But while the show at the city’s Pyramid Arena may be eagerly anticipated by fans around the world, Maloney believes it has come too late to have any real significance.

And worse, he believes that the former undisputed champion’s antics both inside and outside the ring in recent times have turned the contest into a freak show.

‘‘This fight has definitely come too late,’’ he said.

‘‘It’s a fight that should have happened years ago. Now it’s a circus, not a fight. People are going to tune in to the fight to see if Tyson breaks the rules, not see a boxing match.

‘‘Neither of them is what they used to be. It’s two old fighters past their best.

‘‘Everyone is going to tune in to see Mike Tyson bite Lennox Lewis or break the rules. It’s not going to be a classic. It’s not going to be Ali-Frazier or the Rumble in the Jungle.’’

The fight will finally go ahead after the authorities in Las Vegas refused to sanction it, sparking a scramble to assess venues in Washington, Los Angeles, Michigan, Georgia, Houston and several major cities around the world as alternatives.

An ugly scuffle - in which Lewis claimed to have been bitten on the thigh by Tyson - at a New York press conference intended to promote the bout simply served to increase the hype, and Maloney admits to misgivings about the whole affair.

‘‘I’m indifferent to the fight,’’ he said. ‘‘I must admit, I tend to agree with the Nevada State Commission, unless Tyson got help, he shouldn’t be back in the ring.

‘‘I don’t say it’s a good or a bad thing, it’s a fight that had to happen because of the money involved. It’s not happening for the right reasons.’’

Lewis is confident of walking out of the ring with his titles intact, but Maloney has warned that he cannot take anything for granted.

‘‘It depends on which Mike Tyson turns up,’’ he said. ‘‘I think the first five rounds are very dangerous for Lewis.

‘‘Tyson is probably one of the hardest punchers in the world and Lewis doesn’t have a great chin. Lewis isn’t the greatest starter in the business and he doesn’t like fighting smaller men.

‘‘I actually think Lewis is intimidated by Tyson.’’