Lennox Lewis fought some of the greatest heavyweights ever but says one man stood out as the best

When it comes to assessing his career, thousands of words could be written about Lennox Lewis.

The former undisputed heavyweight champion is considered one of the division’s all-time greats, with many placing him in their top 10 alongside Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes.

Across a 14-year career, Lewis amassed 41 wins, and the only two defeats he suffered — to Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman — were both avenged.

Among the title fights, knockout victories and world-class performances, there was one opponent fans longed to see Lewis face: Riddick Bowe. Yet it was Bowe’s greatest rival whom Lewis described as his toughest foe during an interview with The Ring.

“[Evander] Holyfield was the best opponent I faced in my career.”

Lewis and Holyfield met twice in 1999 — first in March at the hallowed Madison Square Garden, then in November at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

The two-fight series was not without controversy. After the first bout, most observers had Lewis as a clear and deserving winner, yet the fight was ruled a draw. Judge Stanley Christodoulou scored it 116-113 for Lewis, Larry O’Connell had it level at 115-115, and Eugenia Williams came under heavy criticism for her 116-113 card in favour of Holyfield.

In the rematch, Lewis finally received the verdict, with three new judges — Chuck Giampa, Bill Graham and Jerry Roth — awarding him the win. Ironically, Holyfield produced the better performance second time around, and some felt he had been treated harshly on the cards. Nonetheless, Lewis’s victory secured him the undisputed heavyweight championship — 100 years after Bob Fitzsimmons became the last British heavyweight to achieve the feat.