Lennox Lewis vs Phil Jackson, HBO PROGRAM

Kevin Kelley defends the featherweight title against Jesse Benavides, and Lennox Lewis defends the WBC heavyweight title against Phil Jackson. Hosted by Jim Lampley, George Foreman, and Larry Merchant. Recorded on VHS 1994.

[@lastonewon]

The American public never really took to Lewis, and were quite critical of some of his fights but his record speaks for itself

[@synergyhowacquisition3821]

Leon Watson, that's because he ain't American!.

[@underwriter100]

I’m American & liked him! Rooted for him vs Holyfield & Tyson. Thought he was underrated. Unfortunately, because of his soft-spoken demeanor & admittedly being a mama’s boy, casual American boxing fans saw him as ‘weak’. They will point to his two flash KO losses to McCall & Rahman as proof. Lewis was just occasionally sloppy that’s all. Smart American boxing fans know he was great

[@967mviews2]

Foreman always spoke very highly of Lewis. He said on countless occasions that Lewis was the GOAT.

[@TheLjfighter]

I remember staying up late to watch this. Thanks

[@jasonbantle]

What a dominant performance for Lewis. Wow.

[@asgeirtryggvason9136]

Love these programs. Give us more, please.

[@michaelmohrle1773]

Seems like yesterday watching all these HBO fights, damm 25 years just flew by.

[@jakeyb25]

Having watched this several times, I feel that the HBO team were quite unfair in their assessment of Lewis' performance in this fight. His jab looked great and he controlled the action from the outside and showed less of a tendency to get wild, and also put punches in combination together really well. The worst I have seen Lewis was against Frank Bruno in '93 where he fought much worse than he did here

[@taekwondotime]

Agreed. Lewis was in total control the whole fight. He broke his opponent down with the jab and then brought the big guns later on to knock him out. You can see Lewis getting better as the fight goes on, and once he realized the time was right, he moved in for the kill.

[@SteveStroud1977]

I've recently re-watched all the HBO broadcasts of Lewis's fights. George, Larry and Jim Lampley were always brutal, picked him apart every fight. George finally came around, around the time of the Tyson fight, but the others were still sceptical. George talked some incredible shit during this one!

[@C_R_O_M________]

Steve Stroud I will have to disagree. They were critical for what they perceived as wasted talent (and a bit negative towards Lewis’s arrogance - which put me off as well) and the way he seem to approach fights. But Lewis’s results and greatness ultimately shut them up even about that. In retrospection, it seems that Lewis knew what he was doing the whole time.

[@justinexplainseverything1554]

@@C_R_O_M________ Lewis was really good, but the dude only fought 44 times in his career, Tyson fought 58 times. Lewis literally was at the right place at the right time during his dominance. Tyson was a shell of himself, Holyfield was also a shell when Lewis fought him, so to me, Lewis is not in the same class as guys like Foreman, Louis, and even Tyson for that matter. The dude literally was fresh his entire career because he didn't fight that much, he was always younger than his actual age because his body was fresh. Another thing, Tyson was small, and when you age, being small is not good lol, Lewis on the other hand, was HUGE, 6'5 and like 250 to 260 lol, so as Lewis aged, he was able to age a little more gracefully than a guy like Tyson. When Tyson was 22 or 23 years old, I don't think Lewis could even land 1 punch on young Tyson, young prime Tyson would catch Lewis sleeping and KO him.

[@raysierra4194]

@@justinexplainseverything1554 yeah I totally agree with you....my problem with Lewis is when the Lewis fans put him unhesitatingly on the same level as Muhammad Ali.....when Ali had 61 fights.....lewis (as you pointed out)had only 44 fights.....except for Joe Frazier.lewis has less fights than anyone else in the top twenty......also Ali gave us five classics(Liston I,frazier I +3,foreman and spinks,when he became the first fighter to win the title three times).how many true classics did Lewis give us?.....top heavy weight fights of all time,are fights such as louis-schmeling,ali-Frazier,even bowe- holyfield.has been mentioned in thier too.....but you don't hear any of Lewis's fights in thier.....plus Lennox Lewis wasn't really tested like Ali was tested...like Ali getting his jaw broke against norton...fighting Liston and Foreman (who were considered invincible when Ali fought them).also Ali's wars with Frazier I+III.......

[@wvlite7691]

It's amazing Phil went from coaching the Bulls to boxing.

[@herminigildoangeles7366]

Lñññlllllllllllllllllllllñlllllllpag YG ñwllllllllñlllllllllllllllllllll lll"ll

[@williamhardwick4257]

Great to watch this with hindsight, when Michael Moorer was asked about his next opponent, he seemed to have no clue the “old” man one seat away, was on the cards.

[@williamhardwick4257]

I also think Lenox seemed a little bit too unconcerned about his next mandatory, Oliver McCall.

[@jtaco4101]

Lol

[@Ryang403]

respect to larry merchant. he was right about lennox lewis being the best heavyweight out there...probably ha..

[@C_R_O_M________]

Centrist, throughout following Lewis’s career, Larry was always in favor of Lewis. He was right.

[@furiofo7254]

Exactly, because he sees ghosts. Look at Foreman versus Schultz. Then you know what I mean. The spinner. The Nut.

[@marshlightning]

Big George giving great boxing tips as usual. Every up and coming boxer should listen to his commentaries.

[@Runningitthroughyou]

I wish they woulda just had broadcast with steward foreman and srl

[@masilamanimurugasen8510]

this fight between lennox and jackson do not talk about geogrge are you stupid?

[@jtaco4101]

​@@Runningitthroughyoulampley, merchant and Harold lederman are what hold these broadcasts together. The fighters add color. Did u ever watch that disaster "players only" version of inside the NBA that they quickly trashed? Yikes.

[@popdog75]

Lewis was a little rough in this still a work in progress but all the shots were there,Manny Steward put the polish on the diamond that Lennox was

[@1man1bike1road]

needed the kronk style and look fury using it too

[@tullochgorum6323]

"Experts say that Lewis would be better if ... and down goes Jackson!" So much for the experts.

[@crashjanglechime]

Thick Yank commentators. Can't accept their nation don't rule the world except in their own tiny minds.

[@tullochgorum6323]

@@crashjanglechime Yeah - just watched it again. Lewis wins every round, barely gets touched, and utterly destroys a fancied challenger. Commentators can't stop saying how terrible he is...

[@B.Wayne88]

Didn't he lose to McCall this year lmao

[@azmainfaiak8111]

@@B.Wayne88 that was rigged

[@Jumpman90]

Only problem he had before emanuel is he gave up his size and fought on the inside, and kept his gloves low very exciting

[@theklaus7436]

Kelly vs naseem what a fight.

[@brixtonmystery]

Lennox is on something here. He’s never looked this jacked.

[@C_R_O_M________]

Nah, he was always a great physical specimen. Look at him against Mercer. He was even bigger.

[@ZanSMC.473]

No way, you must be thinking of Evander Holyfield😒

[@oldmanJ]

Yeah it's called adrenaline.

[@taekwondotime]

Even Foreman acknowledged that Pepe Correa was useless. I agree. Lewis changing to Emanuel Steward was a great career move. Steward was like Lewis's "Kevin Rooney".

[@C_R_O_M________]

Taekwondo Time Pepe Correa’s “advice” in the corner was always at the level of “crack him in the head - you understand?”. I bet he knew a lot about boxing but his lack of ability to communicate his knowledge made him look really bad.

[@ummerfarooq5383]

@Your Neighbor mickey was a cheerleader for Rocky.

[@amascia8327]

Humm... George was more gentle. And, the loss to Ollie was a good thing since he got Steward. Lewis-Steward was like the invincible Tyson-Rooney. Wonder who would have won?

[@ธรรมถาวร-ภ8ฬ]

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[@ธรรมถาวร-ภ8ฬ]

@@ummerfarooq5383 ที่

[@stephendent3058]

A pulverisation job by Mr Lewis🥊🥊

[@C_R_O_M________]

George was quite prophetic here. He DID need a different trainer. Emmanuel Stewart-trained Lewis was a different boxer to what we watched from him up to the loss from McCall.

[@andertonchigoneka5243]

Lennox Lewis successfully in his third defence of his WBC title

[@mattcurtis8209]

Best Heavy weight for me 🇬🇧

[@jt5586]

Thanks for these!

[@RyanAllanPodcast]

Fact or fiction? lol Fact - American Riddick Bowe shat himself rather than fighting Lennox. Amazing how they can sit and disrespect Lewis regardless of the facts.

[@johntoomey357]

I don't hate LL he is a All Time great but the British media made him out to be the best of all time I disagree When some people say he would of beat a prime Ali they are crazy Lewis most likely would be destroyed Lewis would go into shock if he fought a prime Ali as far as his fights with Holyfield Tyson Mercer Morrison Tua Klitchko Etc.he beat them all and was dominate during his reign as HW Champion though Holyfield was past it Tyson was well past it He was decked twice by Journeymen Heavyweights though avenged those KOs Many felt Mercer beat him you be the judge it was very close But when people make Lewis out to be Ali what a joke Lewis himself has said I don't know if I could beat Ali he was a excellent fighter and Champion He sticks up for Tyson too saying he didn't fight Tyson at his best but he waited yrs into his retirement to finally admit this even know everybody already knew even if certain people mostly British fight fans and the British press said Tyson was still the same fighter as he was in 1988 It's not Lewis's fault it was the British press for trying to make Lewis look like George Foreman 1973 two totally different styles But Lewis a All Time Great but he's not in the top 3

[@raysierra4194]

Yeah plus Lewis has only 44 fights,technically he only has 41 wins.i don't see the comparison to Ali either... Ali went 59 fights where he beat every opponent he faced....the only losses he didn't avenge were the last two,where he was a washed up tomatoe can......Lewis with only 44 fights,41wins.simply wasn't tested enough

[@azmainfaiak8111]

I have to disagree on tyson..... Tyson was very overrated......he faught washed up guys in his fight and people put him in all time greats league.......lewis was much better than Tyson......also Lewis was older when he faught tyson

[@C_R_O_M________]

Lewis is the GOAT if you hypothetically make him fight in his prime against any HW (prime) of any era in a 10 bout series. He'd beat everybody (and especially Ali) as he was bigger more powerful and as skilled as anyone out there. Both in defense and offense. Ali was faster and had fancy footwork but his style (jab jab clinch) wouldn't work for taller bigger Lewis who would, anyway, find a way out of the predicament. Ali lacked KO power as well. Lewis was great in adapting throughout a fight and in subsequent fights. He also had heart and determination. He'd never quit and as an ex-pro athlete myself I can relate to his mentality. It's a winning mentality that will find ways to prevail even under the most adverse conditions. The fight with Mercer was close, yes, but it was fought in only 10 rounds (12 would favor Lewis's better physical condition) and, most importantly in a smaller ring which was exactly what Mercer wanted.

[@dltguitar6532]

@@C_R_O_M________ sureeee Lennox would beat Ali but he got kayoed by 2 bums in his career compared to Ali who was never knocked out and was much faster than Lenn- ox

[@967mviews2]

​@C_R_O_M________ excellent post. Ali fanboys will always say he's the greatest but had more defeats than Lewis, plus he was smaller and didn't have the same knock out power as Lennox. Late stoppage for King Lewis. Arguably the best all round HW of all time. His skill set beats Ali and knocks him out. Ali no way knocks out Lennox for for sure.

[@StFidjnr]

8:51 & 1:19:19 and for these fights to be official

[@tshepomasenya8225]

Bowe was a coward for doing that, it was a disrespect to the former great champions who held it before him🤦🏾‍♂️

[@lukef1586]

100% Lennox Lewis was not as recognised as he should have been, because of american reporters.

[@thewatchman6074]

Could big George and and Larry get any more biased than that? In a word. That was a "schooling".

[@jeremypearson6852]

Larry Merchant obviously could see things that others couldn’t

[@furiofo7254]

Exactly, because he sees ghosts. Look at Foreman versus Schultz. Then you know what I mean. The spinner. The Nut.

[@ianmetcalfe7389]

Larry the Legend Merchant is my favourite thing about boxing. I've never seen him be biased against any colour or country he just says what he see's and tells it how it is. OMFG loved him with Mayweather (if I was 50 year younger I'd kick your ass).

[@Abnsdllnnlosnfd]

4:41 Hahahaha and that´s why I´m gonna get my brains clubbed LOL

[@tubey84]

Commentary is baffling. How dare an elite boxer be an elite boxer... Weird bias. This was basically a masterclass, controlled the entire fight then put him away. Lewis' speed was very underrated, especially early in his career.

[@osfaldomartines]

Lennon Lewis es el mejor boxeador de todos los tiempos que pegada

[@malfoster5951]

They need to stop Foreman from talking. He has no clue.

[@paulmarclalonde3834]

GOAT

[@biglen957]

could the commentators be any more negative? you knock the guy down, outbox him, just about take him apart but hey, your not american.

[@taekwondotime]

That was what Lewis was up against for most of his career. American fans usually cheered against him, and the American media usually found reasons to hate him. That makes him all the more impressive.

[@jasonbantle]

@@taekwondotime it wasnt bc he wasnt american - ppl love Fury for example. They hated that he did not work hard. He seemingly took fights off. Look at all his losses. He had no business losing those fights and he beat them quickly in the rematch. Plus, the whole situation over the fight with Riddick Bowe where he took the WBC belt and fought much lesser talent instead left a bad taste in people's mouths.

[@jasonbantle]

Darth Wheezius lol nah- Lewis wanted close to 50% and that’s ridiculous.

[@jasonbantle]

Darth Wheezius dominant? Lewis was hardly dominant and lost many times to lesser talent. Bowe was the undisputed world champ. And he forfeit the belt Lewis took out of the trash lol. Get your shit straight man.

[@jasonbantle]

Darth Wheezius lost to two guys he had no business losing to who were far from number 1 contenders. He was also losing to Bruno and Klitschko when he “won” those fights. And a draw vs an old Evander Holyfield.

[@fantasybouthour6679]

Lennox was deceptively dangerous

[@tlig]

HBO used to shill heavily for Lennox it seems.

[@cedericocosantorini8013]

Just being objective, I guess.

[@easytofool]

really? they had moorer on to call him "the real heavyweight champ"

[@Amethyst_Friend]

He beat everyone; what's your issue?

[@mrgonzales5683]

It's Mustard vs. Ketchup lol

[@Bruins-vq5ey]

How the hell did Jackson get a shot?

[@masilamanimurugasen8510]

Lennox lewis is a dangerous harpoons great boxer

[@Abnsdllnnlosnfd]

Kevin ain´t a name, it´s a diagnosis!

[@box5bastard277]

Better coach than fighter 🤷🏿‍♂yell

[@mufc7753]

Lewis got caught in Round 1

[@jasonbantle]

117-111 Kevin Kelley. Like Letterman I had round two as a 10-9 not a 10-8 as Kelley otherwise won that round. Overall, good fight but Kelly really outclassed him. Benavides showed a lot of heart. Kelley throwing 95 punches in round 12 has to be some kind of record lol Kelley Benavides ROUND 1 10 9 ROUND 2 9 10 ROUND 3 10 9 ROUND 4 10 9 ROUND 5 9 10 ROUND 6 10 9 ROUND 7 10 9 ROUND 8 10 9 ROUND 9 9 10 ROUND 10 10 9 ROUND 11 10 9 ROUND 12 10 9

[@B.Wayne88]

1:10:05 is who Jackson is.

[@ummerfarooq5383]

1:16:30 - this is the real lenox, reggae lenox. Not no English tea lenox.

[@malfoster5951]

George Foreman show his absolute lack of knowledge about boxing.

[@dltguitar6532]

u cant be a 2 time heavyweight champ and not have some knowledge of boxing LOL

[@jaywinters2483]

JoeTessitore talks too much and gives us history lessons eve we’re trying to watch the fight. Fast forward when he talks.

[@kenc3288]

Sheesh 1.23.30 before the HW fight even begins. HBO rubbish..🥴🥴

[@dalmar5567]

Phil Jackson? 😂

[@cashcali5214]

He shot his wad

[@brixtonmystery]

Wtf is up with his pretend British accent lol 😂