Lennox Lewis gives up the champion title

There is a grand sensation in the world of boxing. Englishman Lennox Lewis, the heavyweight WBC and IBF champion decided to decline  the title of the champion.

Lewis is so ready to give up his title, because he does not see a point in the fight with the major candidacy for the given title, Chris  Byrd. Lewis claimed that Byrd could not be a worthy challenge to him, since he allegedly had a lack of boxing skills. Therefore, the fight would not be a great extravaganza for Lewis’ fans.

Byrd is actually a lump. There is no use fighting a lump.  Lewis and his team are higher than that. Lewis decided to give up the IBF title, because he had no other way out.

Lewis released an official statement, in which he said that if he had to meet Byrd on a boxing ring, then his next rival would be those that Lewis had already defeated. In this case Lennox Lewis would fight with Evander Holyfield, Hasim Rahman, or David Tua. Who needs that?

RTR-Sport.Ru wrote that this demarche of the world champion gave way to Evander Holyfield. Holyfield takes the second place after Byrd on IBF rating list. Holyfield is 40 years old, but he can become the champion of the world for the fifth time.

The fight between Lennox Lewis and Chris Byrd  should have taken place  in December. Lennox released such an eye-opening statement after the IBF administration announced the tender on the organization of the tournament. Lennox is willing to have super-fights only. Well, rejecting the title of the world championship is a worthy step to take.  In this way Lewis volunteered to give up the possible title of the absolute champion. We can only feel sorry for Byrd. In addition to that, promoter Don King promised to pay one million dollars to Lewis, if he gave up his title.

One can understand Lewis. His competitor does not make a tragedy out of it either. Prior to the current decision, Lewis rejected the challenge from Ukrainian Vitaly Klitschko. At that time Lennox Lewis was also talking about an unworthy competitor. Klitschko’s fans were saying that Lewis was afraid of a fight with their idle.

A champion is not only an iron fist on the ring, but also a certain type of behavior beyond the ring. There is a certain way of thinking that is typical only for a champion. A champion also implies respect to a competitor. By the way, this was the major difference between the Soviet and American box. “The world should see only the best fights of mine!” This is not a champion’s thesis.

Sergey Stefanov
PRAVDA.Ru