A Week After Lennox Lewis' Career Defining Performance: What Does It Mean To Place In Heavyweight History?

By Tony Nobbs

15.06 - Almost a week after Lennox Lewis' "career defining" performance over Mike Tyson, it may be easier to put in perspective what the eight round knockout means to the Brit's place in Heavyweight History. While it is safe to say Lewis or Tyson will not be placed up there with Muhummad Ali, Joe Louis or Jack Johnson, what does knocking out the burnt out shell of a former Champion do to rate "LL" with the rest of the divisions top 10? And how would a prime Tyson have fared?

During last weekend's fight, in about the fifth or sixth round, my mind flooded back to the films I have seen of Rocky Marciano's knockout of a 37 year old Louis in 1951, which co-incidentaly ended in round eight also. Holmes-Ali, no, that i don't need to look at old tapes, that was pitiful and
thankfuly Holmes was merciful in defeating his hero and we were all spared the torment seeing Ali counted out when Angelo Dundee screamed "The ball game's over" at the end of the tenth. The simple truth, in hindsight at least, is Tyson deserved to be in the ring with Lewis at this stage as much as Louis did with Marciano. At 35 (36 on June 30), Tyson is younger than Lewis who turns 37 on September 2 but in fight terms, he is light years from his glory days. The current Champion even pointed this out himself after the fight adding that he himself is "like old wine. I get better with age". During the early part of last week, Tyson was given at least a punchers chance by just about everyone but that all changed when he hopped on the scales at the official weigh - in, coming in at 234 plus pounds, his second heaviest ever and a good stone from the mid 80's version of Iron Mike. Even with the added weight, he was 15 pounds lighter than Lewis. All the pre-fight talk about him being under 220 and in the best shape of his life went out the window along with any legitimate chance he had of winning. Suddenly we all remembered the photo in the bathroom in Cuba.

Come fight time and it was clear Tyson knew he had not done the hard yards in camp or had the right fights to build himself up. He was nervous looking entering the ring and was even looking around at who knows what. Lewis entered in his usual focused manner, and not like Rahman in Sth. Africa when he appeared ready to fall asleep behind the curtain before coming out. And after a solid opening round which he took 10-9, it was all downhill for the former Champion who's best win in memory was way back in 1988, a 91 second job on Micheal Spinks. Tyson was on the end of the Lewis jab, one of the best ever, and the WBC-IBF Titlist used the uppercut in close to straighten Mike up where he was perfectly placed for the right cross. Lewis gave Tyson a clinical beating and to his credit, Tyson took his lumps, displaying a solid chin before going out on his shield. The longer the fight went it was clear as day that "Team Tyson" had no plan B. Heck, they did not even have a Plan A. It looked like all they worked on in the gym was rehearsing "just knock him out, hit him on the (supposed) glass chin baby". All that was missing in Tyson's corner were the Pom Poms and a rendition of "Go Mickey Go".

For what was claimed in percentages the best they came out with was "Let your Hands Go" and "He's given you his best shot"?. Tyson, like the majority of us would probably have boxes full of old boxing magazines stashed away someplace and after growing up on Mike Tyson, being born the same year, all that can be said is it was all very sad to watch and won't be the way Micheal Gerard Tyson the fighter is remembered by this writer. For his part, Lewis and corner were brilliant. This may not have been his greatest performance but it was his greatest night. Because today's Heavyweights are so much bigger than those of yesterday it is difficult to compare but Lewis is the best Heavyweight of a solid era, and his final position will be determined after he retires. But for now, in my amateur opinion at least,and considering a good big man beats a good litle man he must rate behind Holmes, Foreman, Frazier and Liston at number eight and because of his size,the 6 ft 5 former Olymic Gold Medallist who had two Champions (Bowe in '93 and Tyson in '96) willingly throw away Titles to avoid him, would have to be given a shot at any of the Champions pre 1960 (yes including Joe and Jack), most of whom weighed nowhere near 200 pounds fully dressed after Christmas pudding and should be legitimately classed as greats of the Cruiserweight division. And Pound For Pound Greats they were but Jack Dempsey would have found out very quickly he was not beating up on Jess Willard!

Rounding out the top ten are Holyfield, who he has beaten twice, albeit only once officially and Marciano with Charles and Walcott just missing out. Lewis also would have survived a few shaky moments and defeated a prime Tyson, who dare I say it, was never much good against a quality fighter in their peak who was not intimidated and would not have survived in the Golden Decade of Heavyweights, the 1970's which gave us an undereated fighter like Ken Norton, to name only one from that time, who could have been a dominate Champion in most other eras and more than capable of beating Lennox Lewis on a given night