When bowe threw his belt in the trash...

Lewis had the one big win over Ruddock, but was still fighting the usual suspects until then. He hadnt really made a big mark in the states at the time.
Mercer, Morrison and Tucker (who Lennox would beat for the title) were all doing well at this time and of course Holy. Now I think Lewis deserved his ranking but I dont think fighting Holy was an easier option at that point

 

Bowe ducked Lewis and Tyson ducked old Foreman, Which one is worse?

 

What win exactly made Foreman a mandatory, must have or worthy challenger to Tyson? Perhaps the stoppage of Smokin' Bert? The quick dismissal of David Jaco? Guido Trane?

 

Only for the WBC

 

Makes it so much more plausable - We really should applaud Bowe for his actions - I'm sure boxing would be in a lot healthier state if fighters publicly threw belts in to garbage cans rather than face pre arranged worthy contenders.
It would be a world full of David Hayes fighting at heavyweight.

 

This is true. They should instead accept Range Rovers and cash settlements to vacate their titles rather than publicy throw them in the trash for no monetary return. :nut

 

Is that what Lewis got when he vacated his WBA & IBF titles?

 

Correct however as stated the Dokes fight was a voluntary defence and Fergusson got Mercers shot after beating him. It was a keep busy fight prior to the Holy rematch.
As I stated earlier, Bowe was more dramatic, but it was nothing Lewis himself didnt do to Byrd and Ruiz later. It was the same thing Holmes did when he dumped the WBC to "avoid" Page.

Lennox was only #1 in one body, it wasnt like he was the consensus mandatory. It is arguable that through 94 and 95 Bowe was the best HW around but due to the then rules of the IBF, WBA and WBC, which didnt allow the WBO Champion to be ranked by them he was frozen out of the picture. Instead Moorer, Foreman, Schulz, Seldon, McCall and Bruno played with the titles.

 

Agreed Vitali was more derserving and if lewis had fought Byrd instead of Vitali the Klitites would be having a field day in the forums everyday feasting on Lewis (for Ducking Vitali)

 

Yes Lewis made a careers worth of money vacating his titles and stepping aside. Lewis was a hypocrite big time.

 

Lewis earned his way to a title shot. He took on the most dangerous opponent at the time when noone else wanted to. Holyfield rejected Ruddock and so did Bowe.
I think Lewis earned his shot for the WBC title and should have been the highest ranked contender once Bowe lifted the titles from Evander. That being said, he really wasnt the most marketable fighter at the time and he really wasnt good enough to beat Bowe yet. Bowe was an American, and really people in the US werent that familiar with Lennox Lewis at that time. Plus I believe Bowe wanted to make a few easy defenses before facing another big challenge which was typical of a new champion. I dont really see too much wrong with that. To criticize a fighter for going against a corrupt sanctioning body is kind of funny in my mind, since the WBC was basically being run by Don King at the time. Even though Lewis wasnt promoted by King, look at the fighters Lewis had to face when fighting for and defending his WBC title, and who he ulitmately lost it to.
Lewis fought a King fighter for the WBC mandatory shot (Ruddock), he fought a King fighter for the vacant title (Tucker). He defended it against two King fighters, (Jackson and Bruno, yes King had a piece of Bruno). Lost his title to a King fighter (Mcall). Fought an eliminator fight after he lost his title against a King fighter (Butler).
Newman did not want to work with Don King. I think people need to understand that it was more a political thing than Bowe being scared of Lewis because Lewis won a controversial fight in the olympics years prior. Lewis was a good fighter, but he was still green as grass and Futch and Bowe knew Bowe had progressed a lot further as a pro than Lewis had, and a lot of trainers were pretty vocal about it and thats why Emanuel Steward was able to defeat Lewis fairly easily using a limited fighter like Mcall. It's crazy to think Eddie Futch didnt see those same technical mistakes Lewis was making, and he had a much better fighter to exploit them in Bowe.