The two KO's on Lennox Lewis's Record.

[Kid Achilles]

Lewis looked to be leaning on the ref, at least that's how I remember it. If you're the ref and the fighter begins to lean on you after getting up from a knokdown, meaning he can't stand under his own power, that's as good a reason to stop a fight as any.

[Franko]

In regards to the McCall stoppage, I've definetely seen worse. But if I were the referee, I would have let him continue and see if Lewis could come back. If Lewis thengot tagged with unanswered shots and seemed defenseless, then I would have stopped it. Lewis was the champion, and championship fights shouldn't be stopped that quickly.

But as for the Rahman ko, there was nothing bad about that. Lewis got floored and he simple didn't beat the count, period.

Agreed. Most points made on this thread are good but IMO although Lewis looked unsteady after the knock-down in the first McCall fight, i have also seen fighters in worse condition given the benefit of the doubt, and the benefit of the doubt should be given to the champion. In hindsight, he would perhaps have been stopped by McCall anyway, but he paid the ultimate price for taking McCall lightly IMO, and he obviously made the mistake of repeating that years later when he fought Hasim Rahman the first time around. Had he prepared properly for the first Rahman fight then the outcome would have undoubtedly been the same as the second fight IMO.

[EsB818]

The shot he took against McCall didn't look like anything special. I was suprised he was that hurt by it. The Rahman fight however, that was a huge straight right hand he took which floored him. Lewis got revenge on both tho (made McCall cry and destroyed Rahman)

[RAESAAD II]

With regards to the comments Lewis made after the these two defeats, do you think that Lennox Lewis should have been given the opportunity to continue after the knock downs in his first fights with Hasim Rahman and Oliver McCall?
It is my personal opinion that the Referee should have allowed the fight to continue in McCall 1, but not in Rahman 1, though Lewis has stated that the referee counted too fast in the first Rahman fight, and stopped the fight when he was getting up. Manny Steward agreed with this and claimed that he had seen fighters hurt much worse but able to continue! I don't go along with that! I think it was a 100% K.O.
What are your thoughts?

Lewis is one of my favorites ever but he was KTFO in Rahman I and he deserved it walking around the ring with his hands down most of the fight.

[QueensburyRules]

Rahman caught em witta righthook,right?
well which ever hook he hit em with....
...Lewis was on 11th and Coo Coo Bird Street,lol

i wish Rahman beat em 2nd time around
Rahman reminds me of lost oppurtunity

didnt David Tua knock em out after the bell?thats bull****
maskaev knocked em out da ring they 1st fight,which was bull,also
now maskaev knocked hasim out this year
i admit that
but dat Holyfeild fight was sum hoe **** too
did yall see dat extra head Rahman grew after evander headbutted em?lol

- -Hard to top such pithy observations.

[Rossman]

Can't complain about the stoppages, Lewis just a bad couple nights.

[HOUDINI563]

Both fights Lewis was koed. Letting the McCall fight go on would be dangerous and futile. Lewis was struggling to stand.

A focused Lewis was a formidable fighter but his chin could be dented. Being stopped by singular blows twice has to take him down a few notches all time.

[Quicksilver*]

Rahman laid him out, and mccall maybe he can argue.

[QueensburyRules]

Rahman laid him out, and mccall maybe he can argue.

- -Tuff to argue on his two bad hair days. Better to take some aspirin with a stiff appertif and nap.