Heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis generally punches down at his opponents.
When Lewis defends his WBC and IBO titles against Vitali Klitschko on June 21 at Staples Center, he'll be punching up.
It won't be the first time.
"I'd say about four people," Lewis said on Tuesday on a conference call when asked how many fighters he's faced as tall as Klitschko.
And what did he get from that?
"That they ain't as good as me," Lewis replied.
The 37-year-old Lewis, admittedly not far from the end of his outstanding career, decided over the weekend to take the bout with Klitschko on short notice after it was learned that Kirk Johnson had to drop out after tearing a chest muscle in training.
Trainer Emanuel Steward said he doesn't see the difference in the fighters as a problem because of Lewis' ability and experience.
Besides, Steward said, Lewis will be motivated by an opponent that tall.
"I think the fight's going to be over early," Steward said. "He has been more effective fighting guys taller than him than shorter. Klitschko is a nice guy and a good fighter. This is just a class above what he's used to.
"I think if Lennox comes out and makes him fight a tough physical fight, the fight won't go over five rounds," he said.
The 31-year-old Klitschko is the No. 1 contender for Lewis' WBC heavyweight title and was scheduled to fight Cedric Boswell on the undercard of the Lewis-Johnson bout. The Klitschko-Boswell bout was canceled.
Assuming Lewis and Klitschko had both won, it was expected that they would meet in the fall.
"It was unfortunate, but the situation came up," Lewis said of Johnson's injury. "I thought this was a great opportunity to show how great I am, how I can adjust."
Lewis (40-1-2, 31 knockouts) hasn't fought since successfully defending his WBC-IBF crown by knocking out Mike Tyson in the eighth round in Memphis, Tennessee, on June 8 last year.
Klitschko (32-1, 31 knockouts) thought he had a deal to fight Lewis in April. Lewis wanted to fight a rematch against Tyson instead, but Johnson was scheduled when Tyson didn't agree to it.
Lewis previously had agreed to meet Klitschko by December to stop litigation over whether Lewis owes him a mandatory title defense.
"He's been asking for this fight for such a long time. Here it is. He's going to get it, full force. Who else can he box against that has my power, my style, all of my equipment?" he said.
When asked about another bout against Tyson, there was silence on the phone line.
"I think you have the answer right there with the silence," Lewis finally said.
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