You have your timelines and facts all mixed up. Ruiz wasnt even the number one contender when Lewis made the fight with Grant that the WBA gave him permission to do, Akinwande was the number one contender but due to illness they moved Ruiz into that position and allowing Lewis to fight Grant in april to then fight Ruiz in july.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/2418427.stm Thursday, 7 November, 2002 Lennox Lewis has joined forces with Don King to promote a heavyweight "elimination series" which could determine his next opponent. Now he could put that belt on the line against the man who comes out on top of a series organised by promoter King. King said he had paid Lewis £650,000 and a Range Rover to give up his IBF belt rather than face mandatory challenger Byrd. He had the inspiration for the elimination series when he was in the African bush with Lewis recently. "We came up with the idea to make something that would be exciting and provocative and soul stirring for boxing," said the promoter. "We were trying to do something that would contribute to the sport of boxing."
ok maybe my timeline was a little screwed up as we discussed Byrd and than back to the Grant issue, but really I was referring towards the end of his career when he had the choice again to face both Ruiz and Byrd, but opted for the dangerous Kirk Johnson. I still think Lewis could have helped his legacy fighting Byrd for sure. Like I said finally Lewis was presented with a fighter with an awkward style, just as Bowe was with Mathis Jr, Holyfield with Ruiz, and Tyson with Tillis.
You've still got it twisted. People have posted the facts already. Read them. Lewis accepted the step-aside later in his career because Don wanted to have the tournament to sort out who should challenge him. The tournament never happened because Byrd & Ruiz didn't want to risk their titles, so Lennox went after the last big payday of the Tyson rematch. The Johnson fight came out of that mess, as I already pointed out.
He obviously didn't want to fight him, but to say that he 'ducked' Byrd implies that Lewis was scared. And, I doubt Lewis was scared of anyone.
I told you don't give me this hindsight bull****. Golota was a very credible opponent and that was the WBC eliminator. Savarese had just beaten 18-0 Whitaker and Buster Douglas. Abdin was fought for the NABF title which gets you a top 10 ranking in the WBC. Sullivan, Izon, Butler and Gonzales were considered respectable opponents. Cole was IBF cruiser champ with only one loss at heavy. Like I said cut your revisionist BS. Grant had fought about ten good opponents going into the Lewis fight. He was young, athletic and big. Of course there was hype, a new champ, an American champ, an undefeated fighter, religious man etc Don't for one second make out people wanted Lewis to defend his title against Ruiz and not Grant. In ten years there will be someone like you hating on Wlads win against Peter. Wlad could be a great by then and you'll just say Peter never fought no one going into the fight. You'll forget its a 50-50 fight, you'll forget Peters fearsome power, you'll forget right now he is considered the only real threat to the champs. You revisionist guys, you forget alot and replace at will.
So now the topic moves to Wladmir Klitschko? Ok, I'll give you my opinion on that one too. That fight to me represented the only real heavyweight fight in the division. I dont feel Wlads win was as special as you think though. Wlad future great?? Im afraid there wont be enough time to tell that one, considering hes taking off the rest of the year to go kite surfing because of the lack of formidable opposition. Wlads fight with Peter was even in my opinion. Sure he got the nod, but he was knocked down three times and on the verge of getting stopped. Hardly a fight to rest the annointing of greatness on..
..only because you are choosing to ignore the spanking you got in the rest of his post. Why don't you respond to that instead? :yep
The topics moves to Wlad if you let it. I simply gave you an example. A very valid example of what you are doing. I said Wlad 'could be a future great'. It was part of my example. I didn't say he was great this year, I said in ten years he may be. Fact is, Grant on paper and in the ring was Lewis biggest threat at that time. Lewis couldn't make his WBA defence. Ruiz was a no one and yet another King mandatory, just like Byrd. Off the back of this Lewis told the WBA to make Super Champs so they can fit in their mandatories. Lewis was the brainchild behind it. Its absolute bollocks but its still more evidence that Lewis ducking Ruiz and Byrd is a creation from the haters.
This isn't true. Lewis had one homecoming fight against Botha. I think he is allowed one rest fight given that his run as champ was as written below: Mandatory Great fighter Great fighter Mandatory Linear champ Number 1 contender WBO champ Revenge match After Botha it was back in with IBF mandatory Tua. Then Lewis fought Rahman twice while Ruiz had a trilogy with Holy. Then it was onto Tyson and I've explained his career after that.
Byrd was definitely an established and credible opponent when he became Lewis' mandatory. Going back to Ruiz, why does his mandatory have to be a name in the sport to justify a fight? So if the general public and the fighter doesnt like the opponent, the promoter, he should vacate his title? Did you ever think Grant was strategically placed and moved into contention as well? If you must breakdown Grants comp, I dont see how guys like Gonzalez, who was coming off of losing 2 of his last three, would be considered a credible fight. Same goes for Izon who lost 2 of his last four and Savarese 2 of his last 5. A win over a post coma Douglas, was impressive to you?? Douglas was knocked out by Louis Monaco, and had more rolls hanging off him than a hot dog stand. The fact is all fighters are positioned by their promoters and television networks to get shots at the title, and at that time HBO didnt want to have anything to do with Don King or any of his fighters. In the minds of the casual fans, Mike Grant was the fight for Lewis, because he was fighting on the network and fighting fighters on the network, but the reality of it was he was a guy marketable guy, religious, clean living, but with the least amount of amatuer experience, and showed his inabilities in a previous fight with Golota. I told anyone who would listen, Grant would be knocked out within three rounds. As it turned out, Ruiz was ten times more credible than Grant ever was..
Again, this is hindsite, and even if it wasn't, Lewis fought the guy thought to be the most dangerous and which offered more money.
Its not hindsight, its fact, and the fact is people like you were snowed into believing Grant was something he never was..
By the time Byrd was a mandatory (another King fighter) he was a good fighter but Lewis was semi-retired. The Tyson fight was the final nail in the coffin. It was only pay days after that. He wanted to have a home coming against Johnson then cash in on Tyson. Ideally he wanted to cash in on Tyson again but Tyson wanted a tune up. Then Tyson didn't want a rematch at all and then Johnson pulled out. It went wrong for Lewis post Tyson. Lewis had two mandatories. Grant was better in almost every way except your HINDSIGHT! No I don't think Grant was strategically placed - he beat Golota or are you going to go all revisionist on me and belittle Golota? Don't give me this statistical bull**** about Grants opponents. Savarese had beaten 18-0 Whitaker and Douglas. Period. Sulliva, Izon, Gonzalz etc had one or two losses on their records. Generally they'd lost to good opponents but beaten some good ones. Gonzalez had the big amateur background. They were your typical contenders that you fought on the way up. Why are you arguing Ruiz over Grant? Its a stupid argument! I'm sure you did say Lewis would ko Grant inside 3 and Ruiz was the man he should fight. However the consensus was Grant was the threat and Grant was the more marketable fight. Lewis was the brainchild behind the WBA super champ. What more can you want from him. Lewis knows what its like to be a mandatory and not get your shot. Some advice, get rid of the Ruiz angle, its useless. Go with the Byrd one. You are clearly a biased revisionist. The Byrd angle you can twist a little more. The Ruiz one is worthless and has absolutely no argument.