Posted on 02/08/2004 5:34:25 PM PST by Jack Black
Lewis knew how to fight, and when to quit
By TIM DAHLBERG, AP Boxing Writer February 6, 2004 Lennox Lewis knew how to fight, and when to quit. Now he can only hope that history will be kinder than the critics who never appreciated his reign as heavyweight champion of the world.
Lewis announced his retirement Friday, ending a 14-year career that was brilliant at times, and puzzling at others. He walked away at the top, his heavyweight belt still securely around his waist and his new fiancee, Violet, at his side.
Lewis beat Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, defeated the only two men who beat him in rematches and was a three-time heavyweight champion. He ushered in a new era of big heavyweights that changed the sport and made him rich.
ADVERTISEMENT
His greatest accomplishment, though, may be in knowing when to walk away -- something few of his predecessors could do.
``I didn't want to be known as a boxer all my life,'' Lewis said. ``There's other things I can do that are positive. This is the end of one era, let a new era begin.''
The first British fighter to win the heavyweight title in more than a century, Lewis left millions of dollars on the table rather than fight a rematch with Vitali Klitschko. He was still undecided until about two weeks ago, when he decided it was time to retire at the age of 38.
Not since Rocky Marciano quit with the title nearly a half century ago has a heavyweight champion gone out on top -- and stayed out.
Unlike Muhammad Ali's retirement in 1978, though, Lewis vowed that his decision is final.
``I was thinking about it for a long time. Should I go back in and have one more fight?'' he said. ``But I realized this is the drug of the sport. There is always one more fight and somebody to fight. I didn't want to get caught up in it, and I thought that this is the time when I should gracefully bow out.''
By doing so, Lewis leaves a huge opening in the heavyweight division, which has been paralyzed in recent years as Lewis fought only infrequently to defend his WBC title.
``I think it might reinvigorate the sport a bit,'' said Ross Greenburg, president of HBO Sports. ``In many ways the heavyweight champion rules the sport, and now there are some intriguing options out there.''
Klitschko, the giant Ukrainian who was getting the best of Lewis before being stopped on cuts last June in Los Angeles, may be the most intriguing of all. The WBC had ordered Lewis to fight Klitschko again if he was going to keep fighting, and now it is likely that Klitschko and No. 2 challenger Corrie Sanders will meet for the vacant title.
Roy Jones Jr. appears ready to move back to light heavyweight, leaving rugged John Ruiz with that title while IBF champion Chris Byrd is also in the mix. Byrd beat Klitschko in 2000 when Klitschko retired after the ninth round with a shoulder injury.
``It makes matches. Now we won't have to wait on the decision of Lennox Lewis or Roy Jones for that matter,'' Byrd said. ``Now we can start actually fighting.''
Lewis fought only twice in the last 26 months, and it seemed against Klitschko that his heart hadn't been into training. Lewis first said he would give Klitschko a December rematch, but then said he wasn't sure if he would continue fighting at all.
``Some fighters box until they lose and that's their mark for retirement,'' Lewis said. ``You've got boxers today who should definitely retire. I didn't want the big shine to go dull for me.''
Lewis held a news conference in London, where he won his greatest acclaim, to formally announce the decision that had already been widely speculated about.
He finished his career with a 41-2-1 record, tarnished only by knockout losses to Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman -- both of which he later avenged.
``I've completed all my goals and now it's time for me say goodbye,'' Lewis said. ``I definitely wanted to say goodbye at the top and now I am at the top.''
Lewis began his pro career after beating Riddick Bowe to win the super heavyweight gold medal at the 1988 Olympics, and won the heavyweight title for the first time in 1993 with a decision over Tony Tucker.
He defended it only twice before being knocked out in the second round by McCall, a pattern that repeated itself when Rahman stopped him in April 2001 in South Africa.
Lewis came back to knock out Rahman in his next fight, setting the stage for the biggest fight of his career in June 2002 against Tyson. In the most dominating performance of his career, Lewis gave Tyson a beating before finally stopping him in the eighth round in Memphis, Tenn.
``Mike Tyson was my ultimate fight,'' Lewis said. ``That was the fight that kept me around for a long time. I didn't want to go out without facing him. I didn't want people to say that Mike Tyson was the best around.''
Even on top, though, Lewis was a reluctant champion. Fans saw him as aloof, and he spent little time promoting himself between fights.
``I just wanted to keep my life private as much as I possibly could,'' Lewis said. ``We all have different personalities in how we go about our sport. I chose my life definitely not to be like Mike Tyson. I wanted to do it in a more positive way in the sense I wanted to be honorable and respectable.''
That trait may have hurt Lewis' popularity, as he never was able to sell many tickets until matched with the likes of Holyfield and Tyson. But Greenburg predicted the 6-foot-5, 250-pounder will be more appreciated by boxing fans as time goes on.
``He was very confident and cocky and some took his confidence as arrogance,'' Greenburg said. ``But over time they'll look back and see he beat Holyfield and he beat Tyson. A lot of the criticism was unfair because when you rule the roost that long you deserve some respect.
``Unfortunately for Lennox he was shy and he didn't enjoy the press attention so he was an easy target.''
Not anymore. For now, Lewis plans to do some commentating for HBO's boxing telecasts and some sports management work. He's got marriage plans, and plans for the future that don't include getting hit in the head.
``I have no regrets. I can only look at life and say everything that was supposed to happen did happen,'' Lewis said. ``I did complete my goals and it was no easy road. It had bumps and curves and potholes. But if I would have done it any other way it wouldn't have made me who I am today.''
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.