Can we stop with this myth you must have a short memory... Lewis was stripped of the WBA belt for refusing to fight the No1 contender John Ruiz, stripped of the IBF belt for refusing to fight No1 contender Chris Byrd and stripped of the WBC belt for refusing to fight Vitali Klitschko.. Lewis promised the world that he would face Vitali in a return fight yet waited unto 3 days before he was to be stripped of the WBC belt and announced his retirement. Lewis was champion in 92 and throughout the 90s he avoided every other fighter who held a version of the heavyweight title. Holmes, Sanders, Jones Jr., Ruiz, Tyson, Foreman, Holyfield, Moorer, Wlad Klitschko, Bowe. Lewis turned down $13.5 Million and a guaranteed world title fight to face Mike Tyson in 1996 when he was No1 contender for the WBC title, he accepted $4 million step-a-side money so that Tyson could continue to unify the title by getting Bruce Seldons WBA title.. Lewis knew that he stood little chance against that version of Mike Tyson or he would have said NO to the step-a-side money and went ahead and accepted a career highest purse and fought Tyson then himself fought Bruce Seldon.. Lewis spewed out all this propaganda about everyone was afraid to fight him when in fact the offers was always turned down by Lewis..if you believe that all the top fighters was afraid of Lewis then you must also believe there is fairies at the bottom of the garden.
Lewis was stripped of every version of the undisputed title yet it is down-played by his fanboys and the blame put onto everyone other than Lewis.. evidence is ignored when it is supplied to prove valid points, yet no evidence ever emerges from Lewis fanboys and they have the face to claim that Lewis could beat ATGs like Sonny Liston & Muhammad Ali yet ignore that fact that Lewis could barely beat Frank Bruno... excuses are always used for Lewis and those excuses are `Carved in Stone` for Lewis only.. 1/. He was not focused 2/. it was a lucky punch 3/. the referee counted to quickly 4/. Lewis was in a movie 5/. Lewis would be too big for him 6/. every one avoided Lewis 7/. Bowe dumped the belt coz he was scared of Lewis but Lewis dumped his belt coz he knew he could beat Ruiz & Byrd & Vitali 8/. pre Stewart Lewis was not focused
Mike Tyson's goal was to UNIFY the Heavyweight title and by fighting Bruce Seldon he was adding Seldons WBA belt to his own WBC belt.. Lennox Lewis did not have to accept step-a-side money he could easily have said,"No Thanks" and fought Tyson for the WBC title and a guaranteed career highest payday. Lewis did not fancy his chances against that version of Mike Tyson so he waited six more years unto Tyson had completely self-destructed then agreed to fight him as long as there was 30 police officers lined across the ring and there would be no referee's instructions in the ring where Tyson could eye-ball Lewis and give him diarrhea. Lewis has turned down many huge paydays during his career and the reason was that he simply did not fancy the job.. Lewis only ever fought fighters who was exposed and on the downside of their career's, he never fought fighters who was at the top of their game. refused £6 million to fight Bowe in 1992 refused £10 million to fight Bowe in 1995 refused $30 million to fight Roy Jones in 2001 refused £8 million to fight Herbie Hide in 1995 refused $13.5 million to fight Tyson in 1996 refused $30 million to fight Vitali Klitschko.
