FLOYD MAYWEATHER once said, “I won’t get my dues as an active fighter. It will be when I’ve been retired for 20 years when you will all look back and realise how great I am.” Not quite as poetic – or humble – as Joni Mitchell’s timeless Big Yellow Taxi, but the point is the same in boxing as it is in real life: Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone?
Lennox Lewis exemplifies this perfectly. During his active years, doubts were raised about his durability, determination, and his legacy as his career neared its end in the early 2000s. However, after two decades have passed, we now have a clear understanding of what we possessed during that time: not just one of the most well-rounded fighters of all time, but also one of the greatest. What’s even more remarkable is that Lewis stood alone as the only fighter we truly admired as the undisputed champion in the heavyweight division.
We are still waiting for his true successor, as no other dominant world heavyweight champion’s departure has caused such a significant void. It would be unfair to solely blame those who attempted to follow in Lewis’ footsteps because there were multiple factors contributing to the situation. These include concurrent ruling by two brothers, which hindered the possibility of having a single reigning champion, sanctioning bodies making it nearly impossible to have an “undisputed” title for a period of time, failed drug tests, and conflicts between rival managers and promoters. Today’s heavyweight boxing is drastically different from the past, where one champion would retire and the top contenders would compete for the vacant title.
It was apt, however, that in Lewis’ final bout, a bloody and brutal win over Vitali Klitschko in 2003, he defeated a fighter who would be widely regarded as the best of the post-Lewis era. So while Joe Louis lost to Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali lost to Larry Holmes and Holmes lost to Mike Tyson, Lewis actually beat the bloke to whom he was handing the baton. Take that and run with it, Lennox might have said, once you’ve got your eyes stitched up and the wind back in your gut. Apt, too, that his last action as an amateur was to win Olympic gold in 1988 by beating Riddick Bowe, the fighter who should have been his greatest professional rival – if only “Big Daddy” had accepted the challenge.
Lewis proved himself to be a dominant force in the heavyweight division, defeating all opponents and leaving no contenders standing between the formidable figures of Bowe and Klitschko. It is a rare accomplishment that few other boxers can claim. While boxing legends like Ali and Louis may be considered greater by some, their prolonged careers resulted in unsightly losses and lasting damage to their reputations. Although Marciano had a shorter reign, he suffered fewer defeats than Lewis. Tyson, though thrilling to watch, lacked the discipline both in and out of the ring that Lewis possessed, succumbing to defeat when faced with significant challenges.
One of the highest compliments to give Lewis is that, despite the presence of many great legends before him, very few have achieved the same level of dominance since his retirement. There is currently no one who can be compared to Lennox in terms of skill and success. Perhaps, in the future, only Oleksandr Usyk or Tyson Fury could come close to his achievements. However, even the winner of their upcoming May 18 fight will have to accomplish a lot to be mentioned in the same breath as Lewis.
However, everyone has their flaws. Lewis, despite being incredibly skilled and dominant when fully dedicated, was not fully recognized during his career. As a result, he did not have the same level of impact as legendary fighters like Ali or Tyson. Furthermore, his two losses were against boxers, Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman, who were not considered to be at the top of their era, let alone contenders for the greatest in history. The way in which Lewis was defeated, with both knockouts occurring from a single unexpected punch, has led to doubts about his ability to withstand a powerful strike.
Yet the arguments against Lewis being a heavyweight legend are significantly easier to counter than those to the contrary. The defeats to McCall and Rahman were avenged emphatically and can be explained by two momentary lapses in concentration. Even so, those who believed he couldn’t withstand the whack of a heavyweight, despite watching him stand up to punches from Evander Holyfield, Ray Mercer, Frank Bruno, and Shannon Briggs, also believed that Rahman would repeat the trick.
Lewis inquired in 2020, “Could you fathom the fact that some individuals were anticipating Rahman’s triumph in that rematch?” He empathized with them, acknowledging their belief that a permanent weakness had been exposed. Losing one fight led to being disregarded. People bombarded him with questions about his next steps. “What’s your plan now? What will you do next?” Well, let me clarify what I intend to do. I will reclaim my championship belts, that’s exactly what I’ll do. Nevertheless, many assumed that it marked the demise of my career.”
It was not the case, obviously. Rahman was easily defeated with surprising ease. Lewis had the ability to deliver powerful punches (just ask anyone who experienced the full force of his fists), or box strategically if the situation required it. This versatility, although sometimes criticized for being too cautious in certain fights, is another impressive attribute of Lennox’s. While demolishing Andrew Golota, he displayed a ferocity and brutality reminiscent of a prime Tyson. However, when facing David Tua, he demonstrated his skill in outboxing his opponent over 12 skillful rounds. In my opinion, no other heavyweight in history showed such extreme levels of adaptability.
Lewis found solace in his own skin, disregarding the media’s perception of him as detached and unbothered by his opponents’ reputations. Instead of anxiously pacing the room, trying to summon his inner beast before each fight, he immersed himself in the music blaring from his headphones, knowing that the beast was already within him. Prior to entering the ring, Lewis would dance in the changing room, fueled by reggae music and caught up in the vibe. While Mike Tyson would unleash his anger on the walls, Lewis would be in his own world, ready to unleash his craziness upon his opponents, spelling trouble for them.
At the age of 38, Lewis decided to depart from the sport on his own accord in February 2004, having triumphed over every opponent he encountered within the ring.
“When I first started there was no straight road to my becoming the heavyweight champion of the world. I learnt on this trip that if you lose that doesn’t mean that’s the end of your boxing career,” Lewis said in his closing statement.
“When I first lost and people said that was the end for me, they actually had me believing it for a long time. But because of the way I lost, I thought ‘get up and brush myself off and get at them’.”
After the announcement, bookmakers quickly set odds of 7/2 for his return to the ring within two years. Many bettors eagerly placed their bets. Whether he chose not to have a rematch with Klitschko due to the fear of potential defeat is irrelevant. The important thing is that he had the wisdom to retire when he sensed the impending end, setting him apart from others in his uniqueness.
