Lennox Lewis Vs. Lionel Butler

This was Lewis in a rebuilding phase and possibly the only time in his career where he is unsure of himself. He has to rethink what he thought to be fact about himself and try and reestablish his confidence.

For me when i watch Lewis from McCallI to McCallII i see a rebuilding stage that turns a talented young fighter into a man , the boss of the ring. Fight with Mercer; knocked down, although he believes he was back up in time. This changes his temperament , he now understands he has limitations but as well as this he didnt get his own way. Lewis was a school bully , a great athlete and a mommas boy , some one used to getting their own way and when the ref counted him out he had to begin to understand that you dont always get your own way. Not only a great lesson in the ring , but a life lesson for Lewis.

The fights with Butler and Fortune helped rebuild him mentally, they gave Lewis the chance to rebuild himself. Then the Morrison fight Lewis had the opportunity to show off what he had begun to learn , although he still had those teenage like qualities about him.
The fight with Mercer i have called many times his "baptism by fire",he put Lewis under pressure and Lewis passed the test , Mercer made Lewis a man.

Lewis then rematched McCall his chance to show how hes matured. Our chance to see that he isnt the reckless cocky kid he once was.

 

Good post, and how I see Lewis coming up under Steward. He had to rebuild his style and approach to the game both mentally and physically, and he did a very good job adapting to how Steward wanted him to fight.

 

Thanx:thumbsup

I think rebuilding is what Steward does best. Lewis and him were perfect for each other.

 

Butler was a big puncher with talent who also had a gorilla on his back. What I remember hearing at the time was that Butler was living in his car at the time in Sacramento, smoking crack as fast as he could find it, and sold his gear from the fight for more drugs. He also had almost all of his cash for the fight garnished due to a managerial dispute and knew his purse was going to be reduced to a sliver well before the fight. How much we can tell about Lewis from fighting him under these circumstances is really unclear to me. Now if Butler had come motivated to fight, in shape, and off drugs, then it might have been noteworthy.

 

The card was a farce..... Lewis' ex trainer Pepe Correa was in Butler's corner... Butler was a strong and powerful man, but way outta his class on HBO against Lewis.....

Comebacking Michael Moorer fought Melvin Foster is a lackluster snoozer, as well...

I taped the card, but never review it... YAWN!

MR.BILL:hat

 

Oh, but the card of 1995 was better than the earlier double feature by HBO when Lewis snoozed through Levi Billups and Moorer struggled with Mike White back around 1992.... That card stunk....

:dead:-((

MR.BILL:hat