Shannon Briggs is well known for his punching power but his tendency to stay in range meant he took shots from some of the best.
Heavyweight champion from 2006-2007, the Brooklyn native was unapologetically brash and aggressive both in and out of the ring. Briggs had an 88% knockout-to-win ratio and was an extremely watchable heavyweight when his gas tank allowed it, although asthma, in his own words, held him back as fights went on.
His two statement wins came against Ray Mercer and George Foreman, although the latter was highly controversial with many believing the then 47-year-old should have taken it on the cards rather the majority decision in Briggs’ favour.
‘Big’ George – known for his thumping power even at that age – was the aggressor in the bout and landed clean on plenty of occasions, but it was in Briggs’ next fight against Lennox Lewis that he was hit the hardest.
In a feature with the Ring Magazine, he praised the power of ‘The Lion’.
“I fought some punchers! So many vicious punchers that make you say, ‘Wow!’ Ibragimov, little guy but hit pretty hard, he could knock any man out. Botha was a very hard puncher. Ray Mercer hit hard and Vitali Klitschko – let’s not forget Klitschko. He hit me one time so hard I didn’t know where I was at. [laughs] I would say Lennox Lewis – that right hand would kill anybody.”
Shannon ‘The Cannon’ faced Lewis after his Foreman victory and put up a good fight in the early rounds before being stopped in the fifth.
Lewis would battle on for ten more fights that included wins over Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson and Vitali Klitschko, as well as an avenged victory against Hasim Rahman – only one of two men to ever beat Lewis.
