Seven men have stepped into the ring with both Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson. Some went out quietly (Tyrell Biggs, Andrew Golota), some were on the verge of victory (Frank Bruno vs. Lewis and Frans Botha vs. Tyson), one went 12 rounds with each (Tony Tucker) and one thought it was so nice he did it twice (Evander Holyfield). But one thing's for sure, when Saturday night rolls around, all eyes will be on the challenger, and not the champion.

"This fight is very, very interesting," former heavyweight champ Frank Bruno told MaxBoxing. "I boxed Tyson twice and I boxed Lennox Lewis, and I would rather box Lennox Lewis five days a week than to fight a Mike Tyson. He's awkward, short, dangerous, and when he's fit, he's very dangerous."

The word "dangerous," when applied to Mike Tyson, has a two-edged meaning. The former heavyweight king still has concussive power in either hand, hands that are able to take out virtually any opponent at any time, especially one with a questionable chin like Lewis. But the other danger Tyson brings is his unpredictability, a trait that has led to bitten ears, attempted arm breaking, and various other in and out of the ring infractions.

Bruno, one of the most beloved fighters to ever come out of the UK, fought Tyson twice and Lewis once. He staggered Tyson early in their first bout in 1989 but was stopped, and in their 1996 rematch, Bruno went out quietly in three rounds. Against Lewis though, Bruno had hurt his countryman and was winning handily before a desperation left hook led to a stoppage loss in 1993. Bruno believes that if Tyson can control his rages, the fight should be fairly easy for him.

"If he's 60 percent himself when he goes in there, fit, hungry, and controlled - not controlled that when the bell goes he's still fighting, punching the referee, punching the cornermen, biting and getting loopy - I can see him doing some damage because Tyson's very dangerous when he's focused," said Bruno.

Donovan "Razor" Ruddock fought three bouts with Saturday's combatants as well, losing all three, including two exciting bouts with Tyson in 'Iron Mike's final bouts before going to prison for rape. Ruddock agrees that Tyson's mental state is his key to victory, but he's not holding his breath.

"If Tyson doesn't self-destruct, he can beat Lewis," said Ruddock from his home in Florida. "But knowing his personality, if he's not having his way, he's going to look for a way out and do something stupid."

A dissenting opinion comes from Francois Botha, though, who feels that Tyson, while extreme in his actions, is rather predictable when it comes to his legitimate fighting skills.

"Mike Tyson gets very easily frustrated and if guys are giving him a bit of trouble in the ring he always goes to the extreme," Botha told PA Sport's Mark Staniforth. "But Lewis has great boxing ability whereas Tyson is very predictable. I showed Lennox the way to beat Tyson. If Lennox stays calm and focused it can be very easy for him."

Botha is not exaggerating. In a shocking 1999 fight, "The White Buffalo" outboxed, outhustled, and outgutted Tyson for four rounds, even going as far as boxing the ex-champ's ears while in a clinch. Unfortunately for Botha, he got too confident and was taken out by a single right hand in the fifth round. Against Lewis in 2000, Botha wasn't as fortunate, getting emphatically KO'ed by the champion in two rounds.

One essential element of Botha's success against Tyson was his refusal to be intimidated by the fearsome 'Iron Mike'. Lewis has stated that he has no fear of his challenger, and Tyson even admits as much. Ruddock agrees that intimidation will not be a factor on June 8.

"I don't think intimidation will be a big part," said Ruddock. "It's a waste of time when you're at that level. Tyson was a champion and Lennox is obviously the champion; they've been there before and fought all the top heavyweights in the world, so I think trying to intimidate the other guy is a waste of time."

Bruno, who was obviously distressed before his rematch with Tyson, disagrees with Ruddock about the effect of Tyson's persona on opponents, at least until the first round ends. "I'm not a professor, but all I can say as a human being is that Tyson brings a little bit of fear into the ring," he said. "There is fear of about 10 percent going into the ring, but when you're fighting a Tyson it's 25 percent because you don't know what's going to happen. Intimidation always tells in a boxing match. It helps a little bit, but when round one goes, and you're focused, and up for it, it goes out the window."

The questions about Tyson (his condition, his diminished skills, his mental state) abound, but the intriguing thing about Lewis-Tyson is that there are just as many questions about the champion, including his chin, his strategy, and his desire to make history on Saturday.

Future hall of famer Evander Holyfield, who beat Tyson twice and lost and drew to Lewis, questions the champion's ability to stand his ground against 'Iron Mike,' a key to victory against the bullying Tyson.

"Nobody is going to beat Tyson going backwards," said Holyfield during a recent teleconference. "It isn't about charging after Tyson. It is about knowing when to engage and when not to. You have to keep Tyson off balance. There is a type of fighter that knows how to use his skill and he can get wins. But all the great fighters have pride and they keep coming. He hasn't showed it yet. Maybe he hasn't had to use it yet. He may have it, but haven't had to use it yet."

Lewis defeated David Tua with what many believe to be the blueprint to beating Tyson, who is similar in stature to the Samoan bomber. It wasn't pretty, but his jab and grab, safety-first style was effective. And while it would seem that Lewis would need to get his respect from Tyson early, Bruno and Ruddock agree that the champion will do his best work from the outside, even though it may not thrill the fans.

"Tyson definitely has the better chin than Lewis, and Lewis is a cautious guy," said Bruno. "He's very skillful and getting a little bit braver, but if you go to him all the time, he'll do anything to survive: make it ugly, hold. He's got skill, he can move around, and he won't make it pretty."

Adds Ruddock, "Lewis has to stay away from Tyson and fight him from the outside. Tyson is going to have to get inside and fight Lewis there. If Lewis can't use his reach, it will render him helpless. Tyson, with his shorter arms, needs to get inside to be effective. But if Lewis can keep Tyson at the end of his jab, he can beat him, because he can get to drop that right hand."

But what about the rush, the opening moments of the fight that will be among the most exciting seconds in sports? "Tyson is on the go all the time but I think he'll have to think and rule the aggression or the anger," said Bruno. "He can't come out too crazy because Lewis will lean, make it ugly, and take a couple of rounds to slow Tyson down. That's when Lewis may pick him up, in the later rounds. But in the early rounds, Tyson is very dangerous."

And if Lewis survives Tyson's initial onslaught, Botha believes the fight may be over. "At the start Lennox will have to keep moving and use his jab," he told PA Sport. "He could win this entire fight on his jab alone. I believe if he survives the first round, then he has won the fight."

When all the talk and analysis is over, Lewis and Tyson have to step through the ropes and fight. Bruno believes Tyson will be the one walking out of the Memphis ring with the title belts.

"I'm a Tyson man. I've known Tyson since he was 16 and to me, in his heart he's good, but all the hanger ons and crazy guys around him are just confusing him. Sitting down, he's a nice guy. If he can control his aggression and if he's super fit, I take Tyson to beat him in six."

Ruddock is less committal. "I really couldn't say," he said. "These two guys are both powerful punchers, and I believe it's going to be who gets who first."

Whatever happens, it should be a good one.