Lennox Lewis Amongst The Great Heavyweights Part I: The Career by Ronnie McCluskey Feb 17th 2005

The question of where Lennox Lewis stands amongst the all-time great heavyweights is a frequent one amongst British boxing aficionados and analysts alike. My contention is that Lewis deserves to be amongst the all-time top fifteen heavyweights, although I find it hard at times to include him in the top ten. To fully understand and appreciate the accomplishments of Lewis, we must look closely at his career and his quality of opposition during that time. The best place to start is at the beginning - the amateurs. Lewis began his amateur career in Canada, a country he had accepted as home after moving from London as a youngster. In his early career, his talent was identified immediately and he went on to box for his country in the 1984 Olympics. Unfortunately, the muscular Lewis dropped a decision to sturdy Tyrell Biggs in the preliminary rounds. Undeterred though, the quiet-spoken Lewis worked hard in the gym and returned to Olympic competition four years later. This time he triumphed spectacularly, capturing gold in the super-heavyweight division. Not only that, he beat the favourite Riddick Bowe, a man Lennox was to have issues with later in his professional career. More of that later though. With his stoppage win over Bowe, Lewis arrived home a minor celebrity, receiving press as the golden boy of the Olympic games. Not surprisingly, the pressure to turn pro triumphed, and as such the Englishman enjoyed his first bout in 1989 - against an obviously out-gunned journeyman by the name of Al Malcolm. Choosing to return home was magnified by the media. Some still viewed Lewis as a foreigner - he was Canadian, according to some, although his birthplace was England. Many felt that it was suspicious he represented Canada at the Olympics, yet was now claiming British. Nevertheless, it was Lewis' choice to return here and begin his illustrious career. At this time, the late eighties, Lewis was hot property. A gold medallist, with a squeaky-clean record, a nice boy in essence, with a mean streak in the ring. Upon turning pro, he decided to bring Frank Maloney into his stable. Maloney, the south London manager, head coach at the infamous Fight Factory, provided a loud contrast to Lewis' reserved exterior. The pair proved a winning combination, and Lewis progressed well, notching up 13 straight victories, before taking on ageing Frenchman Jean Maurice Chanet, in London, for the European title. It was a one-sided affair, with the hulking Lewis bossing the smaller man around, before a cut halted the champion in six. Despite taking a usually lauded championship in just fourteen bouts, the British public were not warming to Lewis. Remember, this was at a time when warriors such as Nigel Benn and Michael Watson were in the fight limelight. Lewis just didn't match up in a way, and wasn't the kind of cheeky chappie character the media warmed to. That aside, Lennox continued on his goal to be the next great British heavyweight. During the period 1991-1993, Lewis cleaned up the domestic scene, knocking over the likes of tough Gary Mason (at the time on a 35-fight win streak), avenging his Olympic loss against Tyrell Biggs, and capturing the British and Commonwealth belts against Derek Williams. During this period, Lewis began his flirtation with American audiences. His first bout to be televised in the US was a routing of their man Mike Weaver. Strangely, American audiences actually took to Lennox a little more than ours, though even they reserved judgement for the most part. Lennox, love him or hate him, was turning heads. His trail of destruction through the European contenders and domestic challengers, was noteworthy and it wasn't long before the major sanctioning bodies began including him in their top ten rankings to the point where, in 1992, Lewis entered into a tournament to determined the undisputed heavyweight champion. Predictably, Don King promoted the four-man event, and paired Lewis with hard-hitting Canadian Donovan 'Razor' Ruddock. The match was set for Halloween at Earls Court, London. The winner was to face either Evander Holyfield or Riddick Bowe, who went on to slug it out in America. The stage was set. Could Lewis triumph where Frank Bruno had failed? The fight was dubbed "The Fight For the Right" - a reference to the arrangement made that the winner would meet the winner of Holyfield-Bowe. Fans came out in their thousands to witness a showdown, and they got their money's worth, that's for sure! Lewis calmly and coolly dispatched a usually durable Ruddock in the second round and for once, the fans went beserk. Lewis was now hailed as the heir apparent to the heavyweight throne, a devastating puncher who had KO'd a man Mike Tyson went twelve rounds with. Pundits and fans alike waited for Riddick Bowe, who had hammered Holyfield in Vegas, to meet Lewis. Even the Londoner was sceptical. "I look into Riddick Bowe's eyes and I see fear," he remarked confidently whilst at the fight. To be honest, few bought it. Bowe was an unbeaten monster of a heavyweight, to assume he feared any man was unlikely. This alluded to Lewis' ability, and stature in the heavyweight division, of course. In any event, Bowe choose not to honour his agreement with the WBC. 'Who needs it?' he seemed to ask, as he deposited the belt in a dustbin, live on American TV. Lewis became champ, but was dubbed by Bowe "the garbage picker". Fans again frowned. It certainly wasn't Lewis' fault, but somehow it reflected badly on him. His first defence was scheduled for Las Vegas, and a merry Don King forked out over $12 million to stage it. The challenger was to be former Mike Tyson opponent, and mandatory challenger, Tony Tucker. Tucker had an impressive forty-nine wins under his belt, and had knocked out James "Buster" Douglas - Mike Tyson's conqueror in 1990. A massive promotion ensued, with the British vs. American card being played in the media. In many ways, the promotion was more exciting than the bout itself. A seemingly bored Lewis picked Tucker apart for twelve rounds, dropping him twice along the way. Lewis had not yet ironed out his technical faults, and his much-maligned trainers seemed to be failing him. It was only inevitable that he'd suffer eventually. Next-up for Lewis was fan favourite Frank Bruno. Perhaps Lennox felt that by beating Frank, he could take his place as the popular "big guy" on the British boxing scene. Either way, the bout was well hyped, and for good reason. Bruno was a tricky opponent, a tremendous physical presence. He'd been in with world-class opponents, and was to provide Lewis with a stern test. He also fought with fire and determination - something Lennox seemed to lack. The fight took place in Cardiff, October ‘93. Before the bout both fighters, and indeed their camps, took turns slinging insults at the other team. Bruno famously scoffed "He's not British. Nobody cares about Lennox Lewis in Britain,” and although no one said anything, some felt that maybe Frank was right. A usually reserved Lewis hit back, saying "He's a loser and he's jealous of me because I'm a winner." Opinion was divided on the fight, with the bookies making Lewis an odds-on favourite, whereas plenty of fans were chanting Bruno. Lewis alluded to this, calling Bruno an "Uncle Tom" - perhaps the most derogatory term for a man of Frank's pride. The fight itself didn't quite catch fire, but was entertaining none the less. For the first four or five rounds, Frank surged forward, jabbing an upright and stiff Lewis. The London man didn't seem to be too bothered, apparently preserving his energy, knowing Bruno's fitness would fail him like it had against Bonecrusher Smith. He was right. But for those opening rounds, the crowd roared for Big Frank. In the third, he rocked Lewis with a sturdy right hand, and again in the seventh, a barrage had Lennox worried. In the end, it was not to be. The boxing gods determined Lewis was destined for great things, and Frank wasn't. At least, not on the same scale. In the seventh, soon after Bruno's salvo, Lewis threw a haymaker left-hook which landed square. Bruno tightened, and Lewis came in for the kill. Fight over. Despite winning, Lewis was AGAIN criticized in the media. Bruno had given him fits, Lewis landed a lucky shot - the lot. In the end, Lennox Lewis was still undefeated, and still world heavyweight champion. After a routine defence against a supposed KO artist Phil Jackson, Lewis lined-up mandatory WBC challenger Oliver McCall - who was being hyped up and marketed as the next explosive heavyweight, by, you guessed it, Don King. McCall didn't only have a big name promoter - his trainer was of the finest stock. Legendary Manny Steward, head honcho of the Kronk Gym, in Detroit. The same gym that spawned Tommy 'Hitman' Hearns, five-weight world champion. Lewis was a heavy favourite, but no one doubted McCall's power. Except for Lewis that is. After a boring three-rounds, McCall upped the tempo in the second, trying to engage Lewis in a street fight. It was to be the Londoner's downfall. As he threw a right hand, McCall came under it, and landed a short hook, which sent shockwaves through the heavyweight boxing world. Lennox Lewis, the unbeaten WBC champ, had been knocked out. Although he rose to his feet, he was unsteady and his eyes were quite clearly glazed. McCall left that night world champion. This loss seemed to be the wake up call, the kick up the arse, Lewis needed. He dismissed trainer Pepe Correa, and asked McCall's seconds Manny Steward to train him. Recognising a potential heavyweight great, Manny obliged, and together the pair set their sights on recapturing the heavyweight title. First though, Manny set about refining Lewis' slightly crude skills. He wanted his man to be a more agile, more loose fighter, yet to retain that KO power in his right hand. Two tune-ups were organised, against Justin Fortune and Lionel Butler. Lewis looked better than he ever had, and American audiences supported his comeback. Especially after he destroyed both men, with his new precise style. Tommy Morrison was to provide a more formidable test in 1995, but Lewis was now in a rhythm. He had found his mentor in Steward and with each performance, he seemed to be gradually shaking off the bad habits, and incorporating Steward's knowledge into his style. Morrison was well and truly hammered that night in Atlantic City, inside six rounds no less. Next up was perhaps the biggest step - the first bomber since McCall. Ray Mercer was a short, squat puncher, a guy who just went the distance with Evander Holyfield, and looked to out-muscle Lewis. For some of the contest, he did. Over ten rounds, Lewis and Mercer went toe-to-toe, the pair loading up at every opportunity. Lennox threw caution to the wind in an attempt to satisfy American audiences, and indeed the Madison Square Garden crowd loved it. Unfortunately, some booed the decision by the judges to award Lewis the fight. I myself had it 6-4 Lewis, and felt the crowd had been harsh. Around this time, Mike Tyson was released from the State penitentiary, and set the boxing world alight with speculation and excitement. Die-hard American sports journalists felt that Mike was the heavyweight saviour - a guy who would rid the division of overrated bums like Lewis, and oldies like George Foreman. He quickly added fuel to the fire with two quick KO wins, before smashing newly-crowned WBC champ Frank Bruno to pieces, in three rounds. We waited for Lewis to be offered up to Mike, and as expected, he was. However, Iron Mike wasn't too keen. Perhaps he wasn't yet ready for a guy of Lewis' size and strength. Either that or he simply wanted the bigger bucks a fight with Evander Holyfield would provide. Lewis was paid an unprecedented $4 million to step aside, and let Mike face off against WBA counterpart Bruce Seldon. Lewis took the money - what else could he do? He hoped the Tyson fight would come off at some point, anyway. Of course, after Tyson annihilated Seldon, he refused to meet Lewis, and instead pushed for a fight with Holyfield. The WBC duly stripped him, and Lewis again picked up a belt by default, after smashing nemesis Oliver McCall, for the vacant strap in ‘97. His comeback was complete. During the time Holyfield defied all odds by dethroning Mike Tyson (twice no less), Lewis set about establishing himself as the very best the heavyweight division had to offer. Unbeaten Henry Akinwande was beaten first, then Polish puncher Andrew Golota, fresh from battering Riddick Bowe around. Lewis humbled Golota, pummelling him inside one round! To this day it remains one of the most startling indications of real heavyweight power. Golota had never been down in a professional contest. With this win Lewis moved on and decided to face fast-talking Yank Shannon Briggs. This win was particularly impressive, as Lewis ate some bombs before smiling wryly and bludgeoning Briggs to the canvas. Gradually, Lennox was being accepted as the best, although there was still the small matter of Evander Holyfield to consider. Lewis fitted in a boxing lesson for Zeljko Mavrovic before facing the inevitable. In March 1999, Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield met in the Mecca of boxing - Madison Square Garden - for the undisputed heavyweight championship. Holyfield was 36-3, a veteran of countless wars, and a guy who people had learned never to count out. Ian Darke, Sky's boxing commentator, commented that 'Vander's record read like a "Who's who" of the best heavyweights of the last generation. Bowe twice, Tyson, Moorer, Mercer, Holmes, Foreman, Douglas, Cooper. Equally, Lewis had been in with the best on offer to him. Remember, Riddick Bowe ducked him like the plague, and Tyson had paid Lewis not to fight. The unification with Holyfield was supposed to be Lennox' swan song - a celebration of his skills, and his last big reward. On the night he delivered, out-jabbing a befuddled Holyfield for a merciless twelve rounds. Admittedly the smaller man got inside, and roughed Lewis up at times, but not consistently enough to hang onto his WBA/IBF titles. Lewis had won at least seven rounds with superior boxing and a pinpoint left jab. It was determined a draw though, by the three judges - Eugenia Williams, Stan Christodolou, and Larry O'Connell. As we all affectionately remember though, an immediate rematch was set up, and Lewis became the first British undisputed heavyweight champion in over one hundred years. The return bout was closer in my eyes, but similar to the first fight, Lewis' skill and size prevailed over Holyfield's determination and heart. Lewis had given him a boxing lesson over the 24 rounds they boxed. He was now at his rightful place on top of the boxing world. Challengers were few and far between, but Lewis took the most worthy ones on, after turning champ. Unbeaten, highly touted HBO poster boy Michael Grant was blasted in the second round, and the usually durable Frans Botha was taken out around the same time. David Tua was to test Lewis' questioned chin next, but it passed the test - or did it? Tua didn't so much as land one noteworthy bomb during the twelve rounds, and was comprehensively outfoxed for thirty-six minutes. Who can forget Baltimore heavyweight Hasim Rahman chin-checking Lewis, in South Africa, 2001? The massive underdog landed big on an unfocused and ill-prepared Lewis, to become quite possibly the least-capable undisputed champion in history. Lennox blamed cockiness, whilst many plaudits claimed he hadn't adjusted to the high-altitude. Whatever the reason, the fact of the matter is Rahman landed a bomb of a right hand smack on the chin. It would've stopped most of the great heavyweights in their tracks, especially pint-sized Rocky Marciano, or smallish Joe Louis. Rahman wasn't a big name though, and Lewis had to enter into an immediate rematch to at least save face, and right the disastrous first fight. He did exactly that, knocking Rahman out in four rounds to become only the third man in history to have captured the heavyweight title three times (with Ali and Evander Holyfield). At this time, Lewis could rightfully say that he fought and beat everyone in his era - except of course for Mike Tyson, who by this time, had lost a lot of the desire and menace that had fuelled his rise to the top over a decade earlier. Tyson was still Pay-Per-View though, Showtime's cash cow, and a massive heavyweight attraction. It is my belief that the name Mike Tyson is probably the most recognisable of all boxers, past or present. Lewis was to dismiss Mike in eight rounds, two and a half years ago, in what turned out to be a horrible mismatch. And so, he should have retired, as the most dominant heavyweight of the modern era. Undisputed champion, a man who had avenged all losses and mopped up the heavyweight division. But there was one last challenge. There always is, such is the drug of this sport. Vitali Klitschko, the WBC's mandatory contender was to be Lewis' last ever fight. The massive Ukrainian, a more modern version of Primo Carnera, gave Lewis perhaps the most bloody war of his life, in June ‘03. Nevertheless, Lewis, a lionhearted warrior in the ring prevailed, busting Klitschko's eye open to the point where, in the sixth, the referee, Lou Moret, called a halt to the bout. Lewis was booed by fans, but what more did they want? He had won. He had left Klitschko looking like a sideshow freak, bloody and bruised. OK, it wasn't pretty, and Klitschko shook Lennox up, but is there any doubting that Lewis would have destroyed Klitschko in his prime? Of course not. That's the career. The legacy. 41 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw. 32 spectacular knockouts, in a career spanning 14 glorious years. Does he deserve to be rated amongst the other greats though - Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, Larry Holmes? Watch this space for Part 2, to find out!

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