Evander Holyfield has had a remarkable career. A small man souped up in the gym for the rigours of the heavyweight division, Holyfield has a right to consider himself the pre-eminent heavyweight of his generation.

His fights with Riddick Bowe and Mike Tyson are probably the high points in the recent history of a division which has been in decline for some time. A win for Holyfield over Lennox Lewis tonight would not just be another high point in an extraordinary career it would be entirely in keeping with the pattern of his fight life.

Tonight's scuffle will be Holyfield's 19th world title fight, a remarkable tribute to his endurance and to his cerebration. Holyfield thinks his way into his job like few others in the history of the sport. He has made a habit of winning rematches and it is that tactical acuity which represents his best chance of bucking the odds in Las Vegas tonight.

Holyfield was 37 last month. He is three years older than Lewis and the age difference seemed most evident in the course of the sluggish night's work submitted by Holyfield last March when sheepishly he kept his versions of the world title by means of a draw creatively engineered by the judges.

Tonight Holyfield has promised to take the fight to Lewis. He needs to be in Lewis's face all night if he is to prevail.

"I will be moving a little more, keeping my head moving a lot. I was standing outside a lot more, not working like I should have been. I'm going back to basics. I know I can go the distance. The difference this time is I know what he is capable of doing."

There has been much talk in Vegas over the past couple of days that this is the bout which could redeem boxing. Holyfield needs to attack. Lewis has promised to do the same. The odds on them mixing it up like lightweights seem long, however.

Lewis is a cautious man. For all that the adoring British media talk up the charm of Lewis, he is a big bland man with a clunky tongue when it comes to pre-fight hype.

"When I hit Evander, he is going to know he is in there with the Real Deal, that he's not the Real Deal anymore and he should think about retiring. I'm planning to knock him out. I think I'm able to."

Possibly he is able to connect Holyfield with the canvas but in reality his best chance lies in remaining calm, not being carried along by the massive support imported from Britain and plying his usual defensive game.

Yesterday afternoon's weigh-in at the ballroom in the Mandalay Bay Hotel gave a flavour of the partisan atmosphere which should prevail tonight when 6,000 British fans pile into the Thomas Mack centre.

Lewis was cheered, Don King suffered soccer chant obscenities. Holyfield didn't fare much better.

The tale of the tape as boxing folk like to call the stats revealed nothing we didn't know already. Lewis brings advantages of weight (242 lbs to 217 lbs), height (at 6 ft 5 ins, he is 2.5 inches taller) and reach (84 inches to 77.5)

Holyfield's trainer for the past five and a half years, Don Turner, has said that he expects his fighter to get in closer to Lewis this time around.

"Evander has worked harder than I have seen him work for the past few months. He got the message from March. He knows he has to be in tight on Lewis. He can't stay outside his range letting Lewis jab him."

In March Lewis used his advantages of reach and height to keep Holyfield in another postal code for most of the evening. Holyfield has chosen his sparring partners over the past few months - working on the basis of having to fight his way to the inside and keep busy when he gets there.

Holyfield notes that tonight Lewis offers a challenge not widely different from what he has experienced in the past.

"I've been getting past big jabs all my life. In the last fight, Lewis was effective with it. But this is a whole different day."

Lewis has duly promised to be aggressive but the expectation is that he will concentrate on not allowing Holyfield openings to build up points. Lennox has been reared as a defensive fighter and it seems beyond the scope of his character to throw away the main chance. Lewis is the clear favourite in Vegas but his placidity and caution pitted against the ability of Holyfield to learn a lesson and forge a fight to suit his strengths are taken to give him a narrow win by a decision.

By the way, the Nevada Athletic Commission have chosen Mitch Halpern as referee for tonight's bout. Halpern has refereed over 50 world title bouts. with veteran judges Jerry Roth (with 100 title fight to his name), Bill Graham (50 title fights) and Chuck Giampa 75 title fights) handling scorecard duties. All are from Nevada and all are veterans in the game.

That much at least should be predictable.