Was Lennox Lewis popular in the UK?

Jel · Apr 6, 2020

Momus said: ↑

He struggled to gain popularity early in his career in the UK. Combination of factors - the strange North American accent, the perception that he was flying a flag of convenience, images of him winning Olympic Gold in a Canadian vest, and for a long time the spectre of the massively popular Bruno.

Without getting too deep into the racial side of things, it was a more difficult time for Black athletes with the mainstream press. They loved it when Bruno yukked it up about his Black and Decker, but when Linford Christie took exception to front page headlines about the size of his genitalia, he was slaughtered by the red tops. Compare John Barnes' reaction compared to Chris Waddle, and the public perception of them both.

Aside from all that, Lewis himself wasn't an easy sell to the British public. He seemed unsure about what his persona was supposed to be; his bad guy trash-talking before the Mason fight was cringeworthy, and the aloof destroyer type didn't really connect either.

The Ruddock win gave him a big boost in popularity, but he didn't really build on that and the loss to McCall set him back.

It took until the Holyfield robbery to really put him over the top as a mainstream star, and by this point he seemed more relaxed in interviews and more likeable. By the time of the Botha fight, I think Lewis was one of the most popular athletes in the country and a big star.
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Spot on.

mgmark7 · Apr 7, 2020

lloydturnip said: ↑

I think it is high time he received a Knighthood.I will have a word with her majesty. !!!
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I agree, long overdue for a knighthood.

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Was Lennox Lewis popular in the UK?

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Was Lennox Lewis popular in the UK?

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