Lennox Lewis fought and beat the best of his era, losing on two occasions but later avenging those defeats in rematches.
‘The Lion’ is well regarded in the sport, with many believing his fundamental skills, strength and power put him in the conversation as one of the best heavyweights in history.
To achieve that status, Lewis mixed it with the likes of Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Vitali Klitschko. His stoppage losses to Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman, though shocking, showed vulnerabilities that made his campaign even more thrilling to witness.
The Olympic Gold Medalist overlooked all of the above when naming the hardest hitter he faced, instead opting for Shannon Briggs.
“He lacked endurance but Briggs certainly knew how to put his bodyweight behind a punch. Unfortunately for him you need the full package when you face me so power isn’t enough. Fans may expect me to say McCall or Hasim Rahman for punching power but I basically set myself up against both of them.”
Lewis was also impressed by Briggs’ speed.
“I was surprised by Briggs’ handspeed. He was able to close the gap very quickly and that allowed him to get off the big punches. Sometimes you don’t realize how quick someone is until you’re in there.”
Lewis and Briggs engaged in a firefight in 1998 for the former’s WBC World Title. Lewis fought his way through extreme danger to win by TKO in the fifth.
Shannon ‘The Cannon’ is credited with the most first round knockouts, 37, of any heavyweight in boxing history. He would go on to become champion in 2006 with a win over Siarhei Liakhovich.
