Lennox Lewis insinuating Fury needs to unify like he did

Who was the WBO “champ” then?

 

Agree with you but was WBC champ (which is main belt) seen as anything when Wladimir faced Fury? Even Dontay Wilder did not claim to rival as real champ against Wlad!
Also Lewis give up IBF to Byrd. So it seems he did tolerated other champions.
Lewis is right but exaggerated it the way he said it. Fury must fight Usyk AJ winner anyway with or without whatever belts.

 

Fury may not want IBF for what they did with him before.

 

Klitschkos brothers and Byrd.

 

Not true. He beat the reinging WBO champ.

But unification wasn't allowed back then.

 

So I had to boxrec this since no one gave 2 cents avout that at the time.
Hide had it when Lewis and Holyfield fought for the real championship.
No one gave a rats ass about that belt then.

 

Fury has won all the belts too ; so it is not belts that is important.

 

No one should gives rats ass about Charlie Martin IBF or even Joe Parker WBO really.

No one gives rates ass about IBF or WBA when Lewis threw them away.

No one give rats ass about Wilder WBC when Wlad was champ also.

May be belts no so important.

 

Exactly.

 

Vitali who won it from Herbie Hide when Lewis won the WBA from Evander. After that Byrd. Vlad. and then Sanders.
So yeah if we are looking at 1999 then your looking at an even greener Vitali.....and we know how that went in 2003.

 

You went from:

To:

Tis the logical progression.

I agree belts are meaningless however Lewis was considered the true champ because he beat everyone in his era. And it hasn't happen since, regardless of 3 or 4 or no belts.

 

Right. my point. It's not the unify of belts that is important. Or whatever fighter are also called 'world champion'. It depends on the fighters. Lewis knew this. If Usyk relinquish one or two of the belts it won't change the fight status real term, except technicality not "undisputed"

 

Agree. Was not criticism of Lewis having no WBO ; just warning not to take his statement too literal. Hope that makes sense

 

So Lewis gave up the IBF belt to Byrd before his last fight in his career.. He had already became undisputed by beating Holyfield. The difference was Byrd was not in contention for being considered the best of that era like Holyfield was and the winner of Usyk/Aj would be. So dropping the belt to Byrd is the equivalent of Usyk just dropping the WBA to Joseph Parker.

The thing I see with Tyson Fury is if Usyk wins he believe there is a big possibility he could lose that fight and there will be no question on whom the best HW of this era is. So if he retires instead there will always be debate and he’s okay with being called the best by some instead of losing and being declared the clear #2.

A good comparison is if Errol Spence or Bud was to retire right now without fighting the other guy. Instead of there being a clear cut answer on who’s the best WW of the era you would have a debate for either guy.