Joe Egan, a former boxer who sparred with Mike Tyson and lost to Lennox Lewis in the amateurs, says Tyson hit harder. Egan shared his experience on the Option One podcast, giving a personal take ...
Lewis, known as "The Lion," was the last undisputed heavyweight champion until Oleksandr Usyk claimed that title in May. He beat every opponent he faced, some in rematches after shock losses. His career included fights with legends like Evander Holyfield, Vitali Klitschko, and Mike Tyson.
In April 2002, Lewis knocked out Tyson in the eighth round. He defended his WBC, IBF, IBO, and The Ring titles in that fight. The bout was a defining moment for both fighters' careers.
Tyson, nicknamed "Iron Mike," kept fighting until back-to-back defeats in 2005 ended his professional run. Now, he's planning a controversial return in November 2023 against Jake Paul, a YouTuber-turned-fighter with 11 bouts and 1 loss under his belt.
On the Option One podcast, Egan said he'd rather face Lewis professionally. He explained his choice:
"Lennox Lewis. He didn't hurt me as much as Mike. People asked me how badly Mike Tyson hurt me. He made me cry many times."
Egan described Tyson's style as ferocious, saying he threw every punch with bad intentions and wanted to hurt with every shot. Tyson's signature move was an uppercut that could lift men off the ground.
The numbers back up Egan's experience. Tyson's knockout ratio stands at an impressive 88%, while Lewis, no slouch himself, comes in at 78%.
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Tyson will need every bit of that power when he steps into the ring with Paul. As they say, power is often the last thing to leave a fighter – Tyson will be hoping that's true for his upcoming bout.