Former world champion Hasim Rahman believes that, in any era of heavyweight boxing, one man would solidify himself at the top of the tree.
‘The Rock’ is best known for his monumental upset victory over Lennox Lewis in 2001, when a stunning fifth-round finish saw him claim the WBC and IBF titles.
Before their heavyweight encounter, many had questioned the logic behind Lewis’ training camp in Las Vegas, given that he was to defend his titles in South Africa.
Not only that, but ‘The Lion’ afforded himself little time to adjust to the African nation’s high altitude, with his performance ultimately reflecting a lack of preparation.
Lewis did, however, manage to produce a much improved display in their immediate rematch, reclaiming his titles with a ruthless fourth-round stoppage.
As a result, Rahman has since named his former foe as the greatest heavyweight of all time, above the likes of Muhammad Ali, Jack Dempsey and Rocky Marciano.
Unlike those three all-time greats, Rahman told BBC Radio 5 Live that Lewis not only possessed impeccable ring intelligence but could also utilise his physical attributes to a much greater extent than others.
“I’m finding it hard to put somebody ahead of him. In any era … I just really don’t know who could beat him.
“[Ali, Dempsey, Marciano…] Those guys were too small. I mean, Ali was too small for George Foreman back then, when he was a smaller version of Big George, so how could he deal with someone like Lennox – who is huge and can move, and can use his distance well?
“I think it’s really unfair to compare eras, but I just don’t know who could deal with that man.”
Lewis was a three-time world heavyweight champion, and up until Oleksandr Usyk repeated the feat in 2024, was the last undisputed heavyweight champion following his win over Evander Holyfield in 1999.
After defeating Rahman, Lewis also scored an eighth-round finish over Mike Tyson and ended his illustrious career by stopping Vitali Klitschko in six rounds.
