Boxing: Lewis' place in history secure after demolition of Tyson

Perhaps the most astonishing aspect of Lennox Lewis' eighth round knockout of Mike Tyson on June 8, 2002, wasn't the fact that the Briton manhandled the former champion from the opening bell and administered one of the most thorough batterings in the annals of Heavyweight Championship history.

No, the most astonishing aspect was that, even among the fanatical Tyson faithful, Tyson was seriously given a prayer of dethroning Lewis.

Tyson had not defeated a viable heavyweight contender since his pair of triumphs over Donovan "Razor" Ruddick a decade ago, and by no stretch of the imagination, other than by merit of his name, did he warrant a championship bout against one of the more dominant titleholders of his era in Lewis.

Tyson could do nothing with Lewis. In the first two rounds he connected with his trademark left hook once or twice and briefly discomforted the champion at close quarters.

Other than that, however, he was jabbed, hooked and manhandled into submission, and by the fifth round, Lewis could have stopped Tyson any time he chose.

Lewis performance was yet another marker in the growing argument that he deserves to be positioned among the great heavyweights of all time. Considering the weakened state of contenders in the heavyweight class during the 1990s, placing Lewis in the bottom echelon of the top ten is not a stretch.

Evaluating Lewis against the iron in the heavyweight class since 1900 would reveal that he warrants a place at the table of heavyweight greats as a puncher, by virtue of his longevity, and by the growing list of conquests during his two title reigns.

He has fought the best, beaten the best, and yes, been stopped twice -- once each by Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman, both second tier heavyweights who were able to land a heavyweight's punch against the one chink in the Lewis' armor -- his chin.

To evaluate Lewis among the echelon of great heavyweight champions is to take this weakness in contrast to his durability, jab, punching power and defensive prowess.

Joe Louis would have stopped Lennox Lewis, beyond a doubt. Joe's crunching left jab and concentrated knockout power in his right hand punches that traveled six inches would have found the mark on Lennox inside of ten rounds.

Lewis would have troubled Joe a bit with his size, and it isn't beyond the realm of possibility that he could have dumped the Brown Bomber with a right hand. However, he couldn't have possibly avoided Joe's knockout power.

As for Jack Dempsey, in terms of size, weight and overall physical stature it is hard to envision Lewis falling to him.

Lewis' jab would have kept the Manassa Mauler hopelessly out of range. Lewis also would have the power to put Dempsey on the canvas. Yet, we measure Dempsey in terms of savagery, and the will to win.

It is inevitable that Dempsey would have absorbed the punishment, and his speed and caginess would have neutralized Lewis and permitted Dempsey to withstand an early battering. Eventually Dempsey would have connected.

When he would, Lewis would have fallen. Dempsey by KO in 12.

Jack Johnson and Lewis would have been a sleeper. Johnson's size and power would certainly neutralize the Englishman physically and Lil' Artha's chin consisted of considerably more iron than Lewis'.

Johnson was a defensive fighter, though, not overly inclined to go for the kill unless sufficiently threatened.

Johnson would have won by a clear-cut, unanimous decision, in what would have amounted to a boxing lesson for Lewis.

Jim Tunney vs. Lewis would have been intriguing. Tunney possessed superior ring skills and overall generalship, and his jab and right cross were formidable weapons.

However, Lewis' overall size, his potent jab and punching ability would seem too much for Tunney to overcome.

Tunney would probably have lead after seven sessions, with Lewis wearing down the Fighting Marine during the middle and late rounds and registering a 13th round TKO.

Lewis and Rocky Marciano seems like Lewis-Tyson redux. The good big man always beats the good little man.

Lewis would resemble a giant next to the Brockton Blockbuster and would pound him into a bloody pulp, with thumping jabs and powerful counter right leads. Meanwhile, you know Marciano would pound relentlessly on Lewis' arms, forearms, body, ribcage and shoulder. Lewis would only hold the Rock off for so long.

It would just be a question of whether Marciano would be torn to shreds before he connected with his "Mary Ann." Considering how violently Lewis was stopped by McCall and Rahman, I see a bloodied Marciano knocking out Lewis in the eighth round in a scenario very similar to Marciano-Ezzard Charles II, with the Rock on the brink before connecting with the finisher.

As for Muhammad Ali, not much analysis is required.

In his unmatched prime during the middle and late 1960s, Ali would have done an Ernie Terrell on Lewis. Granted Lennox mobility and power would have posed a degree of difficulty to Ali, but Ali's jab, speed and underrated power would have left Lewis in shambles.

A unanimous decision for Ali, with Lewis capturing perhaps four rounds.

I can't see Lewis doing much better against the Ali championship version of the 1970s, the Ali who knocked out George Foreman, outlasted Joe Frazier at Manila, toyed with Ron Lyle and edged Kenny Norton twice.

Ali again by decision, perhaps a round or two closer, with Ali absorbing some punishment, yet clearly in control.

Smokin' Joe Frazier, circa 1971, would have gotten to Lewis, too. Heart, aggression and Frazier's left hook would have torn Lewis' heart out. Frazier would have taken a battering at times, yet it is inconceivable Lewis could have climbed off of the canvas from the left hook that decked Ali.

Frazier by KO in seven.

There is a growing contingent in the boxing community today who not only grant Lewis greatness, but claim he may indeed be the greatest heavyweight titleholder of all time.

Foreman, who ought to know greatness when he sees it, made this claim after Lewis halted Tyson.

Lewis is a durable, powerful, formidable champion and vies with Holyfield for the dominant heavyweight of the 1990-2002 era. However, not to disrespect his tremendous skills and stellar record, in no waking moment is he to be ranked among the top five heavyweight titleholders of all time.

The era in which he reigns is simply too weak to afford Lewis the mantle of Louis, Ali, Holmes or Marciano.

There also are those who would scoff at Marciano, Dempsey or even Louis defeating Lewis because we are now in the era of the "Super Heavyweights" and these bouts would have been physical mismatches.

It is quality, not quantity that measures a heavyweight's greatness. I simply can not see Marciano, Dempsey, Lewis or even a young Tyson being put to sleep twice by talent such as that afforded by McCall and Rahman.

Lennox Lewis has earned a measure of greatness! By removing Tyson once and for all, he may have saved boxing -- an enduring achievement.