Officials welcome Tyson-Lewis title bout in Memphis

<br>MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) _ Officials welcomed the Mike Tyson-Lennox Lewis fight for the dollars and publicity it is expected to generate. <br><br>``It certainly will be a boost to Memphis' economy.

Tuesday, March 26th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) _ Officials welcomed the Mike Tyson-Lennox Lewis fight for the dollars and publicity it is expected to generate.

``It certainly will be a boost to Memphis' economy. I'm hearing that some hotels are already sold out. I commend all those folks who were persistent in staying on this and making it happen,'' said State Sen. Roscoe Dixon, D-Memphis.

John Wade, Tennessee's tourism commissioner, said the bout should mean global exposure for the state.

``Memphis already is a tremendous tourist mecca for Tennessee and this will create more excitement and worldwide attention. It certainly will boost the tourism awareness for that city,'' Wade said.

Pay-per-view for the fight might reach 1.5 million buys.

Said Memphis mayor W.W. Herenton, ``Memphis is elated to be the host city of this great sporting event.''

Tourism already is a major business in Tennessee, where more than 40 million people visit annually. Elvis Presley's Graceland residence is one of the major attractions in Memphis. Another is the Beale Street entertainment district downtown, where blues music got its start. Thirty miles south of Memphis, there are 10 riverboat casinos in Tunica, Miss.

The Pyramid, where the fight will be held June 8, is a 32-story structure with about 21,000 seats. It is the home of the Memphis Grizzlies and the University of Memphis men's basketball team.

The fight could raise the city's sports profile another notch. Last year Memphis got the Grizzlies, who relocated from Vancouver.

That move came after 30 years of disappointment because the city was never able to obtain an NFL team, although the old Houston Oilers franchise played in Memphis during the 1997 season while waiting for a stadium to be finished in Nashville where they became the Tennessee Titans.

It will be the second heavyweight championship fight ever in Tennessee. Mike Weaver won the WBA title with a 15th-round knockout of John Tate on March 31, 1980, at Knoxville.