Shannon Briggs says Lennox Lewis would beat almost any heavyweight in history. The former champ thinks Lewis has a 90% chance against anyone, even Muhammad Ali.
Briggs knows what he's talking about. He fought Lewis for the WBC heavyweight title in 1998 and lost in the fifth round. He also has a controversial win over George Foreman from the year before.
Lewis was a force in the ring. He became the undisputed heavyweight champion by beating Evander Holyfield. He retired in 2003 after beating Vitali Klitschko. Lewis beat every opponent he faced, some in rematches. His big wins include Mike Tyson, Frank Bruno, and Hasim Rahman.
In an interview with First Round TV, Briggs said:
"On any given night the best of Lennox Lewis versus the best of any other fighter, Lennox Lewis has a 90% chance of winning. Any heavyweight throughout history."
But Briggs isn't sure about Ali. He thinks Ali's three-year break from boxing makes it hard to judge. Ali lost his license for refusing to join the military during the Vietnam War.
"The only thing about Ali is we won't know. Anything after those three years [missed due to being banned from boxing for draft evasion] don't count for me. Ali, we missed three years. That type of fighter, a rhythm fighter, a talented fighter like that, he needs to stay in motion."
Ali came back strong in 1970, knocking out Jerry Quarry in the third round. He went on to have legendary fights like the Rumble in the Jungle with George Foreman and the Thrilla in Manila with Joe Frazier.
Lewis became the undisputed champion by beating Holyfield, cementing his place in boxing history. But the debate about who's the best heavyweight ever will always go on.
