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Lennox Lewis Once Refused To Face One Heavyweight: “I Never Wanted It”

is remembered as a great heavyweight champion but there is one man he always avoided. Until Oleksandr Usyk came along and repeated the feat in 2024, Lewis was the last undisputed heavyweight ruler when he beat Evander Holyfield to add…

Published: Tuesday, 27 October 2026 at 10:54 AM
Lennox Lewis Once Refused To Face One Heavyweight: “I Never Wanted It”
Key Things to Know
  • Lennox Lewis admitted he intentionally avoided fighting George Foreman during his boxing career.
  • Lewis called a potential bout with Foreman a "lose-lose situation" due to Foreman's age and widespread popularity.
  • Foreman became the oldest heavyweight champion in boxing history in 1994 by knocking out Michael Moorer at age 45.
The Story in 60 Seconds

Former undisputed heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis revealed to The Ring that he deliberately avoided fighting George Foreman during his career. Lewis described a potential matchup against Foreman as a "lose-lose situation," explaining that defeating the widely loved veteran would cause fans to hate him, while losing would bring harsh criticism.

Foreman famously regained the world heavyweight championship in 1994 at age 45 by knocking out Michael Moorer, two decades after his first title victory over Joe Frazier. Lewis went on to conquer prominent contemporaries like Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, but chose never to step into the ring against Foreman.

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