MANY FEAR TYSON VICTORY.

Byline: MICHAEL ROSENTHAL Boxing

To many in the boxing world, this prospect is terrifying: Mike Tyson does put Lennox Lewis to sleep with that one big punch and reclaims his position as king of the sport.

Tyson draws attention to boxing, they acknowledge: However, it's the wrong kind of attention, the kind that drives potential sponsors and fans away and renders the sport more a curiosity than a legitimate enterprise.

Others say boxing needs a marquee name, even one as tainted as Tyson's, although these observers admit his behavior must be controlled lest he become a back-breaking liability.

``I'm praying the fight happens and (Tyson) loses,'' said promoter Bob Arum, who will have no stake when Lewis defends the heavyweight championship against Tyson on Saturday in Memphis, Tenn.

``... Boxing needs big personalities, like (Muhammad) Ali and (Sugar Ray) Leonard but it doesn't need a mental misfit like a Tyson to be the star of the sport.''

No doubt, much of the public remains fascinated with Tyson.

Some think back to the mid- and late-'80s, when he slammed his way through the heavyweight division like no one before him. They somehow can't differentiate between that Tyson and the shell that will fight Lewis on Saturday.

Others appear to be taken by Tyson's dark, unpredictable behavior: What outrageous thing will he say or do next? He's a freak show, and people love freak shows.

Of course, all of the above translates into money. Tyson remains the biggest pay-per-view draw in the sport - his bout with Lewis is expected to draw more than 1 million buys - because many people simply can't turn away.

The ones who can are critical: The potential sponsors and fans.

Wonder why boxing is rarely on network television? Sponsors don't want their products associated with what they perceive to be a sleazy sport, one whose star attraction is a vile brute who has hurt people out of the ring his entire adult life.

As Arum implied, the days of Ali and Leonard are long gone.

And the fans? Again, hardcore fans are loyal to the sport. They can see beyond Tyson to find many talented and decent fighters who don't deserve to be harmed by the Tyson fallout.

However, that doesn't apply to most. To the majority, Tyson is boxing. And they want nothing to do with him.

``I want him to get knocked out quickly and go away, just leave our sport,'' said Bill Caplan, a longtime boxing publicist. ``I feel that even though he draws attention to our sport, all this ink, most if not almost all of it is negative.

``The man on the street, ... the people, more importantly women, they think boxing equals Tyson and Tyson equals boxing. I wish he'd just go away and let all the fighters who work so hard and are such noble athletes get some attention.''

But would they? Without Tyson, without a name of that magnitude, would people pay attention at all?

Some believe they wouldn't, which brings us to the adage: Any publicity is good publicity. The trick is to use Tyson's name-recognition intelligently and do what you can to keep him out of trouble.

``I feel Tyson would be good for the industry with the right people around him,'' said Sherman Oaks-based promoter Dan Goossen, who worked several years with Tyson. ``... Some of our most famous athletes haven't necessarily been ones who are loved. Some celebrities are both loved and hated. I think Mike carries that on his shoulders.

``That combination of love and hate is what makes him the biggest act in the world.''

Others don't see the connection between Tyson's celebrity and how it could benefit the sport.

They admit he's well known - as well known as any athlete in the world, perhaps - and no one can say he doesn't attract money. However, they ask the question: Who benefits in the end?

``I don't buy that stuff that money is great for boxing,'' said television analyst Larry Merchant, who won't be working on the live broadcast of the fight. ``Tyson is a phenomenon at the box office, no doubt about it. And maybe he helps the guy he's fighting earn more money.

``I just don't know whether people can tell the difference between Tyson and celebrity boxing or World Wrestling Federation or stuff like that. I don't think they connect him to other boxers.

``... When we have a really popular, charismatic figure on top of boxing, be it Ali or Leonard, they do bring people in. But they bring people in to see boxing or personalities, not a fighter have an emotional breakdown in front of your eyes.''

And if Tyson loses?

Caplan's wish that Tyson would go away probably won't come true unless he self-destructs, which is a possibility. Lewis could knock him out in the first minute of the first round and people will remain fascinated enough for him to earn hefty paydays into his 40s.

Even his biggest detractors admit it. They can only hope Lewis beats him up and then wait for him to fade away.

``I think Tyson will be around as long as he wants to be around,'' Arum said. ``The reason I say that, even if his skills erode further, people will pay money to see him get beat up. He's such a part of our consciousness.

``We won't get rid of him by him getting beaten. He just won't be the marquee guy in the sport.''

Which might be a valuable consolation.

--Holyfield-Rahman: Evander Holyfield is a wonder.

At 39, he's not what he used to be. At the same time, he was able to compete on an even level with a solid heavyweight - Hasim Rahman on Saturday - and come out on top in the end.

Holyfield isn't going to beat a Lewis at this point and will have difficulty with awkward, defense-oriented opponents like John Ruiz. However, opponents who fight aggressively against him - as Rahman did to a good extent - he's still able to get in his shots.

His goal is to regain the undisputed heavyweight championship. While that seems to be a longshot, perhaps it's not impossible.