Lennox Lewis scored many notable ring victories, and as such, it can be seen as somewhat tough to point to the former undisputed heavyweight king’s one truly defining fight. Is the win Lewis scored over Evander Holyfield his defining fight? Or maybe it is his revenge KO over Hasim Rahman. Or how about Lewis’ dominant win over Mike Tyson?
Lewis on avoiding career regret
Lewis certainly has fond memories of the Tyson fight, and the 60-year-old says today that he would still be feeling a real sense of regret had he and “Iron Mike” not fought one another. Today, speaking with Talk Sport, Lennox said that if he and Tyson didn’t fight the way they did – this was a huge promotion of a fight in 2002, with Lewis scoring a punishing 8th round stoppage win – fans would still be debating over who would have won. Lewis very much feels he put the icing on the cake of a great, great career with the devastating job he did on Tyson.
And Lewis has suggested that Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury should think about how they will each feel years from now if they look back knowing that they did not fight each other, that they didn’t finally settle the score the way he and Tyson did.
It’s a great point, and maybe Fury and Joshua, both nearing the end of their respective ring careers (if Fury hasn’t already got there, his latest retirement to be one that will actually stick), will feel the need to give us the fight we have been calling and asking for for years. Maybe AJ and “The Gypsy King” will both take a look in the mirror and realise that, yes, for sure, they have to meet one another in the ring.
Lewis’s career cemented with Tyson
Lewis vs. Tyson wasn’t anything like a great fight when it finally happened, yet everyone tuned in to see what would happen. Maybe this will prove to be the case with a Fury Vs Joshua fight – on both counts.
Lewis-Tyson was past its sell-by date when it took place, but it was still a monster event, and fans would have a big feeling of ‘what if?’ if the two legends hadn’t collided in the squared circle. Is there still time for Joshua and Fury to meet in a better-late-than-never Battle of Britain?
Lewis, when he looks at himself today, knows he fought each and every man he should have faced (Lennox was wise enough to realise that Father Time was well and truly against him in his final fight, this against Vitali Klitschko; therefore, the risky rematch was smartly swerved).
Will Fury and Joshua be able to do this when they have both been retired for over 20 years?