Shannon Briggs has picked Lennox Lewis as the hardest-hitting heavyweight he faced in his boxing career. The former heavyweight champ shared his thoughts in a recent chat with The Ring Magazine, putting Lewis ahead of other heavy hitters like George Foreman.
Briggs fought some of the biggest names in heavyweight boxing during his time in the ring. He got knocked out by Lewis in the fifth round of their fight, but not before he managed to wobble the champ. Briggs also beat George Foreman by majority decision in what turned out to be Foreman's last professional fight.
When asked about the hardest punchers he faced, Briggs didn't hold back. He told The Ring Magazine:
"I fought some punchers! So many vicious punchers that make you say, 'Wow!' Ibragimov, little guy but hit pretty hard, he could knock any man out. Botha was a very hard puncher. Ray Mercer hit hard and Vitali Klitschko – let's not forget Klitschko. He hit me one time so hard I didn't know where I was at. [laughs] I would say Lennox Lewis – that right hand would kill anybody."
Briggs mentioned several hard hitters like Ibragimov, Botha, Ray Mercer, and Vitali Klitschko. But he singled out Lewis as the hardest puncher, saying his right hand "would kill anybody."
Interestingly, Briggs had high praise for George Foreman's jab, even though he didn't name him as the hardest hitter overall. Foreman was 48 when he fought Briggs, but his jab left a lasting impression:
"The greatest jab that I felt right in my face, every time, that wouldn't miss, was George Foreman. It wasn't the fastest jab, but it was very accurate and I couldn't get away from it sometimes. (laughs)"
Briggs also gave a nod to Lewis and Ray Mercer for their jabs. He said Lewis had a "tough jab to get away [from]" that was "accurate and strong." Mercer's jab, according to Briggs, "hurt" and "was like a right hand."
Foreman, known for his knockout power with 68 KOs in 76 wins, recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of his famous "Rumble in the Jungle" fight against Muhammad Ali. Despite his reputation as a fearsome puncher, it's Lewis who Briggs rates as the hardest hitter he faced in the ring.
