Lennox and the Step-a-side money!

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Frankel, Feb 23, 2015.


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  1. Frankel

    Frankel Active Member Full Member

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    Much is made of Lennox Lewis accepting $3.3 million step-a-side money in 1996 so Mike Tyson could unify the Heavyweight Titles. But Lennox could easily have said,"NO THANKS" and went ahead with a guaranteed world title fight and a purse of $14 million..

    1/. Was Tyson afraid of Lewis, so offered him money?
    2/. Was Lewis favorite to defeat Tyson in 1996?
    3/. Lewis struggled to beat Mercer in 96, Tyson massacred Bruno & Seldon.
    4/. is the truth Lewis was thought of as nothing more than a quick KO for Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson in 1996 and other than Canadians no one wanted to see Tyson vs Lewis?
     
    Frankel, Feb 23, 2015
    Frankel, Feb 23, 2015
    #1
  2. Mendoza

    Mendoza Hrgovic = Next Heavyweight champion of the world. banned Full Member

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    Too bad. 1996 tyson vs Lewis would have been a completely different fight.
     
    Mendoza, Feb 23, 2015
    Mendoza, Feb 23, 2015
    #2
  3. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Would have been a great s****.

    OP has something wrong with him.
     
    McGrain, Feb 23, 2015
    McGrain, Feb 23, 2015
    #3
  4. Woller

    Woller Active Member Full Member

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    Actually Lewis did not struggle against Mercer. He won by a mile, even the home town judges had reluctantly to give him the decision.

    But, a smart move by Lewis to stay clear of Tyson at that time and crush him later when Tyson was totally shot.
     
    Woller, Feb 23, 2015
    Woller, Feb 23, 2015
    #4
  5. Mendoza

    Mendoza Hrgovic = Next Heavyweight champion of the world. banned Full Member

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    WOW. I had it 6-4 for Lewis. A draw would not have been a robbery. To say Lewis won by a mile? Not a chance. What did you have it 8-2?!

    Mercer's jab gave Lewis a swollen eye. Lewis won the last two rounds to seal the fight, then made mentioned a small ring size in the post fight interview which was a subtle way of saying this made it easier for Mercer.
     
    Mendoza, Feb 23, 2015
    Mendoza, Feb 23, 2015
    #5
  6. N_ N___

    N_ N___ Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I had it 6-4 Lewis too, but I think too much is made of Mercer's performance. He lost the fight and wasn't jobbed in the least. You can't drop the last two rounds of a ten round fight and expect a good result.
     
    N_ N___, Feb 23, 2015
    N_ N___, Feb 23, 2015
    #6
  7. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    This is a really weird good fight with Lennox Lewis in the pocket swapping uppercuts (maybe in wee dress rehersal for Klitschko) but sometimes being outjabbed by a relative dwarf. Mercer's jab was a threat throughout, as was his bungling lunging style and his swarming attacks. On occasion these swarming attacks had Lewis in a spot of bother and he looks dog tired after just such a spell in the sixth, but Mercer perhaps saves him some serious bother by gassing all the more dramatically.

    Round 4 is one of my favourite HW rounds with Lewis showing what he was so capable of but in a future echo of his immediate lineage, reluctunce to do it, devastating and elastic combinations and some really genuinely nice bodywork, which he had to can due to an aggressive and ill-judged warning from the awful Mercante Jnr about low blows.

    For all the bluster and hubub surrounding this fight, I didn't have it that close with round 4 as the real turning point, Mercer is willing but his mind just refuses to sign off on the cheque his body needs to write to take the win. The desperate air surrounding the fight is perhaps more about the circumstances the two men find themselves in - Mercer one poor effort away from being put out to pasture, Lewis one loss away from a return to the UK - that lends it that feeling, that and the contradictory but exhorting rambles Steward offers up in the Lewis corner.

    Lewis understandably bemoanded the size of the ring, and it's fair to say that a bigger ring brings a cleaner result, but he would later admit this fight did him a "world of good". Must be nice to find out you have heart, and even if the test has subsequently been overstated, Lennox certainly passed.

    LEWIS: 3,4,6,7,8,9,10

    MERCER 1,2,5.

    I thought 3 and 5 were the only really arguable rounds, and they got one each.
     
    McGrain, Feb 23, 2015
    McGrain, Feb 23, 2015
    #7
  8. Woller

    Woller Active Member Full Member

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    Yes, as I saw the fight 8 - 2 Lewis seems fair, but of course I am not from the US.
     
    Woller, Feb 23, 2015
    Woller, Feb 23, 2015
    #8
  9. Big Ukrainian

    Big Ukrainian Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    McGrain and Woller, I disagree with your scores and can't see Lennox winning more than 6 rounds.

    I've watched the fight many times and score it 5-4-1 or 6-4 for Lennox.

    HBO and other experts have the same scores. So it seems about right if you are not biased towards any fighter in this fight.

    That being said, Lewis looked very, very good, it was without any doubt his best fight since Ruddock.

    Two reasons why the fight was so close

    1) Mercer was motivated and chose the right strategy
    2) Styles make fights, Mercer with his excellent jab and iron chin was always sltylewise a hard opponent for Lennox.

    And if that Mercer met Lennox from Rahman or McCall fight, Mercer would've definitely won. Had Lennox met unmotivated, lazy Mercer, it woud've been an easier win. But the two came ready and the fight was really close.
     
    Big Ukrainian, Feb 23, 2015
    Big Ukrainian, Feb 23, 2015
    #9
  10. MAJR

    MAJR Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Lewis was offered $10million by King originally and turned it down because he wanted $15million and King wasn't prepared to offer him that. When King tried to set up a unification fight for Tyson against Seldon they were taken to court by Lewis to force them to give him a shot at the WBC belt. Lewis won that court case but agreed to step aside so that the unification fight could happen with the provision that he would get the next shot at Tyson.

    After Tyson beat Seldon, King entered contract negotiations with Lewis's camp. King claims to have twice reached a deal for a fight between Lewis and Tyson for $16million and $18million, but that both were ruined by the networks. Tyson had an exclusive deal with Showtime while Lewis had a deal with HBO and the only way the fight could happen was if one of the networks compromised but neither was prepared to do so.

    http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/19...29_1_hbo-sports-undisputed-title-bruce-seldon
     
    MAJR, Feb 23, 2015
    MAJR, Feb 23, 2015
    #10
  11. Vanboxingfan

    Vanboxingfan Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    I think both fighters deserve props not criticism for this fight. The way I seen it was Lewis was trying to knock Mercer out, and threw some huge bombs. The problem was Mercer didn't go anywhere, so Lewis was forced to try and win on points when really what he wanted was the KO. He hit Mercer with shots that would have KO'd a lot of fighters, and I think he was caught off guard that Mercer just took them and came back. I don't care how easily Holmes handled Mercer or anyone else handled him, those were two good fighters that night.
     
    Vanboxingfan, Feb 23, 2015
    Vanboxingfan, Feb 23, 2015
    #11
  12. Big Ukrainian

    Big Ukrainian Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Absolutely. It was actually very good, action-packed, entertaining fight where both fighters showed skills and heart.
     
    Big Ukrainian, Feb 23, 2015
    Big Ukrainian, Feb 23, 2015
    #12
  13. Azzer85

    Azzer85 Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Tyson dropped the belt to fight Holyfield for more money.

    He got $35m for the first Holyfield fight alone, i believe it was a record purse at the time.

    If i had the chance to fight Holyfield for $35m or face Lewis for chump change, id face Holyfield too.

    Its like people who accuse Mayweather of ducking Margarito and his $8m offer when in fact he went and fought De La Hoya for $25-30m.
     
    Azzer85, Feb 23, 2015
    Azzer85, Feb 23, 2015
    #13
  14. Unforgiven

    Unforgiven VIP Member banned Full Member

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    If Ray Mercer had actually got himself in shape for Lewis he would have won.
    He was huffing and puffing early on. He was fat.
     
    Unforgiven, Feb 23, 2015
    Unforgiven, Feb 23, 2015
    #14
  15. Brixton Bomber

    Brixton Bomber Obsessed with Boxing banned Full Member

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    No he never, he went and fought Hernandez instead of Tony. And he fought Oscar years later. :lol::lol::nut
     
    Brixton Bomber, Feb 24, 2015
    Brixton Bomber, Feb 24, 2015
    #15
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