Boxing: Evander Holyfield Named 'Toughest Opponent' By Lennox Lewis

Retired three-time boxing champion Lennox Lewis is placing Evander Holyfield above everybody else as he labeled his fellow heavyweight great as the toughest opponent he ever faced.

“People seem to be genuinely surprised when I tell them (Evander Holyfield) was my toughest opponent,” wrote Lewis on his Instagram account, while clarifying that the fight he considers the toughest – his fight against Ray Mercer - is on another category.

“Holyfield, like me, has an extensive amateur pedigree that has served him well throughout his professional career. He started boxing at eight years old and was an Olympic bronze medalist in 1984. Before he moved up to the heavyweight division, he’s a man that cleared out the cruiserweight division to become the undisputed champion, and arguably the best ever, in that weight class,” he added.

Lewis and Holyfield fought twice in their careers, both held in 1999. The first one ended in a controversial split draw while the second served the British-Canadian boxer a unanimous decision victory to become the undisputed heavyweight champion – a feat that has not been replicated since.

Lewis, though, felt the first encounter should have gone his way.

“That’s a lot of experience and it’s safe to say that by the time we met for the undisputed heavyweight championship in 1999, he had seen it all. When you combine Evander’s amateur and professional experience, you would be hard-pressed not to see the kind of success he’s had in the ring.

“I may tease him a bit on our two fights, he knows I won both fights even though he won’t admit it, but in all seriousness, he’s the only man that has gone 24 rounds with me,” the former Olympic gold-medallist continued.

Apart from seizing his notable showdown against “The Real Deal”, Lewis fixed his status as a distinguished heavyweight name by winning against other household figures in the weight class such as Mike Tyson, Vitali Klitschko, and Oliver McCall.

Lewis also highlighted his amateur experience as a common ground he shared with Holyfield, believing that the journey before the pro ranks set them up to become elites of the sport.

“Me and Evander’s extensive amateur experience brought us to the top of our games. In a sport where there are no guarantees, and even one mistake can end in disaster, it’s important to play the odds. So although we have both had setbacks in our careers, there was very little chance that the success we sought in the sport of boxing would not be reached based on our experience.”