I've watched it a number of times and always scored in 6-4 for Lewis. Obviously a close fight, 1 or 2 rounds either way and you have a different outcome. But I simply don't think Mercer did enough. His work rate in some rounds was just too low to take enough rounds to win in my opinion.
Lennox pulled it off 6-4 or 7-5. The fact that Mercers tank like neck didn't allow his head to snap back from shots as dramatically as most of Lennox opponents mitigated some of the punches Lennox landed but Lewis was doing the better work consistently.
Just rewatched Rd1 Mercer - argument can be made for Lennox. Rd2 Mercer - Lennox landed more frequently but looks like Mercer landed the more damaging blows.. Pick em round. Rd3 Lewis - Lewis landing the jab.. Argument can be made for Mercer Rd4 Lewis - Lewis controlled first half. Mercer came back with some nice clean heavy blows, but I think Lewis won it with the final few exchanges. Rd 5 Mercer - I had it even until last 30 seconds of Mercers jabbing the bigger guy. Rd 6 Mercer - nice jab from Mercer and landed clean punches one or two of whom seemed to hurt Lewis. Lewis landed some good punches midway. Rd 7 Lewis - competitive round but Mercer seemed hurt and Lewis landed some good shots at the end. Rd 8 Lewis - Lewis landed more frequently but seems Mercer landed heavier /cleaner shots. Lewis landing frequency overshadows this work imo. Rd 9 Mercer - this round is another pick em. Mercer was landing the jab pretty cleanly and more frequently than Lewis. Lewis did land a peach of a right hand.. Its whether you attribute more points to the right hand than the several jabs of Mercer. I dont. Rd 10 Lewis. Commentators believe its even round, seems like Mercer isn't doing much. 95-95 Draw seems the most fair result. Several pick em rounds. They both looked pretty shite though to be honest
Underrated fight of some historical significance. A rare case of the two gold medalists from the same Olympics in the Heavyweight & Super Heavyweight divisions facing each other. Funnily enough, it will be occurring again for only the third time real soon!
Watched it couple of times. I've got it at Lewis 6-Mercer 4. An extremely tough one for Lennox, not what he was expecting at all.
I haven't seen it since it originally aired, but remember thinking Lewis won in a close one. Whoever said Mercer wasn't busy enough, I agree that was his main problem.