Lennox Lewis's career defining fight?

...actually, thinkin about it, for a 'chinny' fighter, lewis fought, and destroyed, a whole lot of big bangers....

 

As a career-definer, the nod has to go to Holyfield I. At the time, Holyfield was even being considered No. 2 on best all-time heavies lists. He had conquered Mike Tyson. He was considered the Real Deal. This Brit who had been destroyed by McCall would not withstand the fire of being in there with a warrior like Holyfield. But Lewis dominated and proved he was more than an also-ran, but very possibly the best of his era.

 

This amazes me too, how anyone can call him "chinny" given the bangers he's beat. In fact, I can't think of many fighters who have beaten more bangers.

 

I wouldn’t say one defining fight as much as a very solid body of work:

1992 KO2 Ruddock. The guy who stood in there for 12 rounds with Tyson, took and gave bombs with Mike, gets easily and quickly bombed out by Lewis. The gold medalist serves notice that he is for real.

1993 W12 Tony Tucker. 49-1 Tucker never went down against Tyson, but is down in rounds 3 and 9 against Lewis. Tucker is in shape, on a 14 fight win streak (including a decision over McCall) and puts up a good fight, but Lewis proves his championship character.

1996 W10 Ray Mercer. The most dangerous guy in boxing when he’s in shape, Mercer brings his “A” game to this one, showing his power and chin in a tough fight, but Lewis proves his championship will and toughness once again.

1997 KO5 McCall. Lewis shows his improvement, fights a more intelligent and disciplined fight, does not overreach, and lands wicked shots to cause McCall to mentally give up. A must win to seal his legacy.

1997 KO1 Andrew Golota. Once again Lewis proves to be a giant killer. Just as Ruddock had given Tyson hell, Golota had given Bowe hell in two fights. Lewis mows threw Golota like a knife through warm butter.

1998 KO5 Shannon Briggs. This enabled Lewis to win the linear title. Briggs was 30-1 and showed some pop.

1998 W12 Zeljko Mavrovic. An underrated fight and performance. Sure Mav was little known, but he was undefeated at 27-0, was a big strong tough well conditioned dude with a good chin, and made Lewis earn it.

1999 D12 and W12 Evander Holyfield. Sure Evander wasn’t what he once was, but the bottom line is that Evander was the heavyweight division at that time, having twice defeated Tyson, with a rematch victory over Moorer, a win over Foreman, stoppage of Buster Douglas, and one win over Bowe. Sure he lost to Bowe twice, but with Bowe retired after the Golota beatings, Evander was the best heavyweight in the world. And EH’s performance in the second fight wasn’t so much a denigration of Lewis as much as it was a sign that Evander was one heck of a fighter. More than any other win, this is the one that Lewis needed in order to be considered a legitimate champion in the general public’s eye.

2001 Hasim Rahman. Another must win in order to prove that the first one was a fluke, the result of lack of focus and preparation, that a Lewis on his game was one hell of a fighter.

 

Great post apolloack, but Lewis didn't make McCall give up, really. McCall had been dragged out of drug rehab for the Lewis rematch and he basically broke down in the middle of the fight because of it.

 

How can anyone pick Lewis' defining fights as being against washed up fighters like Tyson and Holyfield?

My pick is the Ruddock win. At least he was resembling some sort of form.

 

....hence my 'chinny' in apostrophes.....should have phrased it better sorry..i dont think he was chinny either, just vulnerable when he wasnt fully focussed....i actually think lewis chin is underrated....look at the punches he took from big klitschko, amongst others...sure he was ko by mcall and rahman, but over the full course of his career, id give his chin a solid b+ rating..

 

Then why did his trainer george benton say that they had no idea what could be wrong, that all preparations were smooth and there was no sign of any problems. If it was as you say then Benton must of been lying. Why was Page asking what was wrong with such puzzlement if it was as you say?
Why did the commision doctors give him the clearance to fight if it was as you say?
Why did the commision investigation afterwards not mention that when they said he was fit and sound of mind in the aftermath.

 

Here's my take:

Ruddock
Holyfield I & II
Rahman II
Golota

 

Agreed.

I know Lewis himself has often pointed to the fight with Ray Mercer as being one of the most important of his career (and has given plenty of praise to Ray, not reciprocated of course) even above some fights that got more attention and money.

He's also, unsurprisingly, extremely proud of Rahman II.

 

Sorry for the confusion bigG, I knew what you meant, I was simply agreeing with you. :thumbsup