Return to Transcripts main page

PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT

The Latest from London and the Olympics; Marion Jones Talks Olympics; The Heavyweights Meet Again; Fabrice Muamba, Miracle Man

Aired August 2, 2012 - 21:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


PIERS MORGAN, HOST: Tonight, the all-American girl, gymnast, Gabby Douglas, makes history. Winning gold and stealing our hearts.

And making a splash, Phelps and Lochte go at it again. All the latest from the London and the Olympics.

Plus she knows more about doping than most people.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARION JONES, FORMER OLYMPIC ATHLETE: Every athlete, every person should be given that second chance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MORGAN: What Marion Jones thinks of that phenomenal Chinese swimmer. I'll also ask her about America's hope on the tracks.

Plus the heavyweights, and I mean heavyweights.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LENNOX LEWIS, WORLD CHAMPION BOXER: You don't even know this but Mike Tyson bit me on the leg, too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MORGAN: Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, get ready to rumble.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MORGAN: Easy.

LEWIS: Don't ring a bell around me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MORGAN: And the miracle man. The quite extraordinary story of a soccer star whose heart stopped 78 minutes and he lives to tell all about it.

This is PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT from London.

It's not just a good evening from London. It's a great evening for America, and it's all thanks to Gabby. Gabby Douglas makes the U.S. proud of becoming the first American woman to win both the team gold and the individual all-around gold for gymnastics. That's not the only record for Gabby. She's also the first black woman ever to achieve that honor. Truly an historic day.

Also make that 20 medals now for Michael Phelps. The best of all time wins the 200-meter individual medley in some style with Ryan Lochte grabbing silver. As for the women, more pride. Rebecca Soni today broke her own world record in the 200-meter breast stroke.

Let's get all the latest on this amazing day for the Americans. With me, Christine Brennan, sports columnist for "USA Today."

What a big day for the Americans.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, SPORTS COLUMNIST, "USA TODAY": Absolutely. I was at gymnastics. But you could have been at swimming and you would had the same headlines. It's really something.

MORGAN: I mean, just watch Michael Phelps storming to his 20th medal, he wanted that badly. I got a sense of a guy, a great champion, slightly bruised by not winning enough golds yet, saying I'm having this.

BRENNAN: Absolutely. And beating his rival, Ryan Lochte, the 200 IM, that was Lochte's baby. Also Phelps in not winning an individual gold medal to this point, I think the pride of an athlete really showed through there, Piers. The sense that this is his last Olympics and really gold is great. But to be an individual gold medallist is fantastic. And it would have been a footnote in a bad way if Phelps had not gotten it in this --

MORGAN: I agree. I mean do you think that Ryan Lochte may be one too early? That psychologically he got the glory straight off the top and actually hasn't reached those heights again?

BRENNAN: As they say it's all gone downhill from there. Now --

MORGAN: Only won two golds.

BRENNAN: Right. Exactly. And -- you know, you're an Olympic gold medallist, and that's it forever. And he started with such an important race and he beat Michael Phelps there. So, I think, for all, it's a bit of an uneven story here for both, you know, Lochte and Phelps. Some great moments. And they'll take those away.

I think what it really shows is again what an amazing thing we saw four years ago from Michael Phelps.

MORGAN: Yes.

BRENNAN: Because this is reality in swimming. You know, someone wins here, someone wins there. The Frenchmen reel in the Americans at the end. Phelps doesn't win individual races. It even, I think, Piers, shows how much more remarkable what Phelps did four years ago. MORGAN: I couldn't agree more, he's a fantastic champion. Let's talk gymnastics. Really a great day for Gabby Douglas today. Aly Raisman fell off the last hurdle. I'm sure she's disappointed, a supremely talented young lady. Jordyn Wieber, of course, didn't even get into the playoff. What do you make overall of the gymnastics for the ladies been in particular?

BRENNAN: Historic day. Gabby Douglas, African-American. It's the first time a woman of color, Piers, has won the individual all- around gold medal in the Olympics. This is the prized medal, you could say, especially if you're an American in the entire Olympic Games. And won by an African-American the first time ever.

Gabby also, of course, won the team gold. The other women who have won that individual all around, including Mary Lou Retton and Nastia Liukin, Carly Patterson, they were not part of a team gold. The Americans didn't win the gold. So we may well see the most decorated gymnast ever for the United States and it's in Gabby Douglas, a 16-year-old, just unbelievably calm, comfortable, confident athlete who a year ago we've never heard of her.

MORGAN: Yes. Amazing. Amazing talent. We've got all this sprint to come. Obviously Usain Bolt and the others. How do you see the Americans over all when it gets to track and field?

BRENNAN: I think the Americans will do well. Swimming is more the bread and butter for the United States. I mean that's where the U.S. really should do well and they have. And the medal count shows it. Track and field, I think the women more than the men. The relays are always interesting, if the Americans don't drop the baton.

(LAUGHTER)

BRENNAN: If they're all getting along --

MORGAN: Actually over here we call it baton.

BRENNAN: Baton.

MORGAN: Since we're -- when in Rome.

BRENNAN: Since we're here.

MORGAN: We are in London.

BRENNAN: So don't --

MORGAN: Speak the Queen's English.

BRENNAN: -- drop the baton.

MORGAN: Don't drop the baton, boys.

BRENNAN: Exactly. And girls. And they've all done it at different times. So, you know, track and field has taken a real hit over the years because of the steroid issue. If you can't trust a foot race, what can you trust?

MORGAN: Yes.

BRENNAN: And I think track and field is no longer -- 20, 30 years ago it was "the" sport in the Olympics. Still in that stadium, still where the cauldron is, it is in many ways still the event of the Olympics, but I think it has been tainted over the years because of the steroid.

MORGAN: How important is it to America to reassume the ascendancy over the Chinese after the Chinese went ahead in Beijing?

BRENNAN: I think it's very important, I'm not sure it's going to happen. I think the Chinese are having a great Olympics, too. You know, I've often found that the medal count is the most overrated thing in sports. I don't know that I change my opinion of my country if the U.S. wins more medals or not.

But yes, for the U.S. Olympic Committee, for trying to get Olympics in the 2020s, host the Olympics, just that sense of national pride, it's a very big deal.

MORGAN: I think it's a big deal.

BRENNAN: Yes.

MORGAN: I think the Americans really want this and today was a big step forward in at least having a good chance of beating the Chinese.

Christine, as always, thank you very much.

BRENNAN: Piers, thank you.

MORGAN: The Olympics are bittersweet for former track and field star Marion Jones. She went to prison for lying to a grand jury about using steroids. These are her first games since being released. And she joins me now.

Marion, welcome back.

JONES: Thank you, Piers.

MORGAN: Obviously we had quite a heart wrenching interview a few weeks ago, and I found it very moving mainly as I said to you at the time because whatever you did and, you know, I have heard what you said about it, others have said and so on, the fact that you went to prison over it was a pretty severe punishment, and they stripped you of your medals.

When you look at the Olympic Games here now in London, what goes through your mind? What do you feel?

JONES: Well, actually my memories of my Olympic experience, Piers, are quite good. I was able to achieve my dream. The experience for me was very positive now. Some of the things that happened afterwards were obviously very hurtful and just made things very complicated in my life. So it is actually a positive time of year for me and my family.

MORGAN: We're going to come to what you think of the American team sprinting chances after the break. But before we get to that, I want to talk to you about the big doping scandal here which may or may not be a doping scandal. It involves this young Chinese swimmer, Ye Shiwen.

When you see all the attention that she is attracting for her phenomenal performance, what do you make of it?

JONES: I think it's very unfortunate. The attention she should be attracting right now is a good one. I mean, she has set a world record. She swam some incredible times, of course, but, you know, water has not come out to say that she had any harmful drug tests or anything. And so it's just very unfortunate. The young lady is 16 years old and because she ran -- she swam a split that's faster than a male swimmer all of a sudden now she's looked upon as doing something wrong.

Now maybe in the future, if something comes out, well, that's different. Let her enjoy her moments. Let's not tarnish it right now because of people's feelings about certain stuff. She swam an incredible race, you know, let's just leave it as it is.

MORGAN: After what you went through, there are other athletes who have been caught for doping who within two years are back performing at this very Olympics. Dwain Chambers, a British sprinter, is doing that.

Do you think the punishment is enough now for doping? Do you think that the only way to really eradicate it from sport, from the Olympics, is to make the punishment so severe that other athletes just wouldn't contemplate it?

JONES: No. I certainly wouldn't go that far. I think that, you know, there are going to be athletes from now until the end of sport that are going to try and do things that they shouldn't. Now I, of course, am a huge proponent of second chances. I have obviously been given a number of them since I made my mistakes, and I think that every athlete, every person should be given that second chance.

And the fact that Dwain and other athletes who are in similar situations are now getting a chance to perform, and they're still, you know, having to face tough moments even though they're running fast and they've made the Olympic team and stuff, they still receive a lot of criticism. So although they've done their time, they're still doing their time, really, and people don't see that.

And so I don't -- I don't -- certainly if you continue to make mistakes and do what you shouldn't and fail drug tests, at some point there should be a lifetime ban. But I think for the first time for -- to be a lifetime ban I think it's unfair. And a lot of people are going to say well, of course, she's going to say that. She, you know, has been involved in all of this. But you know look -- people need to look in the mirror.

Have you ever made a mistake? Do you wish you had a second chance? Of course. Give these athletes a second chance. They made a mistake. Let's see if they can redeem themselves.

MORGAN: Let's take a short break. I want to come back and talk to you about the sprint team. It's all about to kickoff. Usain Bolt and Jamaican rivals, American rivals, what you think of that, and the fascinating, on-going battles in the American women's sprinting team. Well, if you saw what went on with Allyson Felix. Whatever you thought about all that debacle. Let's come back after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MORGAN: That's Marion Jones at home on the track. And I'm back with her now.

Marion, what do you make of the big sprinting races about to start, in particular, is Usain Bolt going to be beaten? Because there's a general feeling he's not quite as good as he was last time, well, certainly not quite as fit.

JONES: Well, it's certainly going to just be an incredible athletic competition in these next few days. Of course, the favorite will be Usain and the question marks regarding his health status are certainly important, but Usain is a champion, world record holder obviously, and he's coming to these Olympic Games to do some fantastic things, and that's to win. But certainly he's going to be challenged by his training partner in Yohan Blake.

And then of course you have on the women's side, all the controversy to pass a few weeks ago in Allyson and the runoff that actually was very disappointed not to see.

MORGAN: Yes, what did you think of that? Because -- what did you think of that? I mean I thought it was a strange conclusions to that. I assumed that they would both prefer as athletes to have a runoff. But in the end, Jeneba Tarmoh, she just didn't want to go through with it. She obviously felt so crushed about having been told she was in then she was out that she just gave up, which I was surprised by.

JONES: You know, Piers, I'm going to be as honest as I can with you right now. I was so disappointed to get that memo and to see on the news that there was not going to be a runoff. So you've worked your whole life, right, to get to this moment to try and get on the Olympic team. And something crazy happens like -- like there's a tie, which never happens. And your opportunity is right there.

You and one other person, right? Why wouldn't you? I mean, I don't care if it's raining, I don't care if it's cold, people talk about the weather conditions in Eugene were going to cause injury. Who cares? This is your opportunity to make an Olympic team and you're not going to do it? I don't know, but I'm going to probably just get a lot of criticism for saying that, but that's every athlete's dream. I don't know the politics that were involved with the coaches and the sponsors. I'm sure there was pressure here and there. You know, Allyson has been to other Olympic Games. You know, she's going to be on the team for the 200, she's going to be running the relay. This young girl should have gone out there and ran the race and just put it all on the line, and obviously I am a competitor, and so not seeing the runoff, I was quite disappointed.

MORGAN: Well, I completely and utterly agree with you. I was staggered. And I thought it was unlike an athlete to not rise to that challenge. You know what my theory is, I think the reason she didn't is that secretly she knew she had been lucky to get ahead of Allyson Felix first time and Allyson Felix would probably beat her in the runoff. That was the only thing I could think of.

JONES: But --

MORGAN: Which made any sense --

JONES: But Piers, even -- but even so, right? I mean forget the fact that it's Allyson Felix, all of that. This is your moment. It was going to be on prime time, it's probably the biggest coverage that USA track and field are going to receive for a lot of time, right?

MORGAN: Yes.

JONES: And it's you and one other athlete. In the sport of athletics, that never happens. It's never just you and one other person. It's you and eight or nine or seven other -- seven competitors. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Why not do it? Why not do it? Who cares about the sponsor pressure, who cares about coaches? Get on the line and put it all out there.

I mean I just hope that years from now she doesn't look back and say gosh, you know, and just slap herself in the face for not putting it out there.

MORGAN: Well, Marion, I agree with, so I find it as baffling as you do. The other thing was Oscar Pistorius, the South African who uses the prosthetic limbs. Michael Johnson was on last night, he was a good friend of his, but he feels uncomfortable about it. He says that it gives Oscar Pistorius an advantage which he doesn't think he should have.

What do you think?. I mean to me, you have a guy who had no legs, who's got forced limbs running with able bodied runners. How can it be an advantage?

JONES: Well, I disagree with Michael in a few -- in a few points of this. I think that if we're using that argument that this prosthetic leg is giving him advantage, what about the argument that there are countries, who third world countries, countries that don't have all the resources to give their athletes the best training, training on the best tracks, the best spikes, the best clothing, the best supplements, all of that. What about those countries who don't have those same advantages? So he can use that argument for a lot of things. But -- I mean your reasoning exactly. The guy doesn't have legs, you know? How is he somehow at a disadvantage? You know, you can't use that argument.

MORGAN: Yes.

JONES: Because you have to look across the board. There are people who lined up against Michael Johnson in the first round of the Olympics from countries that don't have spikes to share with their athletes.

MORGAN: Yes.

JONES: They don't have superior training, they don't have Mondo tracks to train on. So aren't they at a disadvantage? Isn't Michael at an advantage --

MORGAN: Yes.

JONES: -- because he lives in one of the most powerful countries in the world and he has every advantage given to him? So you can't use that -- you can't use that example.

MORGAN: Yes, he had -- he had his golden monkeys, for goodness sake.

JONES: Right.

MORGAN: Michael Johnson had more expensive shoes than the national debt of some of these countries.

(LAUGHTER)

JONES: And he trained on the best tracks in the world. I mean, come on. You can't go there.

MORGAN: Well, for the second time in this segment, I agree with you completely.

Let's turn to a more contentious subject, I'm sure, which is Michael Phelps has become the greatest statistical medal winning Olympian in history. And many people are saying that makes him de facto the greatest Olympian in history.

Do you agree or do you think there are other worthy contenders? I had one here last night I feel who has a better claim to that crown in Carl Lewis. But what do you think?

JONES: Well, I think that the wording in all of this is just very important. I think certainly he will be considered one of the greatest Olympians ever. I certainly think you need to look at all the factors involved, obviously the fact that his particular events are so similar, right, but it is not like he has to run in the pool, and see how far he can jump, and then see how fast he can swim, you know, as opposed to -- MORGAN: Yes.

JONES: In the sport of track and field, for example, the disciplines are so much different. And so it might be a little easier to say well, Jesse Owens or possibly a Carl Lewis might fit in that bill a little better just because they were so -- they can do so many different things, but certainly one of the greatest Olympians ever.

MORGAN: Gabby Douglas has won the gymnastics. She's beaten Aly Raisman.

JONES: Yay. Wow.

MORGAN: So that's quite a victory. It was a huge runoff for those two. So what's your reaction?

JONES: I love it, I love her. She is so -- I mean I follow her on Twitter and every time, I mean, all the girls, I mean, let me tell you, watching them the past few days has really made the Olympic experience for me even that much better. But the fact that Gabby now has won and can top off her team gold with individual gold, she's such an inspiration, she's such an inspiration to little girls, but even more specific to young African-American women who now -- this is the time where they're looking for role models, people to grab a hold to and aspire to be.

And just a really worthy, worthy recipient of winning today. It's just incredible. I'm happy for her.

MORGAN: Yes, that's great news, I completely agree. And I feel sorry for Aly, because she's also a brilliant role model.

Marion, it's been a great pleasure to talk to you again. Thank you so much.

JONES: Thank you, Piers. Enjoy your time in London.

MORGAN: Tomorrow my interview with the fastest woman on earth, Jamaica's Veronica Campbell Brown, she's a three-time winning gold medal sprinter, now she's having to smash records here in London. She has the competitive spirit since she was a child as I found out. Here is a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MORGAN: Now you're one of nine brothers and sisters. I'd imagine it was very competitive when you were young, right?

VERONICA CAMPBELL-BROWN, THREE-TIME GOLD MEDAL-WINNING SPRINTER: Absolutely, yes, and a lot of us, and so I learned to be competitive from a very young age.

MORGAN: And you also used to run barefoot, is that right?

BROWN: Absolutely. You're correct. I actually used to race boys on the street, barefoot. I actually completed at national stadium barefoot before. So yes, that's true.

(LAUGHTER)

MORGAN: Did you beat the boys?

BROWN: I do. I used to race boys and I used to beat them as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MORGAN: Coming after the break, I reunite two old friends. But when I say friends, they tried to beat each other into submission twice in world heavy weight boxing title bouts. Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield. Round three. Ding, ding.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MORGAN: OK. So now I'm going to get very, very overexcited. Because I am being joined by two of the truly great heavyweight boxing champions in history. America's pride, Evander Holyfield, and fellow champ, Canadian, British, Jamaican -- can't remember. But we'll come to that in a moment. Lennox Lewis. Both titleholders, both Olympic medal winners.

Welcome to you both, gentlemen.

LEWIS: Thank you.

MORGAN: What are you?

LEWIS: Huh?

MORGAN: What are you?

LEWIS: You can't see what I am? I'm part of the Commonwealth.

MORGAN: You are really?

LEWIS: Yes.

MORGAN: I'd rather think he was British, though.

LEWIS: Yes. Yes.

MORGAN: You were brought up around here?

LEWIS: Of course.

MORGAN: How far from this very spot?

LEWIS: I would say about five minutes.

MORGAN: Seriously?

LEWIS: Yes. Five minutes. I don't even recognize the place again. MORGAN: How much has East London changed, seriously.

LEWIS: This is crazy. I mean what an enormous buildings that have erupted into a place -- they're great buildings.

MORGAN: It is amazing.

LEWIS: Yes.

MORGAN: Now you two slugged it out in two memorable fights. First one was a draw.

(CROSSTALK)

MORGAN: I don't think Lennox will go along with that.

LEWIS: It wasn't a draw. I won.

MORGAN: Lennox wouldn't go along with that.

(LAUGHTER)

LEWIS: I won.

MORGAN: It was declared a draw.

Evander, I mean, over the years have you learned to possibly accept that he nicked that first one?

EVANDER HOLYFIELD, WORLD CHAMPION BOXER: He could have, but I got the second one. And they gave it to him. They didn't call it a draw.

MORGAN: So they were both criminally wrong decisions? Is that how we're leaving this?

LEWIS: No. OK. You know what, I give you the benefit of the doubt, let's say I won them both.

(LAUGHTER)

LEWIS: You may have won the first, didn't win the second. No, the second one was a lot closer and he was actually ready for me because I was kind of pissed off because he was singing in the first one, coming in the -- this guy is singing coming into fight me? OK.

(LAUGHTER)

LEWIS: This is -- you know, I'm going to take it really serious. But the second one he wasn't singing.

MORGAN: Tell me this, you both competed in the Olympics and won. How big a part of a career as a professional boxer is competing and winning at the Olympics in terms of the global attention it gives you and everything else? What do you think, Lennox? LEWIS: I think that's -- winning the Olympics is a great thing to do because you're basically, you start as an amateur boxer and to complete your amateur tutelage, you have to be an Olympic gold medallist. And winning that is like winning a gold medal, I mean, a gold ticket into the professionals.

MORGAN: Yes.

LEWIS: And it's a -- really a pedigree thing. So once you won an Olympic gold medal, you're supposed to actually go on and win heavyweight championship of the world.

MORGAN: Evander, do you agree with that?

HOLYFIELD: Well, I do -- I do believe that, you know, (INAUDIBLE) the Olympics and is -- you know, just like graduated with a degree.

MORGAN: Yes.

HOLYFIELD: You get paid more money, you springboard into your professional career and it showed that because you went to the Olympics, all the adjustments you had to make through amateur to allow you to become that -- that complete fighter at the end to be the champion.

MORGAN: And there's a huge debate raging about who the greatest Olympian of all time is because of Michael Phelps breaking the medal record. Forget all that. I don't want to ask you that. I'm much more interested in what will be I'm sure a much more lively debate. Who is the greatest heavyweight boxer of them all? Because you two would definitely be mentioned on many people's lips. But who do you guys think? Who was top dog?

HOLYFIELD: It all depends on how you look at it. It's what you did in the ring.

MORGAN: Well, let me ask you this question. Who would be the boxer in history heavyweight you would least want to fight?

LEWIS: You know --

MORGAN: Present company exempted.

(LAUGHTER)

LEWIS: I would say Jack Johnson.

MORGAN: Really?

LEWIS: He is the first heavyweight for me. And you could say Muhammad Ali. Muhammad Ali was the man that I look -- look at him and wow, look at this man. He's amazing. And every time he fought, I always wanted to see him fight. And the special thing that I loved about Muhammad Ali was every time he moved his feet really fast, the shoe shine. MORGAN: Yes.

LEWIS: That was the greatest thing. Once he did that, it's like yes, yes, look at his feet move. And -- but as far as who -- if I would want to fight them, no. It breaks down into eras. That era is an era by itself.

MORGAN: Right.

LEWIS: My era and Evander -- Holyfield's era is an era by itself. And we're a lot different in our era. Our era were a lot bigger. Muhammad Ali's era was a lot smaller. So it's a different era.

MORGAN: What do you think? Who were your personal heroes?

HOLYFIELD: Well, Ali was. I was 8 years old. I told that I could be a heavyweight champion like Ali. And so of course, I weighed 65 pounds, 8 years old. And they said but if you don't quit, you can be it. So I didn't quit. Twenty years later, I became heavyweight champion of the world.

MORGAN: You two, as I said, had slugged it out, so you've gone, what, 30 rounds together? Was it 15-round fight? Twelve rounds. And 24 rounds of basically smacking seven bells out of each other.

(LAUGHTER)

MORGAN: Easy beget.

LEWIS: Don't ring a bell around here.

(LAUGHTER)

MORGAN: How can you still be friendly? I mean how does it work? How does the boxing fraternity deal with the fact that you for months prepare to smack each other to seven bells, and then now I see you and you can get on well.

HOLYFIELD: With me, it's never personal. It's a job and I truly believe that we both have the right to be the very best that we can. You know, and I trained, he trained. And we get in who the best at night. When this -- when the night is over, you know, I'm like brush it off.

MORGAN: Did you look at Evander Holyfield's eyes? Because even now they terrify me. Do you look at those and they bring back horrible memories? Those eyes bearing down on you followed by fists?

LEWIS: Not really. Not really. We solved that all in the ring. Once we -- you know, we're obviously competitors and we both feel that we're the best, and we step into the ring to prove it. And doesn't matter what happens in the ring, we end up respecting each other afterwards because, you know, in the ring, we're trying to kill each other. I am trying to knock him out, he is trying to knock me out. But afterwards, it's like OK, we realize the sacrifice it takes just to be in the ring and we realize what we've gone through, and then we just leave it all in the ring. After that, you know, there's no need to hate each other, or fight each other. Because we're competitors.

MORGAN: I've always wondered this. When you're heavyweight champion of the world, and you go out and about to bars or clubs or whatever, there must be, like, the biggest guy in the room fancy his chances, right?

LEWIS: You want a little joke? The first time I went to a club, I've seen Evander Holyfield, and he's like, you know, he is in there. And I was saying well, where is he? They said well, he's out there dancing. I'm saying he's out there dancing?

(LAUGHTER)

LEWIS: And I went over there and I see him dancing, and the guy can dance.

(LAUGHTER)

LEWIS: He was out there al night. I was trying to talk to him, the man was out there dancing.

(LAUGHTER)

MORGAN: Did you ever get people coming up, trying it out?

LEWIS: Yes. All the time, you know, every time you walk into a club, it's like the bouncers pick up their chest and it's like I don't even bother with it because I realize they're getting paid $50 an hour. I'm getting paid millions.

(LAUGHTER)

MORGAN: Well, that leads me neatly to the break actually because I want to come back and talk to you about America. You both have a lot to be grateful to America for, you're huge stars in the American sporting scene. And I want to talk about what's happening to America, the economy, and all that. You guys could probably single-handedly put the economy back on track. One fight, $200 million, Don King.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This night may be the biggest (INAUDIBLE) climax dramatically since the impeachment. But if the Brit wins, it will be the biggest news in the British isles in many, many a decade.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MORGAN: Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis in that controversial heavyweight title fight in 1999 that ended in a shocking draw. Shocking because they both will tell you that they won it.

Welcome back, gentlemen. I feel very rude, Evander, I should have asked you this right at the start of the interview. How is your ear?

HOLYFIELD: It's good.

(LAUGHTER)

HOLYFIELD: It's good. It's all right.

MORGAN: Did it nearly actually fall off in the end?

HOLYFIELD: Well, you know, he snagged a piece of it, and it kind of went out in a (INAUDIBLE) and spit it out.

(LAUGHTER)

MORGAN: Well, that moment when you realize Mike Tyson has decided to eat your ear in the middle of a fight, what goes through your mind?

HOLYFIELD: Shocking. I was shocked. Of all the thing could have happened, never would have thought that would happen.

(LAUGHTER)

MORGAN: Well, Lennox, when you were watching that, what did you think?

LEWIS: I was horrified. I was like, you know, we're gladiators, man, we don't bite. You know, that -- we don't -- from amateur days to pro, we don't even think about biting. We're -- we're guys that settle it all with our fists. But to be bitten, and you don't even know this, but Mike Tyson bit me on the leg, too.

MORGAN: He did?

LEWIS: So we're both sitting here, we've both been bitten.

MORGAN: So I'm the only person in the room right now who wasn't bitten by Mike Tyson.

LEWIS: Right. And my bite was more a shock as well because it was a press conference in New York and, you know, he came walking over to me. My security stopped him. He threw a punch at my security, and then I hit him. And then all of a sudden he dove at my legs, and everybody went like this. And at the bottom of the pile, I was, and I was feeling pain. I was pushing down on the pain. And I see Mike Tyson looking up to me like this. And I was like, you know, his bite -- he bit my leg.

(LAUGHTER)

LEWIS: And -- you know, I was wearing like expensive suit at the time and slippery shoes. (LAUGHTER)

LEWIS: So I wasn't coming there for a fight. And then I made a rule that every press conference I go to that I'm going to fight someone, I'm wearing running shoes.

(LAUGHTER)

MORGAN: So the reason I don't think Mike bit me when I interviewed him was that he had probably watched "Celebrity Apprentice," seen me knock you out at the last minute, and probably thought I'm not going to mix it with Morgan.

LEWIS: Yes, but he knows I was bodyguarding you for awhile. You had to work around with --

MORGAN: But I did knock you out, didn't I?

LEWIS: Those Americans wanted you.

MORGAN: Yes, but Lennox, I did knock you out.

LEWIS: You won, yes.

MORGAN: I did knock you out.

LEWIS: No. Not knocked out.

MORGAN: Use the phrase. Say it.

LEWIS: Knock out is --

(CROSSTALK)

MORGAN: The first is moving on from denial.

(LAUGHTER)

MORGAN: Let's just relive it. Donald Trump, Lennox, I love boxing, but you're fired. Remember that? Most harrowing moment of --

LEWIS: Briefly. Briefly. Briefly. And I don't mind getting fired by him. He's a rich guy.

MORGAN: It was a -- yes, it was tough old series.

LEWIS: Yes.

MORGAN: But we'll discuss that another time.

Evander, let's talk about America for a moment. When the athletes come here, the boxers, the sprinters, all of them, they all represent America. What do you think of your country at the moment?

HOLYFIELD: Of course, I think when it all come down, people are divided. I think that people have to come together. That's the only way you can change anything.

MORGAN: Lennox, you've a lot to be grateful to America for. And it's a great country, isn't it? I mean they put on some huge fights, so you make a lot of money in America. What do you think of the place?

LEWIS: I think it's a great place. I love going there, different parts of it, Vegas, California, Miami, different places.

MORGAN: What's your advice to the -- to the athletes here, British, Canadian, American, whatever, you've both been in that position, you got all of the sprinters coming this weekend, huge pressure, Usain Bolt, and everything else. What would be the best advice to young Olympians that you would give?

LEWIS: Me, all I would really say, you know, we create our own pressure, so if you feel pressure, you know, you're creating it, and one thing I would say that, you know, nobody really remembers any other medal but gold, so have gold in your mind.

MORGAN: Correct me if I'm wrong, but -- because I've got a real things about this. By all means say you did well to get a bronze and silver, but everyone here wants to win gold, right?

LEWIS: Yes.

MORGAN: And If you don't win gold, you're never going to be as happy as if you won gold. I mean that's what sports are about. It's about winning, isn't it, Evander?

HOLYFIELD: Yes, it's about winning. Well, you know, I shot for the gold and I end up with bronze. When it all -- when it is all said and done, I'm glad I got a medal.

MORGAN: Right.

HOLYFIELD: I got a medal and my career -- my career went on and past that. You know, I didn't get gold medal, I got the bronze, but I was the first one to become champion in the United States.

LEWIS: And you know what, he would have won the gold anyway because that was a bad call anyway. So you know, I would have said he won the gold. He was the gold medallist anyway so.

MORGAN: You're both looking good fit. So my final question, is if it all suddenly kicked off right now here, you know, something happened, one of you said something, and you got it on again, who would win the third battle?

LEWIS: I would, of course.

MORGAN: Evander?

HOLYFIELD: Of course he would say that. But you know, I'm the guy don't have to say it, I'm just the person that will do it.

(LAUGHTER)

MORGAN: Gentlemen, it's been a real pleasure, seriously, thank you very much indeed.

Coming up, the most extraordinary story of life and death involving a British soccer star whose heart stopped for 78 minutes. It is a remarkable tale, he joins me next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some distress as well for --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MORGAN: What you just witnessed is one of the most extraordinary moments in sporting history. That was the terrifying few seconds on an English football field when a player called Fabrice Muamba who is a very well known professional English footballer for the Bolton Wanderers team collapsed.

His heart stopped beating for 78 minutes. Everybody assumed that he had died. What happened next was nothing short of miraculous. Seven weeks later, Muamba was well enough to return to his team. His recovery has been an extraordinary tale of survival. And Fabrice Muamba joins me now.

Fabrice.

FABRIC MUAMBA, PROFESSIONAL SOCCER PLAYER, BOLTON WANDERERS: Yes.

MORGAN: Welcome.

MUAMBA: Hi.

MORGAN: I was in America when this happened.

MUAMBA: Yes.

MORGAN: And you were playing for Bolton, I guess a team called Tottenham.

MUAMBA: Yes.

MORGAN: Used to play for my beloved team Arsenal.

MUAMBA: Yes.

MORGAN: And it was one of the most harrowing things I've ever witnessed when I watched it because everybody assumed you had lost your life that day. What do you recall, if anything, of what happened?

MUAMBA: Piers, what I remember most about that day, as you guys know, we play football, we go on the routine, you know, get changed, and then get ready, you go out and you do the warm-up. That day I never felt different, any of, I just felt my normal self. You know, already go warm-up. But two minutes before the incident, I just start to feel very dizzy and I just felt for a second it would go away, and I would just come back to normal self, and two minutes later just the incident happened. And my head fell down on the ground and the first time my head hit the ground. The second time, that's when I was completely gone.

MORGAN: You've never seen the video that we've just played. I'm going to make sure that you don't watch it when this back. I'm sure one day curiosity will get the better of you and you will. But what happened in that stadium was an amazing outpouring of emotion from the crowd. People were bursting into tears. Everybody assumed they had witnessed the death of a top professional football player.

When was the moment for you when you began to recover several days later that you thought, I'm alive. What happened to me?

MUAMBA: I mean, it happened on a Saturday but I didn't wake up until the Monday. And I didn't fully, fully wake up until Monday.

MORGAN: At least 48 hours.

MUAMBA: That's when I start to recognize what happened to me. My fiancee at that time Shauna (ph) told me exactly what happened then she explained to me what happened, you know, I had to take a moment and then adjust myself, because it was a shocking moment for me. And to now when I think about it, you know, how far I've come and you know.

MORGAN: And other players, I mean, there was an Italian player, the same thing happened to him, exactly the same thing and he died. And you would have been aware of that.

MUAMBA: When it happened to him I was in a hospital and when I hear exactly what happened to me and to him, and how I survive, and obviously he didn't make it, that kind of hit home to me. That really, really shook me because, it could happen to me, it happened to me in (INAUDIBLE) because it could have happened to me in my bedroom, and we wouldn't be having this conversation.

MORGAN: I mean the whole of Britain, to put it in context for our American viewers, the whole of Britain was living this story moment by moment, updates, flashing on Twitter, Facebook, the news, all day long.

MUAMBA: Yes.

MORGAN: Everybody willing you to come through. But everybody fearing the worst.

MUAMBA: I mean everybody wants me to come through, and people feared I'm not going to make it. I couldn't make it. I mean there was a point where I wasn't able to make it. Because it happened so quick and the effect of it was so powerful that it took me a while to kind of get back to where I was. And people were just -- didn't know exactly what was going on. But, I mean I thank God I'm alive here. I thank god for people who pray for me. For the medical staff who help me to be here. Because you have to give credit to those guys. They never stopped giving me CPR, and the people that worked for me in the hospital. They were very good.

MORGAN: And you've been through so much.

MUAMBA: Yes.

MORGAN: Because you came from Congo in Africa. Very war-torn country. Your father had fled the regime there, come to Britain, you didn't see him for three years. And then you came over and you were reunited with your father. You carved out this new life as a professional football player. So you had been through a hell of an experience in your life already.

MUAMBA: With me, what I've learned is that, you know, in life, everybody have to work, why they are where they are for the reason. And my walk of life is different because obviously my dad had to come to England to make a better life. And what my dad told me since I was young, is just whatever you want to do, just go ahead and do it. And give everything you've got to give.

And that stuck inside me in everything I do. In every walk of my life. I explain that to my son. Do whatever you have to do to be the best person you are. And that it got me even more closer to my dad and to the whole situation. We've become even more close. But it was just a moment of life where, you know, you look back and you think, wow. At one point I wasn't even playing football then -- and then playing football and then I died and I come back alive, and doing this and that. It's incredible. I'm going to let you into this one secret that you don't know.

MORGAN: OK.

MUAMBA: You know I've played already.

(LAUGHTER)

MUAMBA: Seriously.

MORGAN: You have? Since what happened?

MUAMBA: Since the incident happened.

MORGAN: When did you play?

MUAMBA: I was in Dubai. We have -- a couple of friends and there was a couple of football in the hotel so we decided to play the game against the staff and the players.

MORGAN: You did?

MUAMBA: Yes, I did.

MORGAN: When was this?

MUAMBA: In May. About May. So I play for about 25 minutes.

MORGAN: And how did it feel?

MUAMBA: It feel very good.

(LAUGHTER)

MUAMBA: I missed that feeling. You know.

MORGAN: And you would have been on the Great Britain soccer team, wouldn't you?

MUAMBA: Yes.

MORGAN: Here in the Olympics.

MUAMBA: I would have fought so, though.

MORGAN: Yes.

MUAMBA: For the men sports, so I would (INAUDIBLE).

MORGAN: Well, you could play in the next one.

MUAMBA: No, I don't think so.

MORGAN: I wish you all the very best and I hope you do play again.

MUAMBA: Yes.

MORGAN: If you play Arsenal, you'll understand. As a former Arsenal guy. I hope you lose.

MUAMBA: Thank you, Piers.

MORGAN: Glad to see you.

MUAMBA: Thank you.

MORGAN: Amazing story of sporting survival. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MORGAN: Tonight, the summer games as seen through the eyes of the world's coolest man, Samuel L. Jackson. The whole world is watching but Mr. Pulp Fiction is taking his appreciation to whole new levels. He's not just a fan. He's like an uber crazy fan using Twitter to let everyone know what he thinks about the Olympics in real time. And he's not holding back.

When Allison Schmitt won, for example, Jackson tweeted, "Allison Schmitt." Five exclamation marks. "Hope they got picks of her soles because that's all they saw. Go, USA." Five exclamation marks. To the gymnastics, Jackson made his opinions known with this tweet. "OK. That was drunk lady staggering flip dismount. Made famous by many girls missing the top step in da club."

He also took a shot at the world folks on TV talking to the events, tweeting, "Commentator dude spends a lot of time yakking about the negatives of the gymnasts, even the Americans." And if (INAUDIBLE) his words for the judges, tweeting, "That was not a handstand, more like a handsplit. UK gets jacked by judges."

So cool. There you have it, Samuel L. Jackson, Hollywood star, gold medal standard Olympic tweeter.

All I can say, Samuel, keep them coming. That's all for us tonight. "A.C. 360" starts now.