Emanuel Steward, the legendary boxing trainer, has ranked the top three heavyweight boxers he believes were better than Lennox Lewis. Steward shared his thoughts in an interview with Bokser.org, giving his opinion on the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time.
Steward worked with Lewis for several years and saw firsthand the British-Canadian boxer's impressive career. Lewis won an Olympic gold medal in Seoul in 1988 and went on to have a stellar professional career from 1989 to 2003. He became a three-time world heavyweight champion and secured the undisputed title by defeating Evander Holyfield in November 1999. Lewis also notched notable victories against Mike Tyson and Vitali Klitschko, suffering only two defeats which he later avenged.
Despite Lewis's incredible achievements, Steward named three fighters he considered superior. In the interview with Bokser.org, Steward explained his choices:
"Ali would be the number one."
Steward picked Muhammad Ali as the best, citing his performance against top opponents in their prime.
For the second spot, Steward chose Joe Louis. He explained:
"Joe Louis for being the greatest champion, what he meant to the world, in particular when they had the war going on and for the black race and for I guess 25 defences, 11 years, for all of those qualities he would still be in people's minds back that I know, [they say] he's the greatest champion because he's the emotional champion."
Steward highlighted Louis's impact during wartime, his significance for the black community, and his impressive 25 title defenses over 11 years.
George Foreman rounded out Steward's top three. The trainer said:
"I think that a lot of people underestimate George Foreman, in his own way, very smart, big, strong guy."
Steward believed Foreman was often underestimated, praising his intelligence and physical attributes.
All three boxers Steward named are considered all-time greats in the sport. Each won the world heavyweight championship at least once during their careers.
While these rankings might spark debate among boxing fans, they offer a unique perspective from one of the sport's most respected trainers. Steward's close work with Lewis makes his opinion particularly interesting, as he still ranks these three legends above the British-Canadian champion.
