A boxing commentator called Al Bernstein has said Lennox Lewis is the greatest heavyweight of all time. He is not.
Lewis is one of the more underestimated heavyweight champions in professional boxing history but that does not mean he is the greatest.
The era Lewis boxed in was far less than some of the other champions in history, the likes of Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson being the main two competitors in his era he contended with.
All be it a very old Mike Tyson when he fought him, whom, he knocked out but Tyson was very overrated.
Some things to bare in mind on this for those new to boxing:
- Lennox Lewis lost by knockout twice in his career.
- Oliver McCall stopped him in round two in 1994.
- Hasim Rahman knocked him out in round five in 2001.
- Both losses came via one-punch knockouts against non-elite fighters.
- He never fought prime Riddick Bowe.
- Lewis faced Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield past their primes.
- Joe Louis made 25 title defenses during his reign.
- Lewis was stripped of titles multiple times for avoiding mandatory challengers.
- Many expert rankings place him between 3rd and 11th all-time.
- He retired with a 41-2-1 record, unlike undefeated Rocky Marciano at 49-0.
The fact remains Lennox Lewis is not the greatest heavyweight of all time.
Maybe in the top 10 of all time.
No matter what former commentator Al Bernstein says.