WOW!!! Evander Holyfield says Bowe and Tyson were afraid of Lennox Lewis! MUST SEE!

[Ray*]

I don't need Holyfield to tell me that.

[edgarg]

I think Holyfield used to come across as a pretty level headed, intelligent guy; exactly unlike Bowe and Tyson. And what's being said is not they were particularly frightened by Lennox Lewis, but they both did not want to fight him. Whether it was the promoters or the managers or the fighter themselves doesn't matter. The team didn't want to go up against Lennox and the proof is in the pudding. Rid**** Bowe called Lewis out, only to literally throw his belt in the bin? And then say: "Then we can call him the garbage picker" or something silly like that, as if Lewis was the one ending up looking like a clown.

Tyson, yes, he pretty much fought for money at the time, and the Holyfield fight was much more lucrative at the time, however, even after that, people still craved a fight between lewis-tyson, seeing as these two were the real champs of the era. Tyson kept saying "I need to or three more fights before I'm ready" and goes on too fight something like 18 rounds in 5 years prior to the Lennox fight, which, when it came, was only a matter of money for mike, which is clearly seen in the aftermath and post interview of the fight.

Basically, both Bowe and Tyson didn't want to fight Lennox. Like Evander is trying to say, they ducked him. Whether that was for money reasons or not, is another matter entirely.

Holyfield back then was regarded as a nice quiet respectable sort of guy. He rarely said much and never slanged anyone that I can recall. I was referring to him now. Lewis was always a cunning sort of guy who was a great self-promoter who was very money-conscious far more than the average. And a pretty good boxer when younger although I'd have backed Tyson to knock him out. Tyson was absolutely made from head to toe, to fight the big guys. His style was especially tailored that way. And I'd bet Bowe would have done the same thing. There was a period around then when Bowe was really a wrecking machine and a terrific infighter.

Because X doesn't fight Y doesn't mean that he's ducking. many things have to fall into place before a big fight can be solidified and any one of them can ruin it. There are hundreds and hundreds of expected and even arranged match-ups which never came to be, or one thing or the other. We see it on these pages every day almost. If it isn't Zab Judah cutting himself on the shower glass door, it's some other idiot getting caught as part of a drug racket. It never ceases to amaze me.

[LacedUp]

Holyfield back then was regarded as a nice quiet respectable sort of guy. He rarely said much and never slanged anyone that I can recall. I was referring to him now. Lewis was always a cunning sort of guy who was a great self-promoter who was very money-conscious far more than the average. And a pretty good boxer when younger although I'd have backed Tyson to knock him out. Tyson was absolutely made from head to toe, to fight the big guys. His style was especially tailored that way. And I'd bet Bowe would have done the same thing. There was a period around then when Bowe was really a wrecking machine and a terrific infighter.

Because X doesn't fight Y doesn't mean that he's ducking. many things have to fall into place before a big fight can be solidified and any one of them can ruin it. There are hundreds and hundreds of expected and even arranged match-ups which never came to be, or one thing or the other. We see it on these pages every day almost. If it isn't Zab Judah cutting himself on the shower glass door, it's some other idiot getting caught as part of a drug racket. It never ceases to amaze me.

Well, I think the money thing mostly applies to Lewis after that time. And if we talk about cunning people, then Rock Newman has got to be mentioned. As far as memory goes, this was the guy who staged the belt thrashing, seeing as Bowe would give Lewis a "paper title" hence Lewis would be regarded as a paper champ, and bowe still the real champ. I believe he still held a couple of belts after he dropped the WBC to Lewis, his mandatory at the time?

Looking at the guys Bowe fought in the immediate aftermath, it seemed to be working as Bowe made a ridiculous amount of money fighting guys with little pedigree, especially compared to Lewis. It's not that I think Bowe was particularly scared of Lewis, but I know both him and his manager saw him as a much bigger threat than Dokes and Ferguson, that's for sure. So thinking you could make equal amount of money fighting those guys compared to Lewis, makes a lot of sense financially and career wise. After that, as he'd already beaten Holyfield, he probably saw him as the easy option once again in '93.

Well, if X is a champion and Y is the mandatory and that fight is the fight everybody wanted to see and there's huge money on the line, and X drops the belt to fight two chumps, then I think you can call it a duck. Once again, a duck to me doesn't necessarily mean someone being afraid, because i don't believe many fighters are afraid per se. But the team might be 'scared' of losing and therefore losing the amount of money that could be coming in with victories. That's also ducking to me.

[soul_survivor]

So this would be the oldest news to be posted on NSB for a decade.

I know right LOL this entire thread had me cracking we, we've all known for 2 decades that both Bowe and Tyson feared Lewis in the mid-90s. The man was reaching his peak and was too good for 99% of heavies out there. Both men fought they'd have easier paydays fighting Holyfield, especially Tyson, who got out muscled, out bullied and just plain beat up in 10 lopsided rounds.

[STREET CLEANER]

Lewis wasn't a bigger draw than Holyfield when they fought. Pre Manny Steward Lewis more than likely would had lost. After Manny came on board the real ducking started.

At one point Bowe was fight for a long time on HBO and Lennox was the champ. Lewis said that he didn't have to fight Bowe because of what had happened before. Golota derailed whatever was left from that fight.

Bowe blatantly threw the WBC belt in the garbage to avoid Lewis. Biggest duck I've ever seen

[joe strong]

Old news... Foreman also said on air he avoidedlewis in his comeback & said he would have avoided him in his prime. Tyson said he would never beat lennox & only fought him because he needed the money...bowe threw a belt in the garbage... Worst advise ever via rock newman!

[joe strong]

Well, I think the money thing mostly applies to Lewis after that time. And if we talk about cunning people, then Rock Newman has got to be mentioned. As far as memory goes, this was the guy who staged the belt thrashing, seeing as Bowe would give Lewis a "paper title" hence Lewis would be regarded as a paper champ, and bowe still the real champ. I believe he still held a couple of belts after he dropped the WBC to Lewis, his mandatory at the time?

Looking at the guys Bowe fought in the immediate aftermath, it seemed to be working as Bowe made a ridiculous amount of money fighting guys with little pedigree, especially compared to Lewis. It's not that I think Bowe was particularly scared of Lewis, but I know both him and his manager saw him as a much bigger threat than Dokes and Ferguson, that's for sure. So thinking you could make equal amount of money fighting those guys compared to Lewis, makes a lot of sense financially and career wise. After that, as he'd already beaten Holyfield, he probably saw him as the easy option once again in '93.

Well, if X is a champion and Y is the mandatory and that fight is the fight everybody wanted to see and there's huge money on the line, and X drops the belt to fight two chumps, then I think you can call it a duck. Once again, a duck to me doesn't necessarily mean someone being afraid, because i don't believe many fighters are afraid per se. But the team might be 'scared' of losing and therefore losing the amount of money that could be coming in with victories. That's also ducking to me.

rock newman made lots of money off bowe. He made good moves financially but bad moves for boxing. The WBC blsck balled bowe & he was never in the rankings again if i am correct. Once he lost to holyfield he was limited to who he could fight. Then the golota fights happened...why fight bowe if he aun't ahead of you in the rsnkings? Money yes but there would be easier routes to a title shot... Back then there was big money in HW boxing... You got a title shot you walked out with a couple million at least...

[P4P_No1]

In 96 Tyson paid Lewis $4million step aside Money and told Lewis he would just vacate the title if Lewis demanded the fight, which Lewis had to go to court to force the mandatory fight.

Seems odd how people seem to conveniently forget this when it comes to Tyson.

Some people need to take the Iron Mike tinted specs off.

[hitman smax]

Personally, I don't think many fighters are scared of anyone. Their handlers, however, are a completely different story. They know their fighter better than he does, so they are really much more objective about his chances against particular fighters.

Bowe's handlers were definitely scared of Lennox Lewis and they undoubtedly advised Bowe not to fight him.

[PAC-BOY]

You can ad Floyd Mayweather to the list of blatant duckers.

i second that motion