GLASGOW, Scotland — Lou Savarese, virtually a silent partner in Mike Tyson's second boxing venture in Britain, hopes to make some noise in the ring Saturday night.
"We plan on going into this fight and winning," said Savarese, who turns 35 on July 14.
The 6-foot-5 veteran of 42 fights (39-3, 32 knockouts) figures to give the former heavyweight champion a harder time than Julius Francis, who was stopped in the second round by Tyson on Jan. 29 at Manchester, England.
Those three losses, however, came in his last six fights, and hardly anyone gives Savarese a chance against Tyson, who has slowed but still maintains one-punch knockout power.
There was a good chance Savarese might not have returned to the ring if he had not be given an $850,000 chance against Tyson.
"It'll be a great fight," Tyson, who turns 34 next Friday, said.
Questions about the fight, however, were few and far between Thursday at the final news conference.
Reporters asked about Tyson's alleged altercation with promoter Frank Warren.
"I love Frank Warren," said Tyson, who denied he hit the promoter in a dispute over payment of jewelry he purchased when he was in London in January.
He also was asked if he threatened to throw Warren through a window.
"No sir," Tyson replied.
"Why?" someone shouted.
"Because there is a big line," a smiling Tyson said.
Warren did not attend the news conference. Anne-Marie Hudson, a spokesperson for Warren, said he intended to fly to Glasgow after a meeting with his lawyers in London, but he missed his flight.
She said Warren plans to sue over some articles published about the alleged incident.
A London jeweler claims Tyson still owes $650,000 for jewelry, including a diamond encrusted watch, On Thursday, Tyson was served with legal papers.
It is known that Tyson expected Warren to pay for the jewelry and the promoter refused.
Tyson earned at least $8 million for stopping Francis in the second round, and he will earn another $8 million on Saturday.
Tyson also addressed rumors that he wanted to get out of the fight because of the murder of his friend, Darrell Baum, on a Brooklyn, N.Y., street last week. Tyson, scheduled to fly to London on June 14, postponed the trip until Sunday so he could attend Baum's funeral.
The fight is scheduled to begin about 11 p.m. local time before at least 40,000 fans at Hampden Park.
It will be televised on a delayed basis by Showtime beginning at 9:30 p.m. EDT in the United States.
The telecast will open with an IBF junior welterweight title defense by Zab Judah (22-0, 1 no-contest, 17 knockouts) of Brooklyn against Jason Rowland (24-1, 14 knockouts) of London.