BBC SPORT | Special Events | 2000 | Lewis in London

It was never going to be a fight to turn up late for, but the speed and ease of Lennox Lewis' victory over Francois Botha confirmed the suspicions that this was a total mismatch.

The last time Lewis fought in London he was on the end of a second-round knock-out at the fists of Oliver McCall - this time he handed out the same punishment to his South African opponent.

And as Botha lay sprawling halfway out of the ring you wondered whether the two fighters should have been in it together in the first place.

Flanked by the usual possee of hangers-on, Lewis had made a typically theatrical entrance strutting to a Bob Marley soundtrack.

Botha's knees buckle in the first round
Botha just survives in the first round but the end is not far off
Playing up his 'Britishness' to the home crowd, Lewis was led out by a pair of buxom blondes dressed in almost traditional beefeaters costumes - and in the end you wondered whether they may have mustered more of a fight than Botha.

Straight from the start the size difference was apparent with Botha seemingly having no way past Lewis' immense reach as Lewis stalked the 'White Buffalo' like a predator waiting for his moment.

That moment almost came in the first round when he caught the South African with a right cross, making Botha's knees buckle but not quite putting him on the canvas.

But Botha's reprieve was to be short-lived - two minutes into the second round Lewis put together an awesome combination of punches that sent his opponent crashing towards the first row of the crowd.

Somehow he got up but the referee could not allow the fight to continue.

Lewis admitted: "I felt really good. I'm here to give punches not take them.

"I hit him with my right hand - no fighter can take my punches. Nobody can get away from my right hand."

Botha said: "He caught me with a great shot. He is a big man. Give him all the credit - he can hurt any fighter."

So now Lewis seems set to fight the IBF's number one ranked contender David Tua.

But the fight that Lewis and the world wants is a match-up with Mike Tyson.

The heavyweight world champion's invitation is clear: "I've just got one message for Mike Tyson - Put up or shut up."