Mike 'the animal' Tyson

MANCHESTER, England, Jan 28: Mike Tyson faced Julius Francis on Thursday to announce he was an animal in the ring and Saturday's fight meant war, reports Reuters.

"I am an animal in the ring. I don't know how he feels about that. I'm a ferocious fighter. You can't change who you are and I never doubt who I am," he said. "I'm here for war."

With the usual pleasantries accounted for, the former heavyweight world champion also led a news conference on a quick ramble through his religious beliefs, the role of community leaders and his own tortured psyche.

There was no snarling, no abuse as Tyson answered questions and Francis listened to music through a headset, swaying absentmindedly to the beat.

Tyson, mobbed on his arrival on Wednesday night after riotous scenes in London, said he was feeling good and looking forward to a party with the British people after the 10 round non-title fight.

He found time to praise European champions Manchester United as "a great soccer team" and said he had no plans to visit the deprived Moss side area before the fight.

And, with British promoter Frank Warren who lost an acrimonious court case with Don King last year agreeing to his every word, Tyson declared that it was nice not to have that individual involved in the fight.

Francis, the British champion selected for the dubious honour of assisting Tyson's rehabilitation in the ring after a conviction for rape and suspension for biting Evander Holyfield's ear, inevitably declared that he was no fall guy.

"I'm going to win," he said, referring to his opponent as "Mr Tyson" and offering him his respect.

"This is my fight. It's all about Julius Francis."

WBO super-middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe of Britain nominally tops the bill for his title fight with David Starie but the fact is that Tyson is the show in a fight that could last for under a minute. He could be lined up to pummel a punch-bag for 10 rounds on Saturday night and the British public would still be queuing up for tickets.

"Mike Tyson is coming. Give him his respect," bellowed Tyson henchman Steve "the Crocodile" Fitch, trying to warm-up the media with a pale imitation of Muhammad Ali's celebrated sidekick Drew Bundini Brown.

"Two days and a wake-up. We're coming for you," he bellowed, bedecked in combat gear and shades. "That's right, guerrilla warfare. To be or not to be, that is the question."

In the only fission of the staged meeting under the television lights, he was heckled by Francis's trainer Mark Rowe who suggested the croc was "a thin-lipped lizard".

"You're very ugly. I see you slide back in the swamp last night, I'll see you run away," he offered.

Tyson, in a rare turnaround, managed to raise the tone.

"I've been plenty of religions," he said, when asked about his conversion to Islam. "I been a Catholic, I been a Christian. It's just who I am but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm a good person because I'm a Moslem.

"We're all judged by our deeds and our conduct."

A question from a female reporter about Tyson's attitude to women was given short shrift by Warren, who said the boxer would take questions about the fight only.

Tyson was allowed into the country only after attempts to have him barred for his rape conviction failed.

He insisted he had been wrongly convicted of "this bizarre rape thing" and some thing had to be done about "the law saying that just because you've been in prison and had a record that it's over for you.

"It don't mean that you are a piece of trash and should be thrown away like a used towel," he said.

But he also didn't care what people thought.

"If everybody loved me and was my friend, I'd be an enemy to myself," Tyson asserted. "Respect is a powerful word. Respect is more powerful than love."