View Full Version : Lennox Lewis's career defining fight?
Napuis
08-12-2007, 02:37 AM
Which was his best career defining win? I can't help but feel people will remember him for KTFO a poor Tyson, the rematch with Rahkman or smashing Vitali Klitschko's face inside out.
brooklyn1550
08-12-2007, 02:38 AM
I can't help but feel people will remember him for KTFO a poor Tyson
Same here
TBooze
08-12-2007, 03:57 AM
His revenge victories over McCall and Rahman.
He made his reputation against Mason and Ruddock.
His victory over Tyson was his finest moment, but IMO his best performance was against Tua, where he was pretty much punch perfect.
Looking at the stats does not do Lewis justice, nor does hindsight.
Golota was considered a huge threat comming off the Bowe fights.
Grant was considered by many the real deal and was favoured by some to finish off Lewis.
Ditto Ruddock and Tua.
Which was his best career defining win? I can't help but feel people will remember him for KTFO a poor Tyson, the rematch with Rahkman or smashing Vitali Klitschko's face inside out.
The match in which Vitali KOes Lennox in 8 rounds due to exhaustion.
CASH_718
08-12-2007, 07:26 AM
Lewis; career defining fight is when he got KO'd................. By Judah in the first round.
McGrain
08-12-2007, 07:28 AM
His revenge victories over McCall and Rahman.
I agree with this.
I also think that Rahman II was Lewis' best performance overall.
Napuis
08-12-2007, 07:57 AM
Lewis; career defining fight is when he got KO'd................. By Judah in the first round.
WTF?
CASH_718
08-12-2007, 07:59 AM
WTF?No need to curse Paul.
DamonD
08-12-2007, 08:23 AM
I did a poll along similar lines to this in General about a couple years ago, and it was interesting to see most people picking the Golota fight. I guess that was his big 'reintroduction' to the general US public.
I can't be specific myself. All I can say is that I consider his 5 best in-ring performances in terms of what he was able to do and what he was able to prevent his opponent from doing to be Ruddock, Morrison, Golota, Holyfield I and Rahman II.
achillesthegreat
08-12-2007, 08:35 AM
It is obviously Holyfield I.
TBooze
08-12-2007, 08:38 AM
It is obviously Holyfield I.
I would not say it was obvious, it could be argued it was Ruddock, because that fight showed for the first time Lewis was World class... or perhaps that was the Mason fight?
Stewbear
08-12-2007, 08:43 AM
Lewis' peak was Golota.
Best win Holyfield I.
Breakthrough fight Ruddock.
TBooze
08-12-2007, 08:59 AM
Best win Holyfield I.
Having a little dig;)
red cobra
08-12-2007, 09:11 AM
Lennox's career defining fight was in my opinion his revenge ko of Rahman. It was the way you're supposed to avenge a ko defeat. You could also argue that his ko of Tyson was his best. Either one would be good choices. Lewis was the best Heavyweight Champion or at least one of the best of modern times.
achillesthegreat
08-12-2007, 09:29 AM
I would not say it was obvious, it could be argued it was Ruddock, because that fight showed for the first time Lewis was World class... or perhaps that was the Mason fight?
That could be said but in the bigger scheme of things is it better to show you are world class or an all time great!
SevenSamurai
08-12-2007, 09:50 AM
It is obviously Holyfield I.
Exactly a good post as usual from you.
Holyfield 1 was the career defining because this fight was to become undisputed heavweight champion. The greatest achievement of Lewis career was being the undisputed champion. The fact that he was robbed by corrupt judges did not matter, because everyone knew he won it and he got the official win in the rematch.
Other than that avenging both his defeats meant alot.
Dempsey1238
08-12-2007, 10:26 AM
Both the Holyfiled fights define him imo. Sure Evander has slow down, BUT the first fight was so big at the time, Yeah I rooted for Evander, but Lewis prove to me on that night, that he was a great, and not a good fighter. The rematch things were fix.
SevenSamurai
08-12-2007, 10:33 AM
Both the Holyfiled fights define him imo. Sure Evander has slow down, BUT the first fight was so big at the time, Yeah I rooted for Evander, but Lewis prove to me on that night, that he was a great, and not a good fighter. The rematch things were fix.
Lewis won both fights. The first fight I remember having it for lewis by 8 points, and the rematch for Lewis by 2 points.
It was really embarassing just how corrupt that the sport is, for the judges to conspire to give Holyfield a draw in a fight in which he barely landed a single punch on lewis all night.
achillesthegreat
08-12-2007, 10:36 AM
9-3 first fight. 8-4 second fight.
Dempsey1238
08-12-2007, 10:39 AM
Lewis won both fights on my card also, Though Holyfiled did a little bit better. He didnt take the beating as he did in fight 1. Both were still pretty one sided though. I relly have a hard time understanded people that claim Holyfiled won the rematch. It was not that close.
The first fight was the pits, I was kinda of shock that it was a draw. There was a major outrage. I blame Don King for that. Holyfiled was his money maker, after the Tyson fights, and he didnt want to risk loseing that.
janitor
08-12-2007, 10:40 AM
The performence that most impresed me personaly was the Tua fight. That was when I started to really see him as a serious threat to other all time greats.
Doppleganger
08-12-2007, 10:50 AM
I agree his career defining win was Holyfield I, a dominant performance against possibly the best opponewnt he ever faced.
However it's not his best performance, which you could pick from a number of fights; Ruddock, Rahman II, Golota et al.
TBooze
08-12-2007, 11:03 AM
That could be said but in the bigger scheme of things is it better to show you are world class or an all time great!
Yes, but Lewis never has shown himself and all time great, because he is not one.
One of the finest post WWII British fighters, but not a worldwide all-time great, indeed not even close.
janitor
08-12-2007, 11:12 AM
Yes, but Lewis never has shown himself and all time great, because he is not one.
One of the finest post WWII British fighters, but not a worldwide all-time great, indeed not even close.
Surely any fighter who unifies the titles must be regarded as an all time great.
SevenSamurai
08-12-2007, 11:14 AM
Surely any fighter who unifies the titles must be regarded as an all time great.
:good Atleast we agree on something...:lol:
TBooze
08-12-2007, 11:33 AM
Surely any fighter who unifies the titles must be regarded as an all time great.
No, it demeans the word. For Great to mean something you can IMO have no more than 40 or so fighters in the entire history of Queensberry Rules who have the right to use the word against their name.
I would say Lewis was an excellent fighter, but is not in that top 40.
salsanchezfan
08-12-2007, 11:47 AM
One fight not getting much attention here is the Mercer fight. In its own way, it was VERY important. It showed Lewis was more than just a guy who could only win by staying at length and potshotting you to death with his jab and straight right. It showed he was tough, and could gut it out in the trenches if he had to. Argue as you might that he may or may not have deserved the decision, but that's almost not the point. He showed another level that night we didn't know he had.
ironchamp
08-12-2007, 01:03 PM
One fight not getting much attention here is the Mercer fight. In its own way, it was VERY important. It showed Lewis was more than just a guy who could only win by staying at length and potshotting you to death with his jab and straight right. It showed he was tough, and could gut it out in the trenches if he had to. Argue as you might that he may or may not have deserved the decision, but that's almost not the point. He showed another level that night we didn't know he had.
I'm surprised it hasnt been mentioned as well.
To me the Mercer fight carries the same significance that Ali Norton II had. Had Ali lost to Norton again he would have effectively fell off the HW Scene. Lewis losing to Mercer would have killed his credibility as being the divisions best.
But he was able to gut it out and pull the win. I scored it 6-4 Lewis.
The Kurgan
08-12-2007, 01:15 PM
9-3 first fight. 8-4 second fight.
My scores exactly. Lewis would have probably won the second fight 10-2 or 11-1 if he fought more cautiously, but obviously he had to make up for Holyfield being such a sacred cow of American sport. As it turned out, Lewis risked the horns and butchered the cow.
the fights that defined lewis and showed him to be the real thing, for me, were his destruction jobs on ruddock, golotta and morrison....and his gut check against mercer....(a fight i still think he lost...)....but it showed he could dig deep when he had too....
...actually, thinkin about it, for a 'chinny' fighter, lewis fought, and destroyed, a whole lot of big bangers....
prime
08-13-2007, 12:50 AM
As a career-definer, the nod has to go to Holyfield I. At the time, Holyfield was even being considered No. 2 on best all-time heavies lists. He had conquered Mike Tyson. He was considered the Real Deal. This Brit who had been destroyed by McCall would not withstand the fire of being in there with a warrior like Holyfield. But Lewis dominated and proved he was more than an also-ran, but very possibly the best of his era.
Vanboxingfan
08-13-2007, 01:39 AM
...actually, thinkin about it, for a 'chinny' fighter, lewis fought, and destroyed, a whole lot of big bangers....
This amazes me too, how anyone can call him "chinny" given the bangers he's beat. In fact, I can't think of many fighters who have beaten more bangers.
apollack
08-13-2007, 01:58 AM
I wouldn’t say one defining fight as much as a very solid body of work:
1992 KO2 Ruddock. The guy who stood in there for 12 rounds with Tyson, took and gave bombs with Mike, gets easily and quickly bombed out by Lewis. The gold medalist serves notice that he is for real.
1993 W12 Tony Tucker. 49-1 Tucker never went down against Tyson, but is down in rounds 3 and 9 against Lewis. Tucker is in shape, on a 14 fight win streak (including a decision over McCall) and puts up a good fight, but Lewis proves his championship character.
1996 W10 Ray Mercer. The most dangerous guy in boxing when he’s in shape, Mercer brings his “A” game to this one, showing his power and chin in a tough fight, but Lewis proves his championship will and toughness once again.
1997 KO5 McCall. Lewis shows his improvement, fights a more intelligent and disciplined fight, does not overreach, and lands wicked shots to cause McCall to mentally give up. A must win to seal his legacy.
1997 KO1 Andrew Golota. Once again Lewis proves to be a giant killer. Just as Ruddock had given Tyson hell, Golota had given Bowe hell in two fights. Lewis mows threw Golota like a knife through warm butter.
1998 KO5 Shannon Briggs. This enabled Lewis to win the linear title. Briggs was 30-1 and showed some pop.
1998 W12 Zeljko Mavrovic. An underrated fight and performance. Sure Mav was little known, but he was undefeated at 27-0, was a big strong tough well conditioned dude with a good chin, and made Lewis earn it.
1999 D12 and W12 Evander Holyfield. Sure Evander wasn’t what he once was, but the bottom line is that Evander was the heavyweight division at that time, having twice defeated Tyson, with a rematch victory over Moorer, a win over Foreman, stoppage of Buster Douglas, and one win over Bowe. Sure he lost to Bowe twice, but with Bowe retired after the Golota beatings, Evander was the best heavyweight in the world. And EH’s performance in the second fight wasn’t so much a denigration of Lewis as much as it was a sign that Evander was one heck of a fighter. More than any other win, this is the one that Lewis needed in order to be considered a legitimate champion in the general public’s eye.
2001 Hasim Rahman. Another must win in order to prove that the first one was a fluke, the result of lack of focus and preparation, that a Lewis on his game was one hell of a fighter.
Russell
08-13-2007, 02:42 AM
Great post apolloack, but Lewis didn't make McCall give up, really. McCall had been dragged out of drug rehab for the Lewis rematch and he basically broke down in the middle of the fight because of it.
fists of fury
08-13-2007, 03:12 AM
How can anyone pick Lewis' defining fights as being against washed up fighters like Tyson and Holyfield?
My pick is the Ruddock win. At least he was resembling some sort of form.
This amazes me too, how anyone can call him "chinny" given the bangers he's beat. In fact, I can't think of many fighters who have beaten more bangers.
....hence my 'chinny' in apostrophes.....should have phrased it better sorry..i dont think he was chinny either, just vulnerable when he wasnt fully focussed....i actually think lewis chin is underrated....look at the punches he took from big klitschko, amongst others...sure he was ko by mcall and rahman, but over the full course of his career, id give his chin a solid b+ rating..
barneyrub
08-13-2007, 07:15 AM
Great post apolloack, but Lewis didn't make McCall give up, really. McCall had been dragged out of drug rehab for the Lewis rematch and he basically broke down in the middle of the fight because of it.Then why did his trainer george benton say that they had no idea what could be wrong, that all preparations were smooth and there was no sign of any problems. If it was as you say then Benton must of been lying. Why was Page asking what was wrong with such puzzlement if it was as you say?
Why did the commision doctors give him the clearance to fight if it was as you say?
Why did the commision investigation afterwards not mention that when they said he was fit and sound of mind in the aftermath.
Holmes' Jab
08-13-2007, 07:20 AM
Here's my take:
Ruddock
Holyfield I & II
Rahman II
Golota
DamonD
08-13-2007, 07:23 AM
9-3 first fight. 8-4 second fight.
Agreed.
I know Lewis himself has often pointed to the fight with Ray Mercer as being one of the most important of his career (and has given plenty of praise to Ray, not reciprocated of course) even above some fights that got more attention and money.
He's also, unsurprisingly, extremely proud of Rahman II.
Vanboxingfan
08-13-2007, 03:35 PM
....hence my 'chinny' in apostrophes.....should have phrased it better sorry..i dont think he was chinny either, just vulnerable when he wasnt fully focussed....i actually think lewis chin is underrated....look at the punches he took from big klitschko, amongst others...sure he was ko by mcall and rahman, but over the full course of his career, id give his chin a solid b+ rating..
Sorry for the confusion bigG, I knew what you meant, I was simply agreeing with you. :thumbsup
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