Lennox Lewis left the boxing ring with a perfect record. He beat every opponent he faced, even the two who managed to knock him out once. When he retired, Lewis had 41 wins and 32 knockouts under his belt.
Lewis's career started with a bang. He won a gold medal at the 1988 Olympic Games. After just 22 pro fights, he got the WBC World Champion title. He defended it three times before Oliver McCall handed him his first loss. But Lewis didn't give up. Three years later, he got his revenge and took back the WBC belt from McCall.
In 1999, Lewis became the undisputed champion by beating Evander Holyfield. He held that title until he retired in 2003. No one else could claim that title until Oleksandr Usyk beat Tyson Fury in 2023.
Lewis had one more setback in 2001 when Hasim Rahman beat him. But true to form, Lewis came back and won the rematch right away. He capped off his career with wins over Mike Tyson and Vitali Klitschko before hanging up his gloves.
Many people think Lewis is the best heavyweight ever. Roy Jones Jr, another boxing legend, seems to agree. In a chat with Mail Sport Boxing, Jones said Lewis would beat a bunch of great heavyweights. His list includes Mike Tyson, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Wladimir Klitschko, Tyson Fury, and Oleksandr Usyk.
But there's one name Jones thinks would give Lewis trouble: Muhammad Ali. Ali changed boxing forever and had a huge impact on culture. He's famous for beating Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, and George Foreman. Like Lewis, Ali also won rematches against guys who beat him, at least until late in his career when he lost to Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick.
A fight between Lewis and Ali is the dream match many boxing fans would love to see. It would pit Ali's weird moves and smarts against Lewis's strength and solid skills.
Lewis and Ali never fought, but they had a connection. When Ali died in 2016, Lewis helped carry his coffin at the funeral. It was a touching moment that showed the respect between two of boxing's greatest champions.
