Lennox Lewis Or Sonny Liston?

[Shazam!]

I don't remember Lewis being stripped of all his belts.

He was stripped of his WBA title for fighting Grant instead of Ruiz (Big Black mark that one) and vacated his IBF title after the Tyson fight. Took a year out and fought Klitschko instead of Byrd who was the number 1 contender.

Lewis was avoided on the way up and frozen out of the picture as much as possible because he was a dangerous young heavy and he wasn't american.

The so called best fighters in Lewis' era only were willing to fight him when he had something they wanted.

Lewis was up against the whole world at times it seemed and he did it his way on his terms. The fact that he went on for so long and eventually achieved what he set out to do makes it even more special. Defeated every opponent he ever faced and fought in such a strong era (Only Ali fought in a stronger era)


Liston was a great fighter and frozen out probably more than Lewis was, he should have been champion at least a few years earlier.

I see Lewis taking a head to head 2-1 in a best of three.

Liston was frozen out too and he dominated his division

Excellent post. Lewis was the most feared heavyweight in the world around 92-93. No one wanted a fight with him after he KO'd Ruddock in 2. He was big, athletic, quick, skillful and extremely powerful. This was his athletic peak and no one wanted a piece of him. This version of Lennox Lewis beats a prime Sonny Liston 2 times out of 3, I agree. Ditto for the old version. First fight would have been 50-50...after that the odds increase in Lewis's favour each time.

[sonnyboyx2]

I don't remember Lewis being stripped of all his belts.

He was stripped of his WBA title for fighting Grant instead of Ruiz (Big Black mark that one) and vacated his IBF title after the Tyson fight. Took a year out and fought Klitschko instead of Byrd who was the number 1 contender.

Lewis was avoided on the way up and frozen out of the picture as much as possible because he was a dangerous young heavy and he wasn't american.

The so called best fighters in Lewis' era only were willing to fight him when he had something they wanted.

Lewis was up against the whole world at times it seemed and he did it his way on his terms. The fact that he went on for so long and eventually achieved what he set out to do makes it even more special. Defeated every opponent he ever faced and fought in such a strong era (Only Ali fought in a stronger era)


Liston was a great fighter and frozen out probably more than Lewis was, he should have been champion at least a few years earlier.

I see Lewis taking a head to head 2-1 in a best of three.

Liston was frozen out too and he dominated his division

you must have a short memory...
Lewis was stripped of the WBA belt for refusing to fight the No1 contender John Ruiz, stripped of the IBF belt for refusing to fight No1 contender Chris Byrd and stripped of the WBC belt for refusing to fight Vitali Klitschko..

Lewis promised the world that he would face Vitali in a return fight yet waited unto 3 days before he was to be stripped of the WBC belt and announced his retirement.

Lewis was champion in 92 and throughout the 90s he avoided every other fighter who held a version of the heavyweight title. Holmes, Sanders, Jones Jr., Ruiz, Tyson, Foreman, Holyfield, Moorer, Wlad Klitschko, Bowe. Link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0eins2DhSo

Lewis turned down $13.5 Million and a guaranteed world title fight to face Mike Tyson in 1996 when he was No1 contender for the WBC title, he accepted $4 million step-a-side money so that Tyson could continue to unify the title by getting Bruce Seldons WBA title.. Lewis knew that he stood little chance against that version of Mike Tyson or he would have said NO to the step-a-side money and went ahead and accepted a career highest purse and fought Tyson then himself fought Bruce Seldon..

Lewis spewed out all this propaganda about everyone was afraid to fight him when in fact the offers was always turned down by Lewis..if you believe that all the top fighters was afraid of Lewis then you must also believe there is fairies at the bottom of the garden.

[JAB5239]

Lewis turned down $13.5 Million and a guaranteed world title fight to face Mike Tyson in 1996 when he was No1 contender for the WBC title, he accepted $4 million step-a-side money so that Tyson could continue to unify the title by getting Bruce Seldons WBA title.. Lewis knew that he stood little chance against that version of Mike Tyson or he would have said NO to the step-a-side money and went ahead and accepted a career highest purse and fought Tyson then himself fought Bruce Seldon..

I actually interpret this differently my friend. Lewis stepping aside was in the greater good of boxing and for himself. On one hand he was give 4 million for doing nothing. On the other hand it gave Tyson a chance to unify another title which would have made a potential fight between himself and Mike not only bigger but even more profitable down the road. Just the way I see it bro.

[pietek]

SONNY LISTEN all Day

[sonnyboyx2]

I actually interpret this differently my friend. Lewis stepping aside was in the greater good of boxing and for himself. On one hand he was give 4 million for doing nothing. On the other hand it gave Tyson a chance to unify another title which would have made a potential fight between himself and Mike not only bigger but even more profitable down the road. Just the way I see it bro.

why would Lewis step-a-side and do that other than he did not fancy his chances against that version of Mike Tyson... if Lewis thought he could beat Tyson he would have jumped at the chance of a career highest purse and a world title shot, he would have beat Tyson for the title then beat Seldon & Moorer in unification fights, then beat Holyfield & again beat Tyson to make well in excess of $100 million and all the glory that went with it... not accepted a meagre $4 million step-a-side money while Tyson won another title from Bruce Seldon... The bottom line is that Lewis just never fancied the job against that version of Tyson or Holyfield for that matter just like he never fancied the job against Rid**** Bowe in 92 or 95 yet 4yrs later he spewed out all this rubbish to the British press that everyone was afraid of him, if that was the case why did he not say so at the time so that something could have been said and done about it

[JAB5239]

why would Lewis step-a-side and do that other than he did not fancy his chances against that version of Mike Tyson... if Lewis thought he could beat Tyson he would have jumped at the chance of a career highest purse and a world title shot, he would have beat Tyson for the title then beat Seldon & Moorer in unification fights, then beat Holyfield & again beat Tyson to make well in excess of $100 million and all the glory that went with it... not accepted a meagre $4 million step-a-side money while Tyson won another title from Bruce Seldon... The bottom line is that Lewis just never fancied the job against that version of Tyson or Holyfield for that matter just like he never fancied the job against Rid**** Bowe in 92 or 95 yet 4yrs later he spewed out all this rubbish to the British press that everyone was afraid of him, if that was the case why did he not say so at the time so that something could have been said and done about it

I think Lewis would have stood to make more money with Tyson holding all the belts than himself. So accepting 4 mil, accompanied by a more lucrative shot down the road makes sense to me. Jmo.

[sonnyboyx2]

I think Lewis would have stood to make more money with Tyson holding all the belts than himself. So accepting 4 mil, accompanied by a more lucrative shot down the road makes sense to me. Jmo.

JAB.. surely your joking mate.

its like Floyd Mayweather saying to Manny Pacquiao give me $4 million and i will step-a-side while you fight Malignaggi & Margarito while i sit in the wilderness for 18 months with no title while you rake in the money.

i have heard it claimed that Lewis accepted $4 million so that Tyson could fight Bruce Seldon but Mike Tyson also fought Holyfield 10 weeks after Seldon... The truth is that Lewis sold his chance for a meagre $4 million because he never fancied the job... There is nothing to back up your claim that Lewis would have been offered any more money than the $13.5 million if Tyson had unified the Title, why should he have been offered more money?... Tyson would have been the undisputed champion and Lewis did not have a huge fight lined-up against Foreman, Holyfield or Moorer which he could have won so as to increase his bargaining power, Lewis had nothing at that time only a devastating KO loss to former Tyson sparring partner Oliver McCall.... its all rubbish spewed out by Lewis to the british press years after the event.

[GJC]

you must have a short memory...
Lewis was stripped of the WBA belt for refusing to fight the No1 contender John Ruiz,

Sonny without wishing to rehash all this again is it my failing memory or didn't Don King pull one of his usual moves and get Ruiz installed as the no.1 contender pretty much out of nowhere?

[sonnyboyx2]

Sonny without wishing to rehash all this again is it my failing memory or didn't Don King pull one of his usual moves and get Ruiz installed as the no.1 contender pretty much out of nowhere?

No your wrong.. John Ruiz was WBA No1 contender for 18 months before Lewis was stripped of the belt for refusing to fight him

[sonnyboyx2]

Sonny without wishing to rehash all this again is it my failing memory or didn't Don King pull one of his usual moves and get Ruiz installed as the no.1 contender pretty much out of nowhere?

GJC many many times i read on this forum how Lennox Lewis fans claim that Lewis was correct in fighting Michael Grant instead of fighting his No1 contender John Ruiz, they claim that the vast majority of boxing fans wanted Lewis to fight Grant and not Ruiz because Grant was considered the most dangerous of the two opponents and that no-one wanted to see Lewis fight Ruiz.... I have always claimed otherwise and have been called a Lewis "Hater" and that i must have something against Lewis, yet i have always claimed i have nothing against Lewis other than him ducking the No1 contenders in Ruiz, Byrd & Vitali ... below is a link which proves everything i have ever said is 100% correct and that everyone who claimed different was incorrect:

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4529125.html

That link proves that Lennox Lewis ducked and avoided fighting John Ruiz... The WBA gave Lewis permission to fight Michael Grant as long as Lewis agreed to fight John Ruiz in his next fight after the Grant fight.... Guess who Lewis fought after Michael Grant?

What a ****in cowardly fraud Lennox Lewis really was.