After Bob Fitzsimmons, it would take exactly 100 years for the next undisputed British world-heavyweight champion. That man, Lennox Lewis, would ultimately eclipse Fitzsimmons’ achievements in the top division, aided by an extra five-and-a-half inches of height and 75 pounds of weight at 6’5” and 245 pounds.
Lewis was born in London before moving to Canada aged 12, the country for which he’d win Olympic gold in 1988. Lewis returned to the UK when he turned professional and went on to win both the British and European heavyweight titles.
No heavyweight before Lewis’ era had combined such a large frame with first-class balance, power and athleticism, and he ushered in the super-heavyweight era which the Klitschko brothers have continued. Because of this unusual combination of attributes, Lewis lines up well against pretty much any heavyweight in history.
The leading American heavyweights of the 1990s: Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Riddick Bowe were less than eager to face Lewis, who was thought to entail more risk than the financial rewards he could bring to the table. Bowe in particular outright refused to face Lewis and was stripped of the WBC title.
Lewis’ career then hit a major setback when he was shockingly stopped in the second round by Oliver McCall in 1994. Lewis beat McCall in a rematch three years later (as he would his only other conqueror, Hasim Rahman, in 2001) but had to wait until 1999 for his first big shot against Evander Holyfield.
After a hotly debated draw, Lewis beat Holyfield on points at the second attempt before cleaning out the division, the most high-profile fight being the overcooked showdown with Mike Tyson–a fight Lewis won by eighth-round stoppage.
Lewis ultimately reigned for four years as heavyweight champion, beating Vitali Klitschko by cuts-related stoppage in his last fight, but he could surely have beaten Holyfield at an earlier date were it not for the politics that surround the sport.
Unlike quite a few names on this list, Lewis has avoided an ill-advised comeback, despite the huge sums potentially on offer.
