Date: 15th July 2000
Venue: London Arena, Millwall, London, United KingdomTitle: WBC, IBF & IBO World Heavyweight Titles
Promoter: Panix Promotions, Queensberry Promotions, Main Events
Tv: HBO
Lennox Lewis
(
36
-
1
-
1
)
Weight: 250 lbs
Frans Botha
(
40
-
2
-
1
)
Weight: 237 lbs
Born in West Ham in the East-end of London, Lennox Lewis made the 8th defence of his WBC world heavyweight title (In his second reign) as close to home as possible when South African Frans Botha challenged him at The London Arena on The Isle of Dogs in London's East-end. Lewis also defended the IBF and IBO titles.
Botha was ranked No 9 by the WBC and entered the fight as a big underdog. Lewis set about showing that the oddsmakers knew their stuff by coming close to flooring the stockily built Botha with a minute remaining of the opening session. Botha didn't commit to any meaningful exchanges during the 2nd stanza but with 30 seconds left of the round, Lewis detonated two right hands to the head that sent the South African visitor through the ropes. When he got up, referee Larry O'Connell waved the fight off after Botha didn't respond to his instructions.
This was Lewis's first fight in Great Britain since September 1994.