THE formidable Lennox Lewis had an impressive ability to figure out most of the styles he came across during a couple of runs as heavyweight champion of the world. He could outbox and defuse the brawlers, he could outpunch and hurt the boxers, and much of his success could be attributed to this versatility and intelligence.
Since retiring in 2003, Lewis has taken this knowledge into his work as a pundit and commentator and is often asked to offer his opinion on the current crop of heavyweights (and has had some interesting and critical things to say about Anthony Joshua, in particular). He is also frequently asked how he would have fared if he had been around in today’s era.
“I think those fights would’ve been great because when I was around it was a lack of big guys,” he told TMZ. “All of a sudden I’m retired and they come out of the woodwork. There are tons of them.
“I also don’t like crossing eras, I’m the best in the past era, and these guys are fighting for the best in this era.”
Of the current group of heavyweights, Lewis says Tyson Fury, the six-foot-nine, nineteen-stone switch-hitter, would have been the toughest riddle for him to solve.
“I think Tyson Fury would’ve given me some trouble because he’s so big. He’s a bit lanky,” Lewis said.
“I would break him down probably by the tenth round, but he would give me some problems.”
Tyson Fury is a problem, full stop. He’s a problem to anyone with whom he shares a ring, and he’s prone to causing his own problems when he spends too much time away from the ring. It’s this unpredictability, in fact, this maverick streak, that makes him such an enigmatic and valuable addition to the heavyweight scene. It’s this factor that means he would likely have been a problem in any era.
Mexico’s exciting WBO junior-middleweight champion Jaime Munguia will make the fourth defence of his title in Monterrey, Mexico, on April 13, when he takes on mandatory challenger Dennis ‘Hurricane’ Hogan.
The fight avoided going to purse bids when both camps came to an agreement and decided to send the fight to the champion’s home country. It will be streamed lived on DAZN.
Twenty-two-year-old Munguia, 32-0 (26), hails from Tijuana and rose to prominence when knocking out Sadam Ali in May to capture his current title. Since then, he has successfully defended the belt against Liam Smith, Brandon Cook, and Takeshi Inoue, and has shown a rare and refreshing desire to stay busy and keep learning. His fight against Hogan in April will mark his first fight at home for over a year.
“I feel happy to be returning to Mexico,” said Munguia. “The last time I fought in Mexico was right here in Monterrey, so I’m excited to be here again. I’m ready to come back and deliver a great show to my Mexican people. It’s also very important to be fighting on this new platform, DAZN. It’s an honour for me to be fighting on this platform. It’s new, but it’s very important. It is the future of boxing.”
Thirty-four-year-old Hogan, 28-1-1 (7), is an Irishman by way of Queensland, Australia, who came up short against Jack Culcay in 2015 but has since managed to string together a six-fight win-streak.
“I am looking forward to facing Jaime Munguia on April 13th in Monterrey, Mexico,” said Hogan. “Mexico’s culture has a rich history in boxing, and I can’t wait to show Mexico and the rest of the world that I am ready to dethrone Munguia. I am not concerned with his power, as I have fought bigger and stronger opponents. My pressure and style are going to give Munguia trouble.
“I have been fighting for this opportunity since I was eight years old. I’m going to make it count. My team at DDP Sports and Peter Kahn worked hard to get this fight done, and I’m looking forward to bringing the WBO title back to Australia.”
