It has been two decades since Lennox Lewis bowed out of boxing, leaving behind a legacy which some believe makes him the greatest heavyweight of all time.
With a Gold Medal at the 1988 Olympics Lewis turned pro a year later and set about chasing titles. He captured the European in his 14th fight and the British in the 15th. His first loss was a shock at the hands of Oliver McCall, but he later avenged that and would do the same when he suffered defeat to Hasim Rahman.
Lewis beat Vitali Klitschko in 2003 and would officially retire a year later. He is a success story in boxing not only because of the achievements in the ring, but also due to how he handled his retirement and what came next.
It’s that route he would like Deontay Wilder to follow after the hard-hitting American suffered his second loss back-to-back, this time a bruising stoppage against Zhilei Zhang. The Bronze Bomber’ – who held the WBC Heavyweight World Title for half a decade before losing it to Tyson Fury – looked tentative when losing to Joseph Parker on points in March, but promised fans he had his spark back to face ‘Big Bang’ Zhang.
It wasn’t to be the case, and this time it ended in the fifth. Wilder said he would be seriously considering retirement should he lose and, although there’s been nothing official yet, many in the sport are backing that call.
Lewis advised his fellow champion to commit to that decision. “The Bronze Bomber told us before the fight that he would retire if he didn’t win. I think that’s a wise decision. He’s more than carved out a life in which he can take care of his daughter, so before he suffers any more damage, it’s best to leave the game with your faculties intact because there’s a LOT more life to live after boxing.”
Wilder has been one of the most exciting heavyweights in history, his famous power meaning bouts can change in a split second. Should this be it, he would leave boxing with a record of 42 knockouts from 43 wins, four losses and one draw.
