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Lennox Lewis was one of my favorite fighters, nobody gave this muther-fucker anything, he took names kicked ass, and when he lost he came back like a Champion to settle the score. IMHO, one of the most underrated Heavyweight Champions, he fought everyone who was anyone.
Lewis vs. Rahman I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZtF5sYEKPw
Lewis vs. Rahman II
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWlzFITRjYg
Thoughts?
Wouldnt go anywhere near his mandatory Chris Byrd;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Mars_ax
Lucky to get the decision against Mercer and was just as much to blame as Akinwande for holding and I think Akinwande even dropped him but it didnt get called?
I agree. But this seems more like a "I like Lennox Lewis thread". What did you want to say about the 1st and 2nd Rahman fights?
Nothing other then what I said in the OP, Lewis got his ass handed to him in the 1st fight, but came back like a Champion in the 2nd.Quote:
Originally Posted by bzkfn
FWIW, I wasn't always a fan of LL and this isn't a "I like Lennox Lewis thread", I just believe that he didn't get the credit he deserved as a HW Champion.
Oh, well then I agree. I love the fact that when he knocked Rahman out, his head landed in the O of the Don King logo and it looked like he was wearing the crown. One of the best one-two punches ever.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mars_axNothing other then what I said in the OP, Lewis got his ass handed to him in the 1st fight, but came back like a Champion in the 2nd.Quote:
Originally Posted by bzkfn
FWIW, I wasn't always a fan of LL and this isn't a "I like Lennox Lewis thread", I just believe that he didn't get the credit he deserved as a HW Champion.
Chris Byrd LMAOQuote:
Originally Posted by rossWouldnt go anywhere near his mandatory Chris Byrd;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Mars_ax
Lucky to get the decision against Mercer and was just as much to blame as Akinwande for holding and I think Akinwande even dropped him but it didnt get called?
Ray Mercer - a common myth! Watch the fight and score each round independantly - Lewis won fact
Akinwande - LMAO
Ross generally - LMAO
This is called, being knowledgable and objective!! I respect thatQuote:
Originally Posted by Mars_axNothing other then what I said in the OP, Lewis got his ass handed to him in the 1st fight, but came back like a Champion in the 2nd.Quote:
Originally Posted by bzkfn
FWIW, I wasn't always a fan of LL and this isn't a "I like Lennox Lewis thread", I just believe that he didn't get the credit he deserved as a HW Champion.
Another Big H beatdown. Send Ross to the burn unit.Quote:
Originally Posted by BIG HChris Byrd LMAOQuote:
Originally Posted by rossWouldnt go anywhere near his mandatory Chris Byrd;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Mars_ax
Lucky to get the decision against Mercer and was just as much to blame as Akinwande for holding and I think Akinwande even dropped him but it didnt get called?
Ray Mercer - a common myth! Watch the fight and score each round independantly - Lewis won fact
Akinwande - LMAO
Ross generally - LMAO
I see the wink, ;) - My guess is there probably wasn't any money in it, if LL ever fought Chis Byrd it would have been bye-bye byrdie and/or gone to be with Jesus. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by rossWouldnt go anywhere near his mandatory Chris Byrd;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Mars_ax
Lucky to get the decision against Mercer and was just as much to blame as Akinwande for holding and I think Akinwande even dropped him but it didnt get called?
Yeah, ouch... ;DQuote:
Originally Posted by bzkfnAnother Big H beatdown. Send Ross to the burn unit.Quote:
Originally Posted by BIG HChris Byrd LMAOQuote:
Originally Posted by rossWouldnt go anywhere near his mandatory Chris Byrd;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Mars_ax
Lucky to get the decision against Mercer and was just as much to blame as Akinwande for holding and I think Akinwande even dropped him but it didnt get called?
Ray Mercer - a common myth! Watch the fight and score each round independantly - Lewis won fact
Akinwande - LMAO
Ross generally - LMAO
Laugh all you want, Lewis dropped the IBF to fight Kirk Johnson (;D) instead of Chris Byrd.
Lewis is someone i'd love to sit down with, have a few Red Stripes and talk about boxing, hell, i'd even buy the beer. Lennox is another one of those pugs who came from humble beginnings and mostly through their own initiative along with a big set of cojones became HW Champion of the World. Yes he could be an arrogant ass, but I think a lot of that was because he didn't get the respect he rightfully deserved.Quote:
Originally Posted by BIG HThis is called, being knowledgable and objective!! I respect thatQuote:
Originally Posted by Mars_axNothing other then what I said in the OP, Lewis got his ass handed to him in the 1st fight, but came back like a Champion in the 2nd.Quote:
Originally Posted by bzkfn
FWIW, I wasn't always a fan of LL and this isn't a "I like Lennox Lewis thread", I just believe that he didn't get the credit he deserved as a HW Champion.
Happy New Year LL, you did it your way. :)
You wanna sit down with Lennox Lewis and have a beer? What did you do for New years? Creosote a fence?Quote:
Originally Posted by Mars_axLewis is someone i'd love to sit down with, have a few Red Stripes and talk about boxing, hell, i'd even buy the beer. Lennox is another one of those pugs who came from humble beginnings and mostly through their own initiative along with a big set of cojones became HW Champion of the World. Yes he could be an arrogant ass, but I think a lot of that was because he didn't get the respect he rightfully deserved.Quote:
Originally Posted by BIG HThis is called, being knowledgable and objective!! I respect thatQuote:
Originally Posted by Mars_axNothing other then what I said in the OP, Lewis got his ass handed to him in the 1st fight, but came back like a Champion in the 2nd.Quote:
Originally Posted by bzkfn
FWIW, I wasn't always a fan of LL and this isn't a "I like Lennox Lewis thread", I just believe that he didn't get the credit he deserved as a HW Champion.
Happy New Year LL, you did it your way. :)
I wanna go on the lash with Ricardo Mayorga in a Nicaraguan brothel...
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IE2OZB0k-3g/0.jpg
lennox "cheap shot" lewis KOs michael grant. thats an uppercut lennox is about to throw after he finishes making grant blow him.
Rahman calls Lewis "gay" @ the press conference before the 2nd fight, and a brawl breaks out: (funny)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY5ABkVe3W0
They pretty much tore up the ESPN set.. lmfao
Haha! Lewis got thrown over the table. He wasnt much of a street fighter;DQuote:
Originally Posted by Mars_ax
Same here in the Tyson brawl, upside down getting the worst f it with a huge piss stain where hes got a bit scared;D
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/pic...r.html?image=6
Lewis was a quality heavyweight and a quality individual. He is still a classy guy. He made the most of his abilities and would have held his own in any era.
Like that you posted both Rahman kos, best and worst. There was a point when I couldn't stand Lewis up until he made Ruddock do his Superman pose on the canvas and went to war with Mercer. I actually think the later is a plus. Lewis did the best you could hope for in terms of 'crossing over' state side and took some getting use too. But before Country, he did all you could ask of a top Heavyweight champion. Took his licks and came back. Bowe, Foreman didn't want him...Tyson, Ruddock, Bruno, Golota, Tua, Holyfield, Mercer, Vitali got him...called out everyone and never dogged it in the ring. Gotta respect that.
His only real loss was to Rahman and that was a lucky punch, (that's what he gets for clowning) the KO loss to McCall was bullshit. In any event he avenged his only 2 losses, and officially ended his career, with 41 wins, 32 by KO and 2 losses, not too shabby.Quote:
Originally Posted by Spicoli
I thought one of his best efforts was against Vitali, he came into that fight out of shape and overweight and took a pretty good beating before sucking it up and stopping Vitali on cuts. Granted that was a bit early on in Klitschko's career, but nobody since has gotten to Vitali the way Lennox did.
I'm not a fan but I have to admit that he deserves respect for being the last undisputed heavyweight champion
He put on some good shows ... even though most thought he was boring at the time
Him against the elder Klitschko was truly the last great heavyweight bout ... just hoped that his twin robot successors would give us some entertaining fights
Lewis dropped/was stripped by the IBF because he was contemplating retirement. While he was doing this Don King in conjunction with the IBF were able to cash-in on a Holyfield-Byrd fight.Quote:
Originally Posted by rossYeah, ouch... ;DQuote:
Originally Posted by bzkfnAnother Big H beatdown. Send Ross to the burn unit.Quote:
Originally Posted by BIG HChris Byrd LMAOQuote:
Originally Posted by rossWouldnt go anywhere near his mandatory Chris Byrd;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Mars_ax
Lucky to get the decision against Mercer and was just as much to blame as Akinwande for holding and I think Akinwande even dropped him but it didnt get called?
Ray Mercer - a common myth! Watch the fight and score each round independantly - Lewis won fact
Akinwande - LMAO
Ross generally - LMAO
Laugh all you want, Lewis dropped the IBF to fight Kirk Johnson (;D) instead of Chris Byrd.
No TV company, promoter, fighter or fan ever gave a shit about Lewis-Byrd (hilarious). The WBC were threatening to strip him too because he was so inactive.
Lewis only came back for Johnson because it was a massive PPV double-header with Tyson to set up the rematch. Tyson pulled out, Johnson pulled out and Lewis ended up taking Vitali.
I thought he thoroughly trounced Holyfield in their first fight.
Lennox Lewis was a great heavyweight champion, he was royally screwed by WBC/Don King at times but he played the long game and won in the end against them. Lewis could have told them where to go and stick with one title like Holmes did but Lewis controlled his career and used those that worked so hard against him.
Lewis peaked later in his career and certainly was the better fighter with Emanuel Steward. Had he not lost he would probably never have got with him.
Steward must have realised Lewis had a crap chin because he made him more boring. Leaning and holding. The fight he had against Grant, I havent wached it since but remember from watching a the tie that Lewis was very amateurish swinging and lucky not to get caught himself.Quote:
Originally Posted by Master
The one thing I like about Lewis was his belief in his power. He fought brave even though his chin wouldnt hold up if caught. He was always a "lucky punch" away from losing his title.
Edit, just remember how cautious he was against Holyfield. Lost the first fight and some say he was unlucky. Then in the rematch he does even worse and then gets the win! He didnt deserve the win the second time round, no way! In fact, against Tyson he also fought cautious. He could have stopped Mike much earlier and even Steward was screaming athim to step it up but he lost the 1st on all 3 judges cards then Mike had shot his bolt but Lewis could not get out of his negative cautious mode. He was gunshy at the back pf his mind when he felt someones power. Tyson in his orime would have scared the living shit out of Lewis. A fighter he would struggle to hit who when he did could eat up that power and had blistering speed. Lewis would have been a negative Bonecrusher.
Meh, people can nitpick on any career. Lennox was the real deal and brought the pain. Top 5 HW of all time IMO, and I'm not a Lewis fan in the least.
I always liked LL too. I remember when I first got in to boxing in a big way and I was doing my paper round and reading all the sports pages after the first Holyfield fight. We never had sky or internet and stuff back then so had to wait to see the papers.
He doesn't get the credit he deserves now because the people judging him are still the people who may not have liked him just because they were Holyfiield/Tyson fans etc. In many years to come he will be considered a legend especially when the people see the names on his record.
One thing I'd like to say is that I would have liked to see a rematch with Vitali before retirement. People say that Lewis was unfit, overweight. Yes he was but he had been training for a fight (Johnson?) Klitschko took the fight at short notice, so he would not have been in tip top condition or as mentally prepared as he could have been. I always thought that was Lewis's plan. However funny that might sound but a lot of people had been calling for them to meet and I think Lewis intended to offer the fight to Klitschko after paying Johnson to pull out thus catching Klitschko not at his best.
Whatever. Lewis faced just about everyone he could and that KO of Rahman was pure class, the only thing that takes the shine off it is that he should have done it first time round.
Tyson vs Lewis II was never madeQuote:
Originally Posted by FensterLewis dropped/was stripped by the IBF because he was contemplating retirement. While he was doing this Don King in conjunction with the IBF were able to cash-in on a Holyfield-Byrd fight.Quote:
Originally Posted by rossYeah, ouch... ;DQuote:
Originally Posted by bzkfnAnother Big H beatdown. Send Ross to the burn unit.Quote:
Originally Posted by BIG HChris Byrd LMAOQuote:
Originally Posted by rossWouldnt go anywhere near his mandatory Chris Byrd;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Mars_ax
Lucky to get the decision against Mercer and was just as much to blame as Akinwande for holding and I think Akinwande even dropped him but it didnt get called?
Ray Mercer - a common myth! Watch the fight and score each round independantly - Lewis won fact
Akinwande - LMAO
Ross generally - LMAO
Laugh all you want, Lewis dropped the IBF to fight Kirk Johnson (;D) instead of Chris Byrd.
No TV company, promoter, fighter or fan ever gave a shit about Lewis-Byrd (hilarious). The WBC were threatening to strip him too because he was so inactive.
Lewis only came back for Johnson because it was a massive PPV double-header with Tyson to set up the rematch. Tyson pulled out, Johnson pulled out and Lewis ended up taking Vitali.
Don King was preventing it so Lewis sued him
Hell yeah Mayorga shout out !Quote:
Originally Posted by BobthepenYou wanna sit down with Lennox Lewis and have a beer? What did you do for New years? Creosote a fence?Quote:
Originally Posted by Mars_axLewis is someone i'd love to sit down with, have a few Red Stripes and talk about boxing, hell, i'd even buy the beer. Lennox is another one of those pugs who came from humble beginnings and mostly through their own initiative along with a big set of cojones became HW Champion of the World. Yes he could be an arrogant ass, but I think a lot of that was because he didn't get the respect he rightfully deserved.Quote:
Originally Posted by BIG HThis is called, being knowledgable and objective!! I respect thatQuote:
Originally Posted by Mars_axNothing other then what I said in the OP, Lewis got his ass handed to him in the 1st fight, but came back like a Champion in the 2nd.Quote:
Originally Posted by bzkfn
FWIW, I wasn't always a fan of LL and this isn't a "I like Lennox Lewis thread", I just believe that he didn't get the credit he deserved as a HW Champion.
Happy New Year LL, you did it your way. :)
I wanna go on the lash with Ricardo Mayorga in a Nicaraguan brothel...
Lennox is the greatest heavyweight of all time, as far as I believe he could beat any heavyweight in any era, despite not having the very best era himself.
George Foreman agrees with me. :cool:
Foreman said that as a "in the heat of the moment" thing after he beat the ghost of Mike Tyson. A younger George Foreman would've smashed his jaw and put him down if they ever fought, ironically.Quote:
Originally Posted by HulkHell yeah Mayorga shout out !Quote:
Originally Posted by BobthepenYou wanna sit down with Lennox Lewis and have a beer? What did you do for New years? Creosote a fence?Quote:
Originally Posted by Mars_axLewis is someone i'd love to sit down with, have a few Red Stripes and talk about boxing, hell, i'd even buy the beer. Lennox is another one of those pugs who came from humble beginnings and mostly through their own initiative along with a big set of cojones became HW Champion of the World. Yes he could be an arrogant ass, but I think a lot of that was because he didn't get the respect he rightfully deserved.Quote:
Originally Posted by BIG HThis is called, being knowledgable and objective!! I respect thatQuote:
Originally Posted by Mars_axNothing other then what I said in the OP, Lewis got his ass handed to him in the 1st fight, but came back like a Champion in the 2nd.Quote:
Originally Posted by bzkfn
FWIW, I wasn't always a fan of LL and this isn't a "I like Lennox Lewis thread", I just believe that he didn't get the credit he deserved as a HW Champion.
Happy New Year LL, you did it your way. :)
I wanna go on the lash with Ricardo Mayorga in a Nicaraguan brothel...
Lennox is the greatest heavyweight of all time, as far as I believe he could beat any heavyweight in any era, despite not having the very best era himself.
George Foreman agrees with me. :cool:
Yet a year later he literally ran into retirement from Vitali Klitschko.
I'm not too impressed with Lewis and his weak chin always puts him lower on the H2H rankings for me ... his accomplishments are good but not as good as some of the others like Ali, Foreman, Holmes, Tyson etc. Lennox Lewis is the same guy who was out jabbed by an older Ray Mercer who he arguably lost too ... he even had trouble with lesser guys like Bruno.
He is a top 10 heavyweight without question though
Tyson signed to fight Maskaev on the Lewis-Johnson undercard to set-up Lewis-Tyson II. But Tyson pulled out.Quote:
Originally Posted by TysonBombTyson vs Lewis II was never madeQuote:
Originally Posted by FensterLewis dropped/was stripped by the IBF because he was contemplating retirement. While he was doing this Don King in conjunction with the IBF were able to cash-in on a Holyfield-Byrd fight.Quote:
Originally Posted by rossYeah, ouch... ;DQuote:
Originally Posted by bzkfnAnother Big H beatdown. Send Ross to the burn unit.Quote:
Originally Posted by BIG HChris Byrd LMAOQuote:
Originally Posted by rossWouldnt go anywhere near his mandatory Chris Byrd;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Mars_ax
Lucky to get the decision against Mercer and was just as much to blame as Akinwande for holding and I think Akinwande even dropped him but it didnt get called?
Ray Mercer - a common myth! Watch the fight and score each round independantly - Lewis won fact
Akinwande - LMAO
Ross generally - LMAO
Laugh all you want, Lewis dropped the IBF to fight Kirk Johnson (;D) instead of Chris Byrd.
No TV company, promoter, fighter or fan ever gave a shit about Lewis-Byrd (hilarious). The WBC were threatening to strip him too because he was so inactive.
Lewis only came back for Johnson because it was a massive PPV double-header with Tyson to set up the rematch. Tyson pulled out, Johnson pulled out and Lewis ended up taking Vitali.
Don King was preventing it so Lewis sued him
King was blamed for bribing Tyson and stuff. Lewis sued them both, for fucking up his original bill (which he fought Vitali on) and costing him millions by blowing the rematch.
The way it had been told to me, the ESPN brawl was Rahman's fault. But watching the clip, I think it was really Lewis who started it by mentioning Rahman's sister. Regardless, the whole scrap looked pretty pathetic and.... dare I say it.... GAY!
Still, I enjoyed watching a focused Lewis get his revenge over Rahman in their second fight.
Vitali was fighting Cedric Boswell on the undercard that night. He was fully prepared to fight.Quote:
Originally Posted by armyash
If either had an advantage it was Vitali. As underdog, challenger and with a reputation as a "quitter" he had NOTHING to lose. Whereas Lewis hadn't fought in a year, had been contemplating retirement and basically fought to save the bill.
What puts Lewis ahead of guys like Mike Tyson for me is that he came back in fights and rematches after taking a beating. Vitali was fucking Lewis up in the first two rounds and Lennox had the strength of character to dig deep and keep landing bombs.
I think that's what annoys a lot of anti Lewis types they would like to say that Lewis had no guts but that fight proved that he actually did. I also give full respect to Rachman for the first fight you can't take it way from him, he's a sad figure now though :-(
I've never bought into the myth of Lewis weak chin. Of the ones you list all have the distinction of being on the canvas more than Lennox as do a Holyfield or even Mercer who are poster boys for iron chin. Its been known to happen at heavyweight.Quote:
Originally Posted by TysonBombForeman said that as a "in the heat of the moment" thing after he beat the ghost of Mike Tyson. A younger George Foreman would've smashed his jaw and put him down if they ever fought, ironically.Quote:
Originally Posted by HulkHell yeah Mayorga shout out !Quote:
Originally Posted by BobthepenYou wanna sit down with Lennox Lewis and have a beer? What did you do for New years? Creosote a fence?Quote:
Originally Posted by Mars_axLewis is someone i'd love to sit down with, have a few Red Stripes and talk about boxing, hell, i'd even buy the beer. Lennox is another one of those pugs who came from humble beginnings and mostly through their own initiative along with a big set of cojones became HW Champion of the World. Yes he could be an arrogant ass, but I think a lot of that was because he didn't get the respect he rightfully deserved.Quote:
Originally Posted by BIG HThis is called, being knowledgable and objective!! I respect thatQuote:
Originally Posted by Mars_axNothing other then what I said in the OP, Lewis got his ass handed to him in the 1st fight, but came back like a Champion in the 2nd.Quote:
Originally Posted by bzkfn
FWIW, I wasn't always a fan of LL and this isn't a "I like Lennox Lewis thread", I just believe that he didn't get the credit he deserved as a HW Champion.
Happy New Year LL, you did it your way. :)
I wanna go on the lash with Ricardo Mayorga in a Nicaraguan brothel...
Lennox is the greatest heavyweight of all time, as far as I believe he could beat any heavyweight in any era, despite not having the very best era himself.
George Foreman agrees with me. :cool:
Yet a year later he literally ran into retirement from Vitali Klitschko.
I'm not too impressed with Lewis and his weak chin always puts him lower on the H2H rankings for me ... his accomplishments are good but not as good as some of the others like Ali, Foreman, Holmes, Tyson etc. Lennox Lewis is the same guy who was out jabbed by an older Ray Mercer who he arguably lost too ... he even had trouble with lesser guys like Bruno.
He is a top 10 heavyweight without question though
Mercer was 28 and being called old before he even heard his first professional bell ring and was in top form for a run there. Gave Holyfield life and death. His jab was always underrated and that scrap was nip and tuck but no robbery or such.
Rahman landed a lucky shot on Lewis in their 1st fight, mainly because Lewis was clowning and got caught on the ropes. It was a hard, flush shot on the chin that would have knocked any HW out. Lewis's chin wasn't really that bad, and you certainly couldn't question the dude's heart if you watched the fight with Vitali. Plus, who the fuck has come even close to giving Vitali a beating like that since? Lewis was a great Champion, who deserves more credit than he gets.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mctaggert
BTW, I was never much of a Lewis fan, when he got KTFO by Rahman, I couldn't have been more pleased, i'm just giving credit where credit is due.
cheers
I think Lennox has one of the most underrated chins in boxing history. People cite him being KTFO twice as proof he had a glass jaw... first off, Mccall (who hit like a freight train) caught him with a perfect shot that would have finished just about anyone. Same with Rahman, who caught Lennox flush with his back to the ropes. These are two guys with serious power. And like a great champ, he came back with two brutal, one-sided rematch wins.
I can't find anything on Lewis suing Tyson for thatQuote:
Originally Posted by FensterTyson signed to fight Maskaev on the Lewis-Johnson undercard to set-up Lewis-Tyson II. But Tyson pulled out.Quote:
Originally Posted by TysonBombTyson vs Lewis II was never madeQuote:
Originally Posted by FensterLewis dropped/was stripped by the IBF because he was contemplating retirement. While he was doing this Don King in conjunction with the IBF were able to cash-in on a Holyfield-Byrd fight.Quote:
Originally Posted by rossYeah, ouch... ;DQuote:
Originally Posted by bzkfnAnother Big H beatdown. Send Ross to the burn unit.Quote:
Originally Posted by BIG HChris Byrd LMAOQuote:
Originally Posted by rossWouldnt go anywhere near his mandatory Chris Byrd;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Mars_ax
Lucky to get the decision against Mercer and was just as much to blame as Akinwande for holding and I think Akinwande even dropped him but it didnt get called?
Ray Mercer - a common myth! Watch the fight and score each round independantly - Lewis won fact
Akinwande - LMAO
Ross generally - LMAO
Laugh all you want, Lewis dropped the IBF to fight Kirk Johnson (;D) instead of Chris Byrd.
No TV company, promoter, fighter or fan ever gave a shit about Lewis-Byrd (hilarious). The WBC were threatening to strip him too because he was so inactive.
Lewis only came back for Johnson because it was a massive PPV double-header with Tyson to set up the rematch. Tyson pulled out, Johnson pulled out and Lewis ended up taking Vitali.
Don King was preventing it so Lewis sued him
King was blamed for bribing Tyson and stuff. Lewis sued them both, for fucking up his original bill (which he fought Vitali on) and costing him millions by blowing the rematch.
As far as I know, Don King prevented the entire thing from ever transpiring... Tyson wanted a rematch and was the one to propose it and challenge Lewis (needed the big payday to get him out of debt) and Lewis certainly would like to fight Mike again (huge payday involved for him as well and probably to further "enhance" his legacy).
And lets not get carried away over Lewis' chin ... it was OK but certainly wasn't anything better than "OK." Fact is that he did get one shotted TWICE ... once in an exchange and the other when he was taunting his opponent. Yes he did "avenge" both losses in rematches but McCall was in no shape to fight when they fought for the second time ... he was literally taken out of rehab and was acting bizarre weeks leading up to the fight. He did beat Rahman but I can't give him too much credit for "beating" Oliver McCall. And those who like to bring this point up of him "avenging" his losses, well why didn't he give that opportunity to Vitali Klitschko? Lewis was knocked unconscious by both McCall and Rahman (no lucky punches in boxing IMO, so I'm not buying that Rahman got in with a "lucky punch") but a more controversial fight where Lewis was losing on the scorecards of all the judges and managed to escape with a TKO victory on cuts doesn't warrant a rematch??? Just a year earlier he was pounding his chest acting high and mighty after beating the ghost of Mike Tyson yet now he's running away from a rematch from a guy who fought him on short notice?
He even verbally said that he would fight him again "if the money was right" and this fight would have been just as lucrative if not more lucrative as a rematch with Tyson. From the looks of it, Vitali ran Lewis into retirement. He declined him the same opportunities which were given to him against Rahman and McCall.
Bottom line is that ... Lennox Lewis ducked a rematch fight with Vitali Klitschko. I don't recall Mike Tyson or any of the highly regarded heavyweight champions of the past ducking anyone into retirement.
I really don't know anyone who wouldn't give Lennox Lewis credit. The man was one of the best heavyweights ever. I just want to point out though that at the time of his reign he was considered boring and never taking too much risks, staying o the outside landing jabs to soften his opponents until they're read to go, if that sounds familiar to anyone, well....Quote:
Originally Posted by Mars_axRahman landed a lucky shot on Lewis in their 1st fight, mainly because Lewis was clowning and got caught on the ropes. It was a hard, flush shot on the chin that would have knocked any HW out. Lewis's chin wasn't really that bad, and you certainly couldn't question the dude's heart if you watched the fight with Vitali. Plus, who the fuck has come even close to giving Vitali a beating like that since? Lewis was a great Champion, who deserves more credit than he gets.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mctaggert
BTW, I was never much of a Lewis fan, when he got KTFO by Rahman, I couldn't have been more pleased, i'm just giving credit where credit is due.
cheers
Sad thing is we only appreciate greatness after its gone.
I will say this for Lewis,like all the greats before him,he beat everyone in his era.
You cant do more than that chaps. Great fighter.
Where dyou get that shit?Quote:
Originally Posted by Mars_axRahman landed a lucky shot on Lewis in their 1st fight, mainly because Lewis was clowning and got caught on the ropes. It was a hard, flush shot on the chin that would have knocked any HW out. Lewis's chin wasn't really that bad, and you certainly couldn't question the dude's heart if you watched the fight with Vitali. Plus, who the fuck has come even close to giving Vitali a beating like that since? Lewis was a great Champion, who deserves more credit than he gets.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mctaggert
BTW, I was never much of a Lewis fan, when he got KTFO by Rahman, I couldn't have been more pleased, i'm just giving credit where credit is due.
cheers
Lewis was knackered! He had a pathetic guard up and Rahman smashed through it easily!
As for Lewis beating him in the rematch, big fucking deal! He was supposed to do it easy the first time round! He would always be ranked lower than some think he should because such lower tier fighters were able to conclusively knock him sparko with such ease.
Lewis never had an extended period where he was the undeniable best heavy around. There was always someone else. You had McCall who smashed him out of his first incarnation and since then, no one would ever take him seriously on an all time list. He was lucky to get a decision against Mercer who an old Holmes beat;D He wanted no part of Byrd, he should have lost the Holyfield rematch and then he ends his career falling on to his stool against Vitali and doesn't want to punctuate the win with a better performance
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=inehc0s0rDs
Yeah, that was no "lucky punch" that Rahman KOed Lewis with. He went right through Lewis' guard and put him down. Rahman had power, no doubt, but it wasn't anything extraordinary like people are making him out it to be ... McCall was never reputed with possessing one punch KO power either
Both had above average power but were able to one shot Lewis, who had an OK chin at best.
In addition to avoiding Chris Byrd, he refused to fight John Ruiz as well. Bruno was beating him before he had his usual break down and even Shannon Briggs hurt him and made him stumble backwards. Lewis was simply the man who came out on top in the 90s but he was never considered as the best heavyweight around without question.