LAS VEGAS - Tuesday. Any good bout, like any good story, contains characters that capture our imagination, conflicts that excite us, and an ending that holds the promise of thrilling us.

And, like a good story, a good bout can be approached from many different angles and interpreted on many different levels.

Such is the case with Saturday night's bout between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield.

For some, this is the ultimate showdown between the two most dominant heavyweights of their era. For others, it is the logical ending to a rivalry that began at the trials for the 1984 Olympics. And for many, it is a personal fight. For there are rumors that Tyson will try to punish his opponent for allegedly saying he would not fight a convicted rapist, a comment Holyfield adamantly denies making.

But there is also a more intriguing, less apparent, angle to this bout. Tyson - the most famous, most highly paid fighter, if not athlete, in the world - may be envious of his long time rival.

"Jealous (of Holyfield)? I could be," said Tyson. "I never thought I was ever jealous. But I'm not untouchable from being jealous."

Tyson, inside the ring, is known for his savagery, power and desire to dominate, if not humiliate, his opponents. He has often played the role of a self-aggrandizing bully and many fans mistakenly believe his success comes not from hard work and dedication, but solely from a sheer natural ability and an unquenchable inner rage.

"I want to show Holyfield I am the best fighter in the world," said Tyson. "All this bull I hear about him being the toughest guy, the biggest heart, I don't buy that."

Holyfield, who is the first cruiserweight champion to win the heavyweight title, has earned a well-deserved reputation as a determined and courageous overachiever. His victories, most often over larger opponents, are credited to his work ethic, conditioning and determination. And he is often praised for his modesty and dignified behavior. In the tough school yard of boxing, he is, in the eyes of the public, the small quiet kid who remains unafraid of the bigger bullies.

"Tyson's whole thing is to try and intimidate you," said Holyfield. "You can't intimidate somebody that's not intimidated, You're wasting your time."

And Tyson, currently a 15-1 favorite, knows that no matter how badly he may beat Holyfield or how many more titles he may accumulate during the remainder of his career or how many orphanages he may visit, he will never earn the respect and admiration the public has given Holyfield.

"I want to hurt him, there's no doubt about it," said Tyson. "It could happen in 30 seconds or 10 rounds. (But) my objective is to hurt him."