It's Lennox Lewis' time to reign
Posted: Saturday March 06, 1999 03:44 PM
When WBC champion Lennox Lewis steps through the ropes on Saturday to face IBF and WBA champion Evander Holyfield in Madison Square Garden, it will signal the end of a 7-year farce that's put the world of heavyweight boxing on a par with professional wrestling.
The manner in which the top fighters of the past decade have managed their careers to avoid fighting the dangerous Englishman has been nothing short of scandalous. The list of reluctant opponents includes: Riddick Bowe, who trashed the WBC belt rather than fight Lewis in 1992; Mike Tyson, who paid Lewis 4-million dollars not to fight him in 1996; Michael Moorer, who went for the "easier" option of George Foreman; Big George himself, who decided Lewis would be too much for a grandfather; and Evander Holyfield, who's only now agreed to fight the Englishman, because there's no other big money fight left.
While others have demeaned their careers however, Lewis has remained dignified throughout. The 33-year-old telling me during training for the long awaited showdown that it's just the way boxing is.
"It's just the poli-tricks [sic] of the sport. You get boxers who don't want to box you. You get promoters that don't want you to fight their champion, and they monopolize the whole thing. A lot of Americans have Tyson or Holyfield in the back of their minds. They haven't had the opportunity of seeing me against those they deem as the best heavyweights. Now they're going to see me against Evander Holyfield, who they believe is a great heavyweight, and it's my time to take over. My time to shine."
So what chance does Lewis have now that his dream fight is finally here? Well based on the fact that he's been avoided for so long, you'd have to say a good one. At 6-feet 5-inches tall, and some 240 pounds he'll definitely be one of Holyfield's biggest opponents, and, as Lewis explained, against a cruiserweight turned heavyweight size will matter.
"If Evander comes in pushing, he's going to realize that my size and strength is a major factor. He's going to realize I'm a natural heavyweight. I've been a heavyweight from the beginning, so I'm used to all the pushing and wrestling. I think that's going to sap a lot of his strength if he tries that tactic with me."
While he may be at a disadvantage size-wise, Holyfield's warrior instinct has of course helped him take on and beat big men in the past, most famously, Riddick Bowe. However according to Lewis' trainer, Emmanuel Steward, who previously trained Holyfield, Lewis and Bowe are two different fighters.
"I know that many people, possibly Evander himself, may believe fighting Lennox Lewis is going to be like fighting Bowe. But that's a big mistake. Lennox is the same size as Riddick was, but he's much stronger and his style of fighting is much different. Bowe really liked to fight inside. And if you study the two fights he won against Holyfield, he won primarily by wearing Evander down with body punches. He never utilized his reach. Lewis on the other hand prefers to keep the fight at a distance, which is much more frustrating. I don't think Holyfield has ever fought someone that would give him the true feeling of fighting Lennox Lewis. But then by the same token, Lennox has never fought anyone like Evander Holyfield."
So even by the expert's standard, it seems we're set for a superfight that may, for once, live up to its potential. And whoever wins of course, we will at least have a true heavyweight champion. As reward for his patience and dignity I for one hope it's Lennox Lewis.
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