Michael Buffer: The Last Lineal [Heavyweight] Champion Was Lennox Lewis

Michael Buffer: The Last Lineal [Heavyweight] Champion Was Lennox Lewis
By James Slater - 01/31/2020 - Comments

Like the rest of us, famed ring announcer Michael Buffer wants to see “a true and legitimate undisputed world champion” at heavyweight. And, in speaking with IFL TV, Buffer said the way to get this is for the winner of the fast-approaching Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury rematch to then fight Anthony Joshua. The winnmer of that fight would be THE man. The champ.

Because Buffer, like many (but not all) does not recognize Fury as the lineal heavyweight champion. As fans know, Fury is adamant he IS the lineal champion, that he became “the man” after beating “the man,” Wladimir Klitschko, in 2015. Fury has his supporters on this issue, but not everyone agrees with his claims – far from it. And Buffer insists the last lineal heavyweight king was Lennox Lewis.

“I think what everyone is hoping for is the winner of Wilder Vs. Fury will fight AJ, so we can have a true and legitimate undisputed world champion,” Buffer told IFL TV. “I mean, all this lineal stuff, that’s all nonsense. The last lineal champion was Lennox Lewis. I have no idea how it got picked up again with Wladimir (Klitschko), because when he was the world champion, his brother (Vitali) was also the WBC champion. As the announcer, he [Wladimir] was never announced or presented as lineal heavyweight champion.”

Fury will not like hearing this, and he will certainly dispute Buffer’s claims. But the fact is, until one of the big three – Fury, Wilder, Joshua – fights and defeats the other two, we will not have a true, universally accepted undisputed heavyweight ruler. That’s just the way it is; even though there have been great arguments over Fury’s lineal status: is he or isn’t he?

Let’s all hope, for the sake of sanity, the Wilder-Fury winner WILL move on and face Joshua some time this year. It shouldn’t be anything like as tough as it has become in the sport of boxing for the best to fight the best.

But what do YOU think: is Buffer correct or incorrect in what he says about Fury’s lineal claims being bogus?