Tyson Fury claims Lennox Lewis was the best fighter of that era, it wasn’t Mike Tyson or Holyfield.
Tyson Fury would have beaten both Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield but struggled against Lennox Lewis, says a promoter who worked with all three of them.
Tyson Fury would have beaten both Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield but struggled against Lennox Lewis, according to the promoter who has worked with all three of them.
Main Events’ Kathy Duva represented the legendary trio at various points during their careers.
And she helped Lewis get the fight he had always wanted by defeating Tyson back in 2002.
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The 69-year-old also brought Fury, widely regarded as the greatest fighter of his generation, to the US in 2013 as the Gypsy King beat Steve Cunningham on his American debut at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
But while Duva reckons that Fury would have physically been too much for Tyson and Holyfield, she doesn’t think it would have been so easy for him against Lewis.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Duva explained: “I think Mike Tyson and Evander [Holyfield] would have had a lot of trouble with his size and he’s a good boxer and would out-weigh them by 50-60 lbs, that’s tough to beat. I think Tyson [Fury] has a huge advantage just through his size.
“As for Lennox [Lewis] that’s a different story, because he’s just as big and he was a tremendous boxer and I think he would’ve out-boxed Tyson [Fury].
Boxing Hall of Fame promoter Kathy Duva backed Tyson Fury to beat both Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield
“I don’t think he would’ve walked in front of him like Wilder did, he’s a far better boxer than Wilder and he came so close. Wilder couldn’t cope with Tyson’s boxing ability, he really has that boxing ability, he’s very good.
“I think that Lennox, he could box and I know Tyson has that punch and Lennox has been down a few times, but so has Tyson, Steve Cunningham knocked him down.
“I think Lennox vs Tyson is the one fight I would love to see, because I honestly can’t tell you who would’ve won that fight.
Duva continued: “Lennox was the greatest heavyweight of his era and it was a great era. He beat Mike Tyson, he beat Holyfield, he didn’t get a second shot at Riddick Bowe in the pro’s because Bowe refused to fight him, but he did beat him in the amateurs.
“They were the four kings of their era and he beat them all, so when people talk about Mike Tyson, they don’t want to hear it, but Lennox Lewis was the best fighter of that era, it wasn’t Mike Tyson.
“I’ve always believed that because of his style, which may not have been the most exciting, and because he was able to discipline himself and fight smarter and his ring intelligence and all those things.
“Just like Dmitry Bivol defeated Canelo by doing all those things, discipline and a great game plan.
“I think Lennox would’ve been a really tough puzzle for anyone to solve and certainly no one of his era could do it. I think in the end if you had to say who was the best, certainly of his era and even this one, I would say Lennox is it, easily.”
