In todays Newspaper, thought it a worthwhile read?
By JAMES LAWTON
LONDON -- Among several reasons to sigh as Lennox Lewis announced his retirement here yesterday, the overwhelming one was relief. Lewis, 38 and a long way from a best that was quite awesome, is simply too good a fighter, and too good a man, to put a brilliantly won reputation at any further risk.
Last June in Los Angeles he came close to a third humiliation in an otherwise impeccable professional career, his lack of proper conditioning put him in trouble against Vitali Klitschko, a brave but guileless Ukrainian who would have run the risk of dismemberment on one of the champion's better days.
As he approached the end of his fighting days, Muhammad Ali said that such a prospect was the real killer of the last ambitions.
"Getting into the ring is nothing, I've always enjoyed doing that," Ali said. "What's hard is getting back on the road, doing the work, getting out of bed and sweating out all the badness. Man, that's hard -- it's the hardest of all."
No doubt Lewis, who may be at least 50 pounds over his best fighting weight, was feeling similar angst.
His former manager Frank Maloney, who piloted Lewis from Olympic gold at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, to the undisputed championship of the world in Las Vegas 11 years later, says, "It's great news. No one has done more for British boxing in the modern era than Lennox. He put us on the map, he never ducked a challenge and he has been a magnificent fighter. I would have been gutted if he had gone in with Klitschko again and lost."
Maloney's regret would have been that of a manager who cared passionately for his fighter's best interests and who, if he had his way, might easily have been able to celebrate the utterly flawless career of his charge.
Instead, Maloney's worst fears were realized in 1993 and 2001, when faulty preparation led to the two blemishes on the Lewis record.
In 1993, he argued for the sacking of trainer Pepe Correa but the new world champion was enjoying too much the freedom he had under the hubristic regime of a man who argued that opponent Oliver McCall would be blown away by the weight of Lewis' right hand. The result was a staggering defeat.
Eight years later, an apparently unthreatened Lewis trained lightly for his fight with the ill-considered Hasim Rahman and paid a cruel toll on his laxity when he was knocked out in a disastrous and lurid South African dawn. Again, Maloney had unsuccessfully pleaded for another kind of approach, saying shortly before the fight -- and his own parting from the Lewis camp -- "Is Lennox fit? I'll tell you better after the fight."
Lewis redeemed both defeats, and with such ease that the folly of them was mournfully underlined.
There have been two natural points of retirement for Lewis. One was in 1999, when he beat Evander Holyfield for the undisputed title, ironically far less convincingly than earlier in the year when he was outrageously granted a draw after systematically outboxing the Atlanta warrior in Madison Square Garden.
The other occasion was in Memphis in 2002, when he wiped away the last of the dark mythology surrounding Mike Tyson.
"I know it is a perfect time to retire," Lewis said then, "but somewhere in the back of my mind I keep thinking I'm so much better than the rest, and why give away all that money which can be earned so easily."
Easily? The trouble was that Lewis talked himself into believing it would be as easy as it had ever been, but when he got back into the ring against Klitschko he realized soon enough how wrong he was.
Lewis was not one of the great crowd pleasers. He wasn't a banger. He was a boxer who could marshall extraordinary power, and one of the great problems of his career was that he never had a single fight in which he had the chance to thoroughly deine himself.
His great fight would have been against Riddick Bowe, whom he had beaten in the Olympics. But Bowe, the darling of the America media, ran before the challenge, preferring to throw into a rubbish bin the WBC title once worn by Ali. The lack of such a fight has complicated any historic rating for Lewis, but maybe it is enough to say that no heavyweight -- not the great Joe Louis, or the incomparable Ali -- dominated boxing's most important division more profoundly.
One thing is certain. Lewis was good enough to prosper in any age of the ring, and a conservative estimate of his ability would have him comfortably among top-10 of all time. He can take that away with great pride -- along with the knowledge that few fighters ever have given the best of themselves so consistently and for so long. He leaves, as he came in, a true champion.
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regards
minir
Lewis leaves a True Champ
Hi teacher.aide & twisted
Thanks for your replies. I too agree. His failing if you can consider it that was he was a man without a Country. He lived and fought in Canada, then went to England and at times lived in the USA.
Though he had dedicated Fans in each Country, he stood for none in reality. Same as his Speech. One minute a Canadian accent, then just as easily British, or Jamaican.
Because of this he appeared aloof to many. One cannot argue though he did it and he did it His Way. He resisted the shady Management others fell into and kept his own earnings.
Not since Rocky Marciano has a Heavyweight Champ had the good sense to Retire while Still the Champ. Good for Him.
Have a Great day Guys & Thanks again
regards
minir
Thanks for your replies. I too agree. His failing if you can consider it that was he was a man without a Country. He lived and fought in Canada, then went to England and at times lived in the USA.
Though he had dedicated Fans in each Country, he stood for none in reality. Same as his Speech. One minute a Canadian accent, then just as easily British, or Jamaican.
Because of this he appeared aloof to many. One cannot argue though he did it and he did it His Way. He resisted the shady Management others fell into and kept his own earnings.
Not since Rocky Marciano has a Heavyweight Champ had the good sense to Retire while Still the Champ. Good for Him.
Have a Great day Guys & Thanks again
regards
minir
Originally posted by downhill
Agrees that it's great he retired...He was pushing it to have fought the last time, imho.....To retire a champ and not keep looking at the purse is probalby the best thing he's ever done for his PR..
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Hi downhill
He nearly fell into the Money Pit, but thankfully came to his senses. How many Greats of Sport stay too long. The Money & Adulation are intoxicating it seems, but Oh! the satisfaction of going out On Top.
To be remembered as a Winner & knowing when to Quit.
5 Stars!Have a Good one downhill & Thanks
regards
minir