Francies refuses to lend Tyson an ear

That was it.

The only other time Francis opened his mouth was to explain who he was listening to on his personal stereo — headphones covering his ears — as if ignoring everything the former world champion had to say about the fight, his training, his rape conviction, his thoughts on street violence, his conversion to Islam and how he recognised what a great soccer team Manchester United was.

With Tyson the huge favorite, despite expected to be hugely outweighed at Saturday’s official weigh-in, Francis is seen as just another notch on the former champion’s list of wins. Few observers expect him to last more than three rounds while Tyson is saying he’s getting back to his best.

“I’m here to work,” said the former champion, who needs a good and uncontroversial victory to restore some credibility to his goal of regaining the belts currently owned by Lennox Lewis.

“I’m ready to blaze and I’m looking forward to being victorious. I’m in great shape and I’m ready to go. I’m going to have a war with him. There’s gonna be a war.”

“I am looking forward to fighting Julius Francis and that’s all I’m concerned with right now,” Tyson said. “I have been training diligently and consistently and I am going to do my thing.”

Tyson’s “thing” might include an eye-catching seven-punch combination that impressed the media who had been invited into his final training session in London.

Tyson’s power and versatility are expected to be too much for Francis, who lost his previous three fights before beating three fellow countrymen. In his last fight against a world-rated opponent, Francis was knocked out in two rounds by Vitali Klitschko, currently the WBO champion.

In case Francis didn’t need any more convincing, Tyson admitted he couldn’t rule out the sort of behavior that marred his fights against Evander Holyfield and Orlin Norris.

He was banned from the ring after being disqualified for biting a chunk out of Holyfield’s ear. And his fight against Norris was ruled a no contest because Tyson hit his opponent after the bell sounded to end Round One and Norris, who injured his knee as he fell, couldn’t continue.

“I’m an animal in the ring,” Tyson said. “I’m a ferocious fighter. That’s who I am. You cannot change who you are.”

Perhaps that’s why Francis was covering his ears.