TUNICA, Miss. -- If only Lennox Lewis' entourage would have been there to jump in. Maybe then he wouldn't have gotten humiliated again at a news conference.

	Lewis made a friend playing chess, but will he be a pawn in heavyweight history?

Lewis had to peer downward to lock eyes with his challenger. The kid, inches from the heavyweight champ, could smell the fear. It was only a matter of time until the king was dead.

Lewis has always considered himself an analytical fighter, but he didn't stand a chance in this chess match. He should pray Mike Tyson doesn't dismantle him on Saturday night like Carlos Harbert did.

Harbert, a 13-year-old from Oakhaven Elementary School, had Lewis on the ropes during Wednesday's news conference to promote the eagerly awaited Lewis-Tyson blockbuster at The Pyramid in Memphis, Tenn.

The towering Brit and the half-pint menace squared off in a match to publicize Lewis' sponsorship of the school's chess team. But the showdown went a bit longer than expected, and, to keep Lewis on schedule for his training session, the match went to the scorecards.

Harbert, who lost merely two knights and a pawn, earned a split decision for swiping both of Lewis' knights, a bishop and two pawns. The dissenting scorecard came from judge Eugenia Williams, who somehow had Lewis taking Harbert's queen, two rooks, a bishop and a hotel on Baltic Avenue.

Tyson, not exactly known for his pugilistic brainpower, doesn't give a damn about chess pieces. Lewis' legacy -- as well as his WBC and IBF belts -- will be on the table Saturday night, and Tyson would love to quickly snatch up whatever he can.

"This is a fight that both fighters desperately need to help redefine their legacies,'' said Bobby Czyz, the former cruiserweight champ who will provide analysis for the $54.95 pay-per-view telecast. "This is the single most appealing fight in the heavyweight division. I think that this fight will bring some closure to the heavyweight championship and lend credibility to the man holding the belts after the fight.''

It seems strange to suggest Lewis lacks credibility, doesn't it?

Lewis is considered by some to be among the all-time great heavyweights. Yet others argue he isn't even among the pound-for-pound top fighters of today.

Yes, Lewis has taken on all comers throughout his career. He is 39-2-1 and has avenged every blemish on his record. He knocked out both fighters who stopped him, literally reducing Oliver McCall to tears and flooring Hasim Rahman with one of the prettiest punches in boxing history. Lewis was less convincing against Evander Holyfield but still managed a decision. The two had fought to a draw in a match Lewis dominated (Williams scored that one).

Lewis has beaten Tony Tucker, Frank Bruno, Tommy Morrison, Ray Mercer, Andrew Golota, Shannon Briggs, Michael Grant and David Tua. The only key opponent missing from Lewis' pro ledger is Riddick Bowe. Lewis, though, did knock out Bowe to win a gold medal for Team Canada (his family moved there when he was 12) in the 1988 Olympic Games.

"This is a fight which is very important to me, especially in this era of boxing,'' Lewis said at Wednesday's news conference at Sam's Town Casino along the Mississippi River. "It would be unfortunate and disappointing to me if I don't box the best boxers of this era.''

But Lewis' detractors claim his accomplishments are not enough to overcome his shortcomings.

"He still hasn't been (accepted) into that stature of heavyweight greatness," Lewis' legendary trainer, Emanuel Steward said.

How do guys like McCall and Rahman knock out a "heavyweight legend" in the first place? Can a heavyweight be considered great for being a cautious tactician, or does he have to be a bad boy willing to slug it out when he has to?

Those are the speed bumps on Lewis' road to boxing immortality.

"This is the best today and one of the greatest heavyweights of all-time,'' Steward said, pointing at his pupil. "This is something that will be appreciated after he's gone. I don't think today it will.

"When I first got involved with Lennox Lewis in 1994 I made a prediction he had the ability and the potential to be the greatest heavyweight since Muhammad Ali. We're only three days from making that dream fulfilled.

"Lennox Lewis from the 1990s all the way up to now has been the most consistent, dominant heavyweight. Everybody in boxing knows he's the guy to beat. When you look back at his record and the fact he fought everybody, he didn't dodge anyone -- much like Muhammad Ali -- he should be considered among the best heavyweights that have ever come around."

	Pound for pound list
	Tim Graham's top 15: 1. Bernard Hopkins 2. Roy Jones 3. Marco Antonio Barrera 4. Kostya Tszyu 5. Vernon Forrest 6. Lennox Lewis 7. Shane Mosley 8. Floyd Mayweather 9. Erik Morales 10. Felix Trinidad 11. Oscar De La Hoya 12. Fernando Vargas 13. Paulie Ayala 14. Tim Austin 15. Ricardo Lopez

It's laughable to think of Lewis as the greatest heavyweight since -- well, The Greatest. A younger Holyfield warrants consideration, as does Larry Holmes in his prime.

But a victory over Tyson certainly would solidify Lewis' status in the pantheon of heavyweight gods.

A loss would devastate Lewis' historic stature.

He is a 2-to-1 favorite to beat Tyson. Part of the reason is because Lewis has multiple ways to win, whereas Tyson has but one: knockout.

Meanwhile, it's fathomable for Lewis to win by knockout, decision or disqualification. His plans of attack, therefore, can be much more versatile.

"Lennox is fighting better than ever. Mike Tyson has been fighting second-rate fighters," Steward said. "But, nevertheless, everybody's holding onto this image of Mike Tyson 12, 13 years ago. They don't want to let that go. That Mike Tyson is gone."

No one is sure which Lewis will climb through the ropes Saturday. We might see the passive version who clinched his way through both Holyfield fights, or the wrecking ball that obliterated Golota and Grant.

"I hear people say that the only reason that they are picking Tyson," Steward said, "is because Tyson is going to run out and scare him to death and Lennox is going to be a big awkward kid, fumbling around.

"This is where Lennox goes to his best. When Lennox Lewis feels threatened that's when he's the most dangerous. Mike Tyson is very much in danger of going out the point of that Pyramid with a vicious uppercut."

Lewis admitted he's approaching Tyson with a certain level of fear. In this case, he claimed, the mentality is closer to respect than apprehension.

"We both have a little fear in the sense that he fears me and I fear the fact I don't want to lose," Lewis said. "You must have the fear factor in there to make sure we do the best we can. Fear is going to help me."

Added Steward: "Tyson will be the best pure puncher Lewis has ever fought, and I have a lot of respect and to some degree a little fear of Tyson's punching power. However, if Tyson and his camp do not have respect for Lewis' punching power, they are crazy."

Which they have proven they are -- time and time again.

Lewis, 36, has indicated he will retire if he beats Tyson. The only intriguing feat left would be unifying the belts. John Ruiz holds the lightly regarded WBA title, and he is scheduled to fight Kirk Johnson in July. Since the latter is Canadian, a Lewis-Johnson match would spark considerable buzz north of the border.

Then there's also the matter of WBC mandatory challenger Chris Byrd, whom Lewis would have to fight by Dec. 8 or lose his title.

All of those possibilities -- and Lewis' legacy -- would be rendered moot if the champ didn't take care of business Saturday night.

The bet here is that Lewis will win. A clear-cut knockout over Iron Mike would be cathartic for most boxing fans, so let's cross our fingers that Lewis comes out slugging.

We can only hope Harbert's victory on Wednesday deters Lewis from playing a boring chess match in the ring on Saturday.

But since Tyson probably doesn't know how to move his castles and horsies, we needn't worry about that.

Tim Graham covers boxing for The Buffalo News and The Ring Magazine, and formerly wrote for the Las Vegas Sun.