The spectre of the 6’5” 235lb Lennox Lewis dominated the Heavyweight division from 1993 to 2003. Lennox was the challenger no champ fancied and the Champ everyone feared. The first sign that Lewis’ path to the top would not be straightforward was when Riddick Bowe the man he beat in the Super Heavyweight final at the Seoul Olympics theatrically dropped the WBC belt in a trash can rather than fight Lewis the WBC’s No 1 Contender. This pattern continued throughout the Nineties, the only title Lewis got to fight for was the WBC crown he picked up when Bowe relinquished it and again when Mike Tyson relinquished it rather than fight Lewis. George Foreman despite his isolation from the Don King controlled heavyweight scene never offered Lewis a title shot. Foreman’s conqueror Shannon Briggs to his credit took on Lewis in his first defence of the World Title he won from Foreman. Predictably Lewis lived up to his reputation as a dangerman by blowing Briggs away in five one sided rounds.
Evander Holyfield made no real attempt to fight Lewis until March 1999 when they met for the undisputed title with Holyfield’s WBA/IBF belts on the line against Lewis’ WBC and World Heavyweight title. Holyfield fought well but Lewis looked to have had the edge in a close fought contest. The judges thought otherwise and Evander escaped with a contentious draw. In a rematch in November 1999 Lewis got the decision and finally became undisputed world heavyweight champion.
Why did it take Lennox a big name Olympic Super Heavyweight Champion so long to reach the top? The first problem was that he was not an American. Born in London and brought up in Ontario, Canada Lewis was never a part of the US fight scene. As an Amateur he fought under the Canadian Flag. He sparred with many of his US contemporaries on the way up including Mike Tyson. At the 1988 Olympics Riddick Bowe was the favourite for the Super Heavyweight Title. Bowe and Lewis were the same height and weight but Bowe was a smoother talker and a slightly more polished boxer. In the final Lewis overwhelmed Bowe with his strength and power. At this point Lewis would have been the casual observer’s tip to be World Champ.
Bowe reached the top first because he chose a New York based career where he was close to the mainstream boxing media and the best sparring and trainers. Lewis on the other hand decided to turn pro as a British fighter based in London. This made him a star in Britain but did nothing for his boxing skills. The British press had an ambivalent attitude towards him because they regarded him as a transplanted Canadian who had come to London for an easy ride.
His London Management team failed to work on his weaknesses as a boxer. As an amateur he was powerful and strong but his balance was poor and his punching technique was unorthodox. He had a decent jab but his right hand was wild, he delivered his main power shot like a cricket fast bowler in a huge arc which gave his opponents plenty of time to get out of the way. Bowe’s people meanwhile developed their man into a relatively smooth boxer and it was this extra quality that took Bowe to the title in 1992. Despite his lack of polish Lewis beat everyone he faced and beat Tony Tucker on points to win the vacant WBC title in May 1993. He defended this title twice with stoppages of Frank Bruno and Phil Jackson. Against Bruno particularly he did not convince. The British media felt that Bruno, a homegrown hero, had come close to an upset win.
Lewis’ crudeness was not fully exposed until September 1994 against Oliver McCall. McCall a one time Mike Tyson sparring partner who was now being trained by Emmanuel Steward from the Kronk Gym in Detroit. Steward had noted that Lewis was vulnerable when he threw his big right and trained McCall to counter with a quick left. In the second round with Lewis bearing down on McCall looking for a KO, Steward’s strategy came to fruition. McCall caught Lennox on the chin with a left hook as he was in the process of delivering a big right. Lennox went down like he was shot; beat the count but the ref decided he was not fit to continue. McCall was the WBC champ and Lewis had a lot of thinking to do.
Fortunately defeat did not destroy him, an intelligent man who enjoyed playing chess when he wasn’t boxing, Lewis assessed his career and realised he needed help to make it to the top. He identified Emmanuel Steward as the man best placed to help him. Lewis knew Steward from his amateur days and recognised Steward’s role in preparing McCall. Steward for his part had always been a Lewis fan and with Tommy Hearns nearing the end of his career needed a big name to act as a figurehead for the Kronk Gym. Steward transformed Lewis the boxer, the crudeness disappeared, his punches got shorter but retained their power. His defence improved. However he still didn’t get the big fights. He fought three times in 1995 beating Levi Billups, Justin Fortune and Tommy Morrison. In 1996 he fought only once a fierce brawl with Ray Mercer, which he won narrowly on points. Rather than fight Lewis, Mike Tyson’s people paid Lennox $4 million to step aside in late 1996. This gave Lennox another opening as WBC Champ. In February 1997 he met Oliver McCall for the vacant WBC title. McCall had followed his defeat of Lewis with a points win over legendary former World Champ Larry Holmes and a close points defeat to British favourite Frank Bruno. So both McCall and Lewis were looking to get back into the big time. The difference this time was that Lewis was better prepared and a more skilful boxer than he had been in 1994. The result was a one sided contest that was stopped in the fifth with McCall in tears.
Lewis consolidated his position as one of the top heavyweights over the next two years beating Henry Akinwande in five rounds, Andrew Golota in one round, Shannon Briggs in five and outpointing Zeljko Mavrovic the European Champ. The two fight series with Holyfield was the culmination of his rise to the top. After disposing of Holyfield he made two further easy defences blowing away 6’9” Michael Grant and the South African Francois Botha. He then outpointed the rugged Tysonesque David Tua with a twelve round display of boxing that just didn’t suit Lewis. While he was a competent boxer he looked ungainly dancing around the stubby Tua. In April 2001 in his next defence against the unheralded Hasim Rahman, this attempt at developing a casual boxing style was punished when in the fifth round Lennox retreated with his hands down smiling at Rahman. An amazed Rahman stepped in and landed a big right that left a shocked Lewis on the floor counting his brain cells. Yet again Lewis responded positively to his defeat by signing for a rematch with Rahman seven months later. The result was never in doubt as the real Lennox Lewis squared off against Rahman in November 2001 and crushed Hasim in four rounds. Lewis fought twice more an eight round destruction of Mike Tyson and a surprisingly difficult six round cuts stoppage of the giant Ukrainian Vitali Klitschko in June 2003. The Klitschko fight convinced Lewis that it was time to retire.
Lewis is a member of one of the most unique clubs in boxing, he has retired undefeated as World Heavyweight Champ something only Gene Tunney and Rocky Marciano managed to do. Others have tried but found the lure of the ring too enticing. The precedents are not good: Jeffries lasted five years before taking on Jack Johnson, Joe Louis lasted a year or so before he got in the ring with Ezzard Charles, Ali came back to face Larry Holmes. The only thing Lewis has in his favour is that like Tunney he is an intelligent man who always had more interests than simply boxing.
As a man Lennox was quiet and gentlemanly, not for him the brash boastful behaviour of his American rivals in their public and personal lives. As a result he has avoided most of the disasters that have befallen the likes of Tyson, Bowe, Holyfield and McCall outside the ring. In Britain he remains an enigma respected but not loved, Frank Bruno and Henry Cooper remain the British media’s favourite heavyweights. Plucky losers who were always available to provide good copy post fight. Lewis like Bob Fitzsimmons before him has never been forgiven for not growing up in Britain and learning how to lose heroically.
Where does Lewis rate in the all time heavyweight pantheon, well on his good days he would certainly be in the top ten. He was big enough and good enough to beat any heavyweight who ever lived but he has always been vulnerable. His chin is suspect and a committed and durable opponent like Evander Holyfield could pressure him. The big names like Ali, Holmes, Johnson and Louis would probably have too much for him. How he would have coped with a peak Dempsey is anyone’s guess.
