added Holyfield.