Lennox Lewis vs Evander Holyfield 2

Lennox Lewis became the undisputed world heavyweight champion by defeating Evander Holyfield on a unanimous 12-round decision at the Thomas & Mack Centre in Las Vegas on November 13, 1999. Lewis added Holyfield’s WBA and IBF titles to the WBC championship he already held, while the vacant IBO belt was also at stake. Judges Jerry Roth, Chuck Giampa and Bill Graham scored the contest 115–113, 116–112 and 117–111, respectively. There were no knockdowns. Referee Mitch Halpern controlled a physical but generally clean contest in which Lewis’s greater reach and heavier punching narrowly overcame Holyfield’s pressure and success at close quarters.

The rematch had been demanded after their first meeting at Madison Square Garden eight months earlier ended in a widely criticised draw. Lewis had appeared to control that contest with his jab and had landed considerably more punches, yet only one judge gave him the decision. The result left the heavyweight championship divided and made a return unavoidable. Both men were guaranteed $15 million for the second fight. Lewis weighed 242 pounds and stood six feet five inches, while the 37-year-old Holyfield came in at 217 pounds and gave away several inches in height and reach. A crowd of 17,078 produced a gate of $16,860,300, and approximately 5,000 British supporters contributed to a noisy, evenly divided atmosphere.

Holyfield altered his method from the first fight and began much more positively. Rather than waiting outside Lewis’s jab, he moved forward from the opening bell, bounced on his toes and attempted to work his way inside. He landed a double jab and directed punches towards the body whenever Lewis allowed him close. Lewis answered by tying up the smaller man and using his weight to prevent sustained inside work. The first round was competitive, but all three judges gave it to Lewis, whose jab and shorter counters were considered the cleaner work.

Lewis continued to score from long range in the second. Holyfield landed a left hook to the body, but the champion responded with a right uppercut under the chin. Lewis was not as dominant with the jab as he had been in New York, partly because Holyfield was moving his head and stepping forward with more determination. Nevertheless, Lewis remained the more economical boxer and took the round on each official card.

Holyfield produced his first strong rally late in the third. Lewis had looked slow during much of the round, standing upright and failing to maintain the steady jab which had governed the opening sessions. With about half a minute remaining, Holyfield landed a firm right hand to the side of the head and followed with another as Lewis backed away. Roth awarded Holyfield the round, although Giampa and Graham preferred Lewis’s earlier work.

Lewis became more active in the fourth. He found Holyfield with uppercuts as the smaller man entered and began using the jab with greater purpose. Holyfield continued attacking the body, particularly during clinches, but Lewis was landing the more conspicuous punches. The WBC champion’s advantage depended upon preventing Holyfield from remaining at close quarters. Whenever he created a full arm’s length of space, his straight punches were more accurate and carried greater weight.

The fifth round brought the first serious physical incident. An accidental clash of heads opened a cut near Lewis’s right eye. Lewis claimed immediately that Holyfield’s head had caused the damage and reacted angrily, pushing his opponent towards the ropes and almost forcing him over the top strand. Holyfield held Lewis around the neck to remain inside the ring, and Halpern separated them before calling time. Ringside physician Flip Homansky examined the cut and allowed the contest to continue. Lewis appeared distracted after the interruption, while Holyfield maintained his pressure and won the round on the cards of Giampa and Graham.

Holyfield continued his good work in the sixth. He moved inside the jab, punched to the body and used his shorter arms effectively when Lewis attempted to hold. Lewis landed in reply, including a right uppercut, but his pace had slowed. Holyfield took the round on all three official cards and had succeeded in turning the contest into a closer and more physical affair than their first meeting.

The seventh was the most sustained round of the fight. Lewis began well, landing rights to the head and body before pushing Holyfield away after a clinch. Holyfield answered with a heavy right which forced Lewis backwards, then followed with more rights to the body and head. During the final seconds, both men stood near the centre of the ring and exchanged freely. Holyfield’s shorter combinations were effective, while Lewis landed uppercuts and straight rights. All three judges gave Holyfield the round, leaving the contest close after seven.

Lewis regained control in the eighth. He returned to the jab, stepped away after punching and made Holyfield cross the distance before he could begin an attack. Holyfield remained aggressive, but his entries were becoming easier to anticipate. Lewis met him with uppercuts and used his size in the clinches, preventing the challenger from developing the body attack which had served him well in the previous rounds. Giampa and Graham gave the eighth to Lewis, while Roth favoured Holyfield.

The ninth was another disputed session. Holyfield continued pressing and landed several short punches when he reached the inside, but Lewis replied with the cleaner single blows. Giampa gave the round to Holyfield, while Roth and Graham scored it for Lewis. The differences between the cards reflected the difficulty of comparing Holyfield’s aggression and close-range activity with Lewis’s more accurate work from outside.

Lewis strengthened his position in the tenth. He kept Holyfield at the end of the jab for longer periods and followed with the right hand when the former champion attempted to move inside. Holyfield’s legs remained sound, but his attacks were less frequent, and he was increasingly required to absorb punches before reaching his preferred distance. All three judges gave the round to Lewis.

The eleventh was also scored unanimously in favour of the WBC champion. Holyfield still came forward, but Lewis’s jab and uppercut repeatedly interrupted him. The larger man was tired and did not attempt to force a stoppage, yet he remained sufficiently active to prevent Holyfield from mounting the prolonged rally he required. Lewis entered the final round ahead on each scorecard, although Roth’s margin remained narrow.

Holyfield made a determined effort in the twelfth. He pressed forward and attempted to work the body, while Lewis boxed cautiously and held when the distance closed. Roth gave the last round to Holyfield, but Giampa and Graham favoured Lewis. At the bell, both men raised their arms, and there was less certainty around the ringside than there had been after their first contest.

The punch figures recorded Lewis landing 195 of 490 attempts, compared with 137 of 416 for Holyfield. Lewis connected with 76 jabs and 119 power punches, while Holyfield landed 52 jabs and 85 power blows. The figures confirmed Lewis’s advantage in accuracy and total connections, although they also showed that the rematch was considerably more competitive than the first fight.

The verdict was not universally accepted. Some ringside observers believed Holyfield’s pressure and success from the fifth through the seventh had earned him either a victory or a draw. Others considered Lewis’s jab, cleaner punching and control of the later rounds sufficient for a clear decision. The 117–111 card was too wide for the contest that had taken place, but the narrower scores properly reflected Lewis’s greater consistency over the full 12 rounds.

Lewis had not repeated the command of the first meeting, but this time the officials rewarded his work. He had overcome a cut, survived Holyfield’s strongest spell and recovered control during the final five rounds. The decision made him the first recognised undisputed heavyweight champion since Riddick Bowe defeated Holyfield seven years earlier. Holyfield had fought with greater purpose than in New York and had made the rematch close, but Lewis’s size, jab and more accurate punching settled the championship.

After the disgraceful draw in their first fight, Lennox Lewis knew he could not leave anything open to interpretation. Evander Holyfield changed his tactics for the rematch, pressing harder and looking to work the body rather than standing outside Lewis’s jab. It made the contest closer, but it did not make Holyfield the winner.

Lewis took the opening rounds with the jab and right uppercut before Holyfield dragged him into a rougher fight. The accidental head clash in the fifth opened a cut near Lewis’s right eye, and Holyfield had his best spell through the sixth and seventh, landing right hands and forcing exchanges. Lewis looked uncomfortable, but he never lost control completely.

What champions do is adjust. From the eighth onwards, Lewis restored the distance, shortened his punches and stopped giving Holyfield easy access to his chest. His jab was not as dominant as in the first fight, but his work was cleaner and more consistent. He landed 195 punches to Holyfield’s 137 and won unanimously by scores of 115–113, 116–112 and 117–111. That widest card was generous, but the right man won.

I had Lewis ahead in a competitive fight. Holyfield brought more aggression and made him earn every round, but too much of his work came in short bursts. Lewis controlled more of the contest and deserved to become the undisputed heavyweight champion. It was not revenge delivered with drama; it was unfinished business completed as it should have been in their first meeting.