Tag: Lennox Lewis

Boxing world expresses grief in wake of Kobe Bryant’s death

Admirers around the world expressed their grief on social media upon the death of Kobe Bryant. Among them were many in the boxing world.

The world on Sunday was shocked to learn that NBA legend Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash in suburban Los Angeles.

Bryant, who died with his daughter Gianna and seven others, was on his way to a travel basketball event when the helicopter went down in dense morning fog in the hills of Calabasas.

Admirers from all walks of life expressed their grief on social media. Among them were many in the boxing world.

Here are some Tweets.

Lennox Lewis: Tyson Fury will benefit from working with SugarHill Steward

Lennox Lewis said the Kronk Gym system will help Tyson Fury grow as a fighter.

Former heavyweight champ Lennox Lewis told SunSport that Tyson Fury made a wise move by hiring SugarHill Steward as his trainer.

Fury last week split with Ben Davison, who has guided him during his comeback and helped battle his demons, turned to the nephew and protégé of the late Kronk Gym founder Emanuel Steward to train for his rematch with Deontay Wilder on Feb. 22.

Lewis was trained by Emanuel Steward from 1994 until he retired in 2003.

“Javan is a great trainer and would be an asset for Tyson Fury,” said Lewis, referring to SugarHill Steward by his previous name. “Ben did a great job and I have nothing bad to say about him. He took Tyson from a real low point to exactly where he needed to get to. But you always need a great trainer and SugarHill, as I call him, is a good trainer. I give him very high marks.

“Every time you see a Kronk fighter, you can expect to see something special. Kronk fighters do things that no other fighters do and I know that for a fact.”

Lewis added: “There are a lot of technical things the Kronk system can help Tyson with and SugarHill has them.”

Fury is expected to begin training with SugarHill Steward after Christmas.

“We’ll have seven to eight weeks together and that will be enough,” Steward said. “I’m excited to see Tyson progress through the training camp.”

 

Special feature: 10 hardest punching heavyweights in modern history

Who are the hardest punching heavyweights in modern history? Here are the Top 10.

Deontay Wilder’s legend continues to grow with every spectacular knockout he delivers. The man can punch.

The Bronze Bomber demonstrated his unusual ability most recently on Nov. 23, when he ended the night of Luis Ortiz with one perfectly timed right hand from hell in the seventh round of a heavyweight championship fight Ortiz was winning on the cards.

But Wilder is hardly the first man to enter the ring with inhuman power. A number of legendary big men over the generations have had the ability to strike down their opponents with one blow as if they were hit a lightning bolt.

Who were the most lethal?

Here is a list of the 10 hardest punching heavyweights of the modern, post-World War II era (from No. 10 to No. 1).

 

NO. 10 LENNOX LEWIS

KO percentage (of wins): 78
Years active: 1989-2003
Record: 41-2-1
KOs: 32
KOs inside 3 rounds: 16
Notable KO victims: Frank Bruno, Andrew Golota, Oliver McCall, Tommy Morrison, Hasim Rahman, Donovan Rudduck, Mike Tyson
Background: Hall of Fame boxing writer Colin Hart paid Lennox Lewis the ultimate compliment in British boxing circles when he wrote about Lewis’ knockout of Razor Ruddock in 1992. Lewis put Ruddock down with a monstrous right hand in the first round and then finished the job in Round 2. Wrote Hart for The Sun: “The blow that floored Ruddock in the first round was, without doubt, the best single punch I’ve seen from a British heavyweight since ‘Enery’s ‘Ammer (a reference to Henry Cooper) put Cassius Clay on his backside at Wembley Stadium almost 30 years ago.” Lewis, an Olympic champion who held six major titles over a decade that he dominated, was a complete boxer. He was a good, athletic – especially for a 6-foot-4 man – and clever technician, with one of best jabs of his era. However, his straight right – usually landed from the perfect distance – was his calling card. When it landed flush, his fights generally changed in an instant. The Ruddock punch, the one that ended Hasim Rahman’s night in their rematch and the shots that led to Mike Tyson’s demise stand out but many more are noteworthy. One sparring partner reportedly said: “The man hit like a tank.”
More quotes: Graham Houston wrote for ESPN.com: “There were fights in which Lewis was frustratingly hesitant, but when he stepped in and really let the right hand fly he was one of heavyweight boxing’s most potent practitioners.” … TV commentator Max Kellerman once called Lewis “one of the most devastating right-handed punchers in the history of boxing. You don’t think Lennox has historical power in his right fist? OK, who has ever hit harder? George Foreman? Maybe in his first incarnation, when he had more snap on his punches, but then the 1973 version of big George checked in around 220. Lewis has him by nearly 30 pounds. Earnie Shavers? The champ has him by nearly 40. Foreman and Shavers hit harder for their size, but they were significantly smaller.”

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Lennox Lewis: Anthony Joshua has ‘a heavy task ahead of him’

Lennox Lewis said Anthony Joshua can beat Andy Ruiz Jr. in their rematch Saturday if he’s prepared.

Anthony Joshua didn’t just lose to Andy Ruiz Jr. this past June in New York. He was beaten down, as much emotionally as physically.

That’s one reason his attempt to the turn the tables in their rematch Saturday in Saudi Arabia is a significant challenge. Another is that Joshua took an immediate rematch instead of rebuilding his confidence against a lesser foe, which some believe was ill-advised.

Others have succeeded in reversing such a debacle. Joe Louis comes to mind. A young “Brown Bomber” was beaten up by veteran Max Schmeling in 1936. Two years later Louis KO’d the German inside one round.

A more modern example is Wladimir Klitschko. The giant Ukrainian suffered three deflating knockouts early in his career but bounced back to become one of the most-enduring heavyweight champions of all time.

Lennox Lewis reversed his misfortune in an immediate rematch, as Joshua is trying to do. Lewis was knocked out by Hasim Rahman in five rounds but, more focused, returned the favor in four rounds seven months later. He also avenged a knockout loss to Oliver McCall, although those fights were years apart.

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Lewis, speaking to members of the media before the Deontay Wilder-Luis Ortiz II fight on Nov. 23, wouldn’t predict how things might go for Joshua in the rematch but said their situations were entirely different.

“The way I lost was one punch,” he said. “When you lose by one punch, then you know the problem is not to get punched. For me, it was just a defensive error. It was like falling off a horse. OK, you fell off a horse. Let just get on the horse and show you I can ride the horse.

“It was a situation where, yeah, he caught me with one punch but he’s not a better fighter than me. I have more talent them him. … What I need to do is my best, don’t make a silly mistake because that’s what allowed me to lose the fight.”

In other words, Joshua knew exactly what the problem was and how to correct it. Joshua? That’s a different story.

His loss against Ruiz wasn’t the result of a single mistake or a single blow. Joshua was knocked down four times before the fight was stopped. And his body language when referee Michael Griffin waved off the fight screamed, “I’m hurt, I’m lost, I have no idea what to do.”

Some wonder whether that sense of helplessness can be damaging psychologically – and linger.

“(Joshua) can look at the tape and say, ‘When I get hurt, I need to hold him properly,’” Lewis said the week of Wilder-Ruiz. “That’s one thing I noticed. The second thing is he came back to the corner (after being hurt) and said, ‘What’s happening? What is he doing?’ I don’t know what happened but he obviously has gone back to the drawing board and looked at what he needs to do. Let’s hope he can correct it before the fight.

“… It was a bad loss,” Lewis added. “He’s got a heavy task ahead of him. He’s making the right moves. … (But) he needs to learn a lot of stuff.”

Lewis also doesn’t think an immediate rematch was a good idea – “especially how he lost” – but the site of the fight, in another foreign country, seems to bother him more.

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The former three-time heavyweight champion and Hall of Famer doesn’t begrudge promoter Eddie Hearn the money generated by staging the fight in Saudi Arabia. That’s his job, Lewis said.

At the same time, fighters’ needs aren’t always met when business comes first.

“(Joshua’s) promoter should really have brought the fight back to England, where his family is, where his crowd is, and build him back up that way,” Lewis said. “Now he’s been brought back to another foreign country where he doesn’t know anybody. …

“I don’t think an event should be made just because of the money. It should be what’s better for your fight, what’s the best place for your fighter, to guarantee the win. … Promoters try to get the most money possible but the promoter and boxer and supposed to work hand in hand.”

In the end, Lewis said, Joshua can win if he’s ready.

“If Joshua doesn’t come in mentally and physically prepared, he’ll lose the fight,” Lewis said. “… He felt he wasn’t in the best shape (in the first fight), so he’s gotten himself in great shape. That gives him confidence. He was 50 percent in the first fight and was able to hurt Ruiz but couldn’t take him out. Now he’s 100 percent. Now if he hurts the guy, he will be able to take him out.

“That’s what will be in his head, ‘I’m a better boxer than him and I’ll show him.’

”

Special feature: 10 unforgettable heavyweight rematches

Will the rematch between Andy Ruiz Jr. and Anthony Joshua join the most-memorable sequels in history? That’s no easy task.

The rematch between Andy Ruiz Jr. and Anthony Joshua on Saturday is as compelling as it gets because of their first fight.

Ruiz, a replacement opponent known as much for his paunch as his ability, pulled off one of the great upsets by putting Joshua down four times and stopping him in Round 7 on June 1 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Can Ruiz do it again in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, the site of the rematch? Or will Joshua have made the necessary adjustments and avenge his career-changing setback?

Of course, we can only imagine whether Ruiz-Joshua II will live up to the original. Some sequels are as good or better than the first fight, some fall short.

Here are 10 heavyweight rematches – or third fights – that remain in our consciousness for reasons unique to each of the fights.

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Deontay Wilder, Muhammad Ali now tied on list of defenses in single reign

Deontay Wilder pulled even with Muhammad Ali at No. 5 on the list of successful defenses in a single title reign.

Deontay Wilder is climbing the list of heavyweight titleholders with the most successful defenses.

His one-punch knockout of Luis Ortiz on Saturday was the 10th successful defense of his title, which equals Muhammad Ali for No. 5 on the all-time list in a single reign.

Joe Louis, with 25 (or 26 if you accept a ruling by the New York State Athletic Commission), tops the list.

Here is the Top 10 (number of successful defenses in a single reign):

1. Joe Louis – 25*
2. Larry Holmes – 19
3. Wladimir Klitschko – 18
4. Tommy Burns – 11
5T. Muhammad Ali – 10
Deontay Wilder – 10
7T. Joe Frazier – 9
Lennox Lewis – 9
Vitali Klitschko – 9
10. Jack Johnson – 8

Joe Louis’ records for number of successful title defenses seem safe. U.S. Army via AP

Wilder, who has had only one reign as titleholder, also moved up a notch on the list of total successful defenses. Here’s that Top 10:

1. Joe Louis – 25*
2. Wladimir Klitschko – 23
3. Muhammad Ali – 19
4. Larry Holmes – 19
5T. Lennox Lewis – 13
Vitali Klitschko – 13
7. Deontay Wilder – 10
8T. Mike Tyson – 9
Joe Frazier – 9
10. Evander Holyfield – 7

*- A 26th fight during Louis’ reign, against Johnny Davis in 1944, was supposed to be one in a series of exhibitions but the New York State Athletic Commission declared that Louis’ title was at stake.

Special feature: Greatest heavyweights of the modern era

Boxing Junkie presents in this special feature its list of the 10 greatest heavyweights of the modern era.

The process of selecting the 10 greatest heavyweights of the modern era – post World War II – made one thing clear: There have been many outstanding big men over the past 75 years.

Boxing Junkie was able to whittle the list down to the desired number but it wasn’t easy. The criteria we used wasn’t complicated: Our decisions were based on the accomplishments of the fighters, with some consideration of their impact on the sport.

We decided not to include active fighters such as Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury and Andy Ruiz Jr. We thought it made sense to let the current crop of heavyweights sort things out before considering them.

Wilder faces Luis Ortiz in a rematch on Saturday. Ruiz does the same with Anthony Joshua on Dec. 7.

So here is our list, with the “next five” listed after No. 10.

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DAZN’s Brian Kenny to do blow-by-blow for Wilder-Ortiz II PPV

Brian Kenny will take up the play-by-play role for Fox’s upcoming PPV broadcast of the heavyweight title fight, Wilder-Ortiz II.

If only the fighters could move as freely between networks.

Fox’s pay-per-view show featuring the heavyweight title fight between Deontay Wilder and Luis Ortiz on Saturday will include a different – but familiar – voice on the broadcast.

Veteran Brian Kenny, who currently works for rival streaming platform DAZN, will assume the blow-by-blow role alongside analysts Joe Goossen and Lennox Lewis, according to a release.

Fox normally rotates between Chris Myers and Kenny Albert for its blow-by-blow duties but both of them are tied up with NFL assignments, according to a member of Fox’s PR team.

By bringing in Kenny, who also works for the MLB Network, Fox gets a familiar name with a deep boxing background.

Kenny worked on a few PBC on Fox broadcasts from 2015 to 2017. He also has done boxing work for ESPN.

 

Deontay Wilder building impressive legacy of consistency

Deontay Wilder’s nine successful defenses during a single title reign equals three greats at No. 6 on the all-time list.

The first word you might think of when Deontay Wilder is mentioned is power. Another word might also be appropriate: longevity.

Lennox Lewis and the Klitschko brothers became known for their consistency over an extended period of time and Wilder is beginning to build the same sort of legacy. Wilder outpointed Bermane Stiverne to win his heavyweight title in January 2015 – close to five years ago – and has successfully defended nine times, including his draw with Tyson Fury last December.

That figure – nine successful defenses by a heavyweight titleholder in a single reign – equals Joe Frazier, Lewis and Vitali Klitschko at No. 6 on the all-time list. If Wilder beats Luis Ortiz in their rematch on Nov. 23, he will pull into a tie with Muhammad Ali at No. 5.

Before Lewis, you have to go back to the early 1980s to find such numbers. Larry Holmes made 16 consecutive successful defenses during a single reign between 1978 and 1983.

Wilder has successfully defended his title against Eric Molina, Johann Duhaupas, Artur Szpilka, Chris Arreola, Gerald Washington, Stiverne, Ortiz, Fury and Dominic Breazeale.

Here is the Top 10 (number of successful defenses in a single reign):

1. Joe Louis – 26
2. Larry Holmes – 19
3. Wladimir Klitschko – 18
4. Tommy Burns – 11
5. Muhammad Ali – 10
6T. Joe Frazier – 9
Lennox Lewis – 9
Vitali Klitschko – 9
Deontay Wilder – 9
10. Jack Johnson – 8

Joe Louis’ records for number of successful title defenses seem safe. U.S. Army via AP

Of course, Wilder, who has had only one reign as titleholder, is lower on the list of total successful defenses. Here’s that Top 10:

1. Joe Louis – 26
2. Wladimir Klitschko – 23
3. Muhammad Ali – 19
4. Larry Holmes – 19
5T. Lennox Lewis – 13
Vitali Klitschko – 13
7. Mike Tyson – 9
8T. Joe Frazier – 9
Deontay Wilder – 9
10. Evander Holyfield – 7