On June 8, 2002, Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis squared off at the Pyramid Arena in Memphis, Tennessee before some 15,000 fans. 'The Lion' clobbered 'Iron Mike' and dealt him a loss that started the end of Tyson's illustrious pro boxing career.
Tyson started the fight on a high note, showing flashes of his old self that terrorized the heavyweight division for years. However, he slowly faded as the fight progressed. At 2:25 in the eighth round, Lewis laid him flat with a perfectly timed right hook to the jaw. The former Undisputed Heavyweight Champion made no real effort to get back up and continue fighting, prompting the referee to declare Lewis the winner by knockout.
The two boxers each earned an estimated $17.5 million, while the match itself generated revenues of over $110 million.
Watch the full fight highlights of Mike Tyson vs. Lennox Lewis:
After the fight, the two fighters went on with their respective careers. Tyson fought four more times, winning only one of them, before calling it quits. Meanwhile, Lewis successfully defended his title one last time against Vitali Klitschko and retired as an Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion.
Both fighters have certainly reached the top of fame and glory boxing wise. Twenty years since their collision, it would be interesting to see what happened to their pro boxing earnings.
For Tyson, according to sites like Celebrity Net Worth, his net worth as of 2022 is at $10 million. This is way off the $375 million earnings he reportedly amassed during his career.
As for Lewis, he has $125 million as per WealthyGenius.com.
What happened to Mike Tyson's wealth?
At the height of his fame in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, Mike Tyson was among the most recognized sports personalities in the world. In addition to his many sporting accomplishments, his outrageous and controversial behavior in the ring and in his private life has kept him in the public eye and in the courtroom.
His highest estimated net worth of $300 million disappeared because of the boxing icon's spending habit. On top of using his wealth to pay for boxing-related expenses, Tyson indulged in a life of luxury by purchasing high-end houses, exotic cars and even owned Bengal tigers as pets at one point.
In 2003, he declared bankruptcy with a debt of $23 million. Now, thanks to business ventures and movie appearances, as well as other projects, Tyson has been able to recover.
Watch Mike Tyson talk about running his business: