The pay-per-view extravaganza which will be the Lewis v Tyson rematch – due to take place in June – is expected to net both boxers in excess of $25m.
But in an interview with the BBC at the weekend, Lewis claims he may be about to hang up his gloves for good.
“Retirement is definitely an option for me at this point.
"I really need a fight to make me feel like going in there and fighting, to go out and go through all the training.
"The person has to get me excited and at this point I'm not really excited about anyone.
"Wladimir Klitschko would be like a Michael Grant fight and even to box Mike Tyson if he's in a bad state will be to go backwards - and I don't want to go backwards."
However, it seems likely the lure of one last big-money fight with Tyson and the accompanying jumbo purse will be sufficient to persuade Lewis to fight one last time.
Boxing lives on hype – and the latest appears to be that the widely-anticipated Lennox Lewis vs Mike Tyson fight may be facing an impossible hurdle – Lewis’ desire to retire.
