Former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, Lennox Lewis, has listed the fighters that he has most enjoyed watching over the years.
Lennox ‘The Lion’ Lewis is remembered by many as the greatest British heavyweight of all-time, having held the undisputed title in 2000 and beaten the likes of Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Vitali Klitschko and Frank Bruno in a forty-four-fight career.
His willingness to take on all-comers has built up a respected legacy with a phenomenal résumé to boot. As one of the most captivating fighters to ever do it, he has now told his social media followers of the ‘non-heavyweight’ fighters that he himself enjoyed watching.
“Sugar Ray Robinson & Leonard, Salvador Sanchez, [Marvin] Hagler, Prince Naseem [Hamed], [Joe] Calzaghe, Shane Mosley, [Floyd] Mayweather, JC Chavez, [Roberto] Duran, and [Aaron] Pryor make my list of favourites to watch.”
One of the most eye-catching on the list is Salvador Sanchez – one of the first names mentioned by the former champion.
The Mexican was the 1981 Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year, alongside Sugar Ray Leonard, but tragically died in a car accident at the age of 23-years-old the very next year. Sanchez won the WBC featherweight title in 1980 and managed to make nine successful defences before his untimely death, finishing his career with a record of 44-1-1 despite an extremely premature end.
Many established writers believe that Sanchez would have become one of the all-time greats if he continued to box and still has his place as the 24th greatest fighter of the last eighty years, according to a 2002 article by Ring Magazine.
Most of the other names would be mentioned on the list of many fighters and fans, with the likes of Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler and Prince Naseem Hamed needing no introduction as historic entertainers of the sport.
However, one more slightly unorthodox name is Aaron Pryor. The ‘Hawk’ dominated the super-lightweight division during the 1980’s, winning all eleven world title fights of his career and recording thirty-five stoppage victories in a 39-1 career. Pryor will always be remembered for his 1982 bout with Alexis Arguello, where he won by knockout in the fourteenth round in arguably one of the greatest fights of all-time.
Lennox Lewis’ legacy is well and truly cemented in the sport and he would likely be on the list of many of today’s fighters’ favourites to watch. Whilst Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury jostle for position amongst the greats, Lewis will be difficult to overtake.