Shannon Briggs fought in a golden age of heavyweights and mixed it with the best of them.
The American heavyweight has a famously loud personality and is now as well known for his catchphrase ‘Let’s go champ!’ as he is his exploits in the ring.
He turned professional in 1992 and quickly gained attention for his knockout power and in 1997 he defeated George Foreman in a controversial decision, then later claimed the WBO heavyweight title in 2006 by beating Sergei Liakhovich with a last-round knockout.
Speaking to The God Pod, Briggs reflected on some of the hardest punchers he ever faced.
“I fought five former heavyweight champions and three of them are some of the hardest boxers in history. Lennox Lewis, Vitali Klitschko and George Foreman.”
‘The Cannon’ fought and beat an old Foreman over the distance in 1997. It was to be ‘Big’ George’s last professional fight before his final retirement at the age of 48.
Briggs then challenged for the WBC Heavyweight World Title against Lewis one year later, drawing the champion into a fire fight but ultimately coming off worse in the fifth round when he was stopped.
He revealed the one fighter who hit harder than both when they fought in 1999 – Francois Botha.
“I asked Evander Holyfield one day and he said who hit you harder, and he said Francois Botha, and I said me too. He hit me harder than any man I think ever hit me in my life. Every blow was, like Foreman, it’s a different type of power. Foreman hits extremely hard, both of them neck and neck but it’s something about those punches from Botha.
Briggs drew the fight but admitted he came off worse.
“It was a draw, but you could have given it to him. He broke my ribs, I’m not gunna lie.”
Botha was the IBF World Champion before being stripped of the belt due to a failed doping test. Though packing a heavy punch himself, the South African was knocked out by the likes of Mike Tyson, Wladimir Klitschko and Lewis. In his fight against Briggs in 1998 the pair fought to a majority draw.
Briggs is a long-time friend of heavyweight peer Mike Tyson and recently made his prediction for when ‘Iron Mike’ takes on Jake Paul on November 15th.
