One year short of two full decades ago today, WBC heavyweight king Lennox Lewis met lineal ruler Shannon Briggs in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and a surprisingly fun fight took place. The two men with a big punch and a big personality, Briggs especially when it comes to the latter, slugged it out for five thrilling rounds.
Lennox Lewis
20 years ago today: revenge, a mental breakdown and the weirdest heavyweight title fight ever seen!
It was February 7, 1997 and heavyweights Lennox Lewis and Oliver McCall met in Las Vegas to both decide the vacant WBC title and to box a rematch. Lewis, who had been shocked by McCall in September of 1994, being bowled over in the 2nd-round, had revenge uppermost on his mind. McCall? To this day nobody really knows what the state of his mind truly was.
What followed twenty years ago today ranks as one of the craziest, weirdest and most disturbing of all heavyweight title fights.
VIDEO: The tale of TKO 6 – Lennox Lewis vs Vitali Klitschko
Former heavyweight world champions Lennox Lewis and Vitali Klitschko are both now retired. The two boxers fought just once during their careers, way back on June 21, 2003. They weren’t even originally scheduled to face each other on that fateful day. Originally Klitschko was slated to face Cedric Boswell on the undercard of a showcase event featuring world champion Lennox Lewis, who was supposed to go up against challenger Kirk Johnson.
Lennox Lewis: I feel kind of bad for Wladimir Klitschko
Former undisputed heavyweight king Lennox Lewis says that although the current heavyweight division is “wide open,” Wladimir Klitschko remains the man to beat. Speaking with The New Zealand Herald, Lewis said that with Tyson Fury unable to fight (for well-documented reasons we all know about) Klitschko is “still the man to beat right now.”
Lewis, who of course called it quits on a great career after a win over Wladimir’s brother Vitali, says he “feels bad” for Klitschko, who is unable to try and avenge his decision loss to the troubled Fury.
Lennox Lewis vs. Vitali Klitschko: the last great world heavyweight title fight
June 2003, The Staples Centre, Los Angeles. The date and venue are familiar to fight fans, heavyweight fight fans especially. Why? Because we saw a great action fight between two huge heavies, both well above the mid-240-pound range, we saw blood and gore, we saw huge bombs landed, we saw heart and courage on the line, and we were left wanting to see a rematch. The task today is quite simple: name a world heavyweight title fight since that has ticked that many boxes.
But the biggest reason fans still talk about this fight, won by Lewis via corner retirement on the part of Klitschko at the end of the sixth round, is because we all wonder what might have happened; what would have happened.
A Halloween to remember: Lennox Lewis arrives on the world stage with a stunning KO win over Razor Ruddock
Sometimes in heavyweight boxing a fighter, with just one win, arrives on the world stage and captures the attention of anyone and everyone interested in boxing in a massive way. This was exactly what happened on this day, Halloween, in 1992. Lennox Lewis may already have been known to a good share of fight fans, due to his winning the Olympic gold medal in 1988, but his performance on this night really catapulted the Brit to superstardom.
Lennox Lewis picks Wladimir Klitschko’s experience to be too much for Anthony Joshua
Retired heavyweight great Lennox Lewis believes Wladimir Klitschko’s vast experience will prove too much for Anthony Joshua if the two meet next spring as is a strong possibility. Speaking with Sky Sports News HQ, Lewis said he favours 40-year-old Klitschko to beat 27-year-old Joshua, but only “slightly.”
“I would have to say Wladimir [wins] because of the experience,” Lewis said. “We have seen a lot of Anthony Joshua’s fights but he has knocked out everybody so what has he learned?
Happy Birthday Lennox Lewis – how great was the former heavyweight king?
Heavyweight great Lennox Lewis, who today celebrates his 51st birthday, really did win everything there was worth winning during his amateur and pro career. Born in London in 1965 and relocating to Canada at the age of 12, Lewis achieved the following:
He boxed in two Olympics, 1984 in Los Angeles and 1988 in Seoul, capturing gold in his second Olympic adventure.
Lewis, upon turning pro with Frank Maloney (now Kellie Maloney) soon captured the Commonwealth, the British and the European titles.