Lennox Lewis InThis Month's Ring

No - it isn't. But it is a simpleton's view.

 

Please tell me... What's are the restrictions on the Champion, if his mandatory challenger says he cannot fight you until second half of the following year?

Is the mandatory challenger allowed to hold the Champion to ransom, in terms of when he can or cannot fight, i.e. preventing the Champion from taking a bout in the meantime?

 

'In the right frame of mind' is the key phrase there.

 

Byrd was mandatory challenger for his IBF title and his 3 best wins match 3 best Lewis wins (Vitali, Tua, Holyfield).

Both stopped Vitali while losing the fight on points.

Lewis beat Tua by a wider margin, but Tua was in much, much better shape against Byrd. He was 233 against Byrd and 245 against Lewis.

Holyfield was older and more washed up against Byrd than he was against Lewis, but Byrd beat him much easier than Lewis did.

Byrd was by far more deserving challenger for Lewis' titles than Grant, Botha, Rahman or Johnson.

 

Vitali wasn't The Ring's #1, he was #7 prior to Lewis fight. He has become The Ring's #1 after losing to Lewis and demolishing Kirk Jonson. You can see it here - http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/The_Ring_Magazine's_Annual_Ratings:_Heavyweight--2000s

 

When Lewis fought Byrd? LOL

 

Well, he wasn't a youngster when he fough PRIME Lewis. He was 37 and had of tons ring wars in his 15-years-long career when he arguably beat Lewis in rematch. Against Byrd he was 3 years older, but lost 10 rounds of 12.

 

It is ,very much .If Lennox didn't see an opponent as a threat he wasn't as sharp or as dangerous. If hed have taken mercer a little more serious he d never have gone to such a tight decision IMO .But when Lennox was switched on and UP ,then look out anybody!

 

33 and 34 is a good age for big and defensive-minded heavyweight like Lewis. Both Lewis and Wlad were at their very best at that age. How many ring wars have Lewis had at 33-34? One - against Ray Mercer. And it was still not as damaging fight, as Holyfield wars against Qawi, Dokes and his three fights with Bowe. And for every Bruno fight in Lewis career you can find 4 more grueling fights in Holyfield resume, like his bouts against Cooper, Mercer, Tyson I, Stewart I. And there is HUGE difference beetween 34 years and 37. Compare how Lewis looked against Vitali at 37 - his reflexes clearly diminished, he was much slower than he was at 33-34 and he was tired to death at the end of round 6.

 

Obviously not. Lewis wasn't in top shape and couldn't have been as he prepared to Johnson whom he considered as a stay-busy fight.

Interestingly, Johnson later that year vs Vitali was in far worse shape than Lennox coming at unbelievable 260 lbs, being too fat to be competitive.