Lennox Lewis vs Lionel Butler

Lennox Lewis returned from the first defeat of his professional career by stopping Lionel Butler in the fifth round of their WBC heavyweight title eliminator at the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California, on May 13, 1995. Referee Marty Denkin ended the scheduled 12-round contest at 2 minutes 55 seconds after Butler had been knocked down for the second time in the round and was no longer defending himself adequately. Lewis weighed 248 pounds, while Butler came in at 261. A crowd of 8,103 attended the promotion, which also featured former heavyweight champion Michael Moorer’s points victory over Melvin Foster.

The fight was Lewis’s first appearance since Oliver McCall had taken the WBC heavyweight championship from him at Wembley Arena eight months earlier. McCall had dropped Lewis with a right hand early in the second round, and the contest had been stopped while the former champion was still unsteady. Lewis sought an immediate return, reportedly offering McCall a substantial purse, but the new champion took a different course. Lewis was therefore required to rebuild his position through the WBC rankings. The Butler contest was intended to place the winner in line for a championship opportunity, with Lewis ranked second and Butler third by the governing body.

The evening also marked the beginning of Lewis’s long association with Emanuel Steward. Lewis had dismissed Pepe Correa following the McCall defeat and turned to the Detroit trainer who had been in the opposite corner that night. Steward began the task of making Lewis use his height and reach more consistently, keeping him balanced behind the jab and discouraging the lapses which had left him open to McCall’s right hand. Against Butler, Lewis boxed with restraint, allowing his opponent to expend his strength before increasing the pressure.

Butler’s ranking had been achieved through an unusual revival. He had won only six of his first 17 professional contests, losing ten and drawing one, before putting together a lengthy sequence of victories, almost all by knockout. His improved run included wins over former heavyweight champions Tony Tubbs and James “Bonecrusher” Smith. One result was later altered after a failed drug test, but Butler had nevertheless climbed from journeyman status into the upper reaches of the heavyweight division. He remained a dangerous puncher, though his condition in Sacramento was poor. At 261 pounds, he was approximately 30 pounds heavier than he had been at the beginning of his winning sequence.

Recognising that a long contest would favour Lewis, Butler attempted to settle matters early. He came forward aggressively in the opening round, swinging wide right hands and trying to force the taller man into hurried exchanges. During the first minute, he landed a firm right, but Lewis took it without difficulty. The former champion used his jab, stepped away from Butler’s heavier swings and kept the action at long range. Butler’s punches were forceful but telegraphed, and Lewis was generally able to see them coming.

Lewis controlled the second and third rounds without taking unnecessary risks. His jab reached Butler repeatedly, striking the shorter man as he tried to cross the distance. Butler was six inches shorter and gave away a considerable reach advantage. He often had to lunge before he could punch, leaving himself off balance and vulnerable to the straight right. Lewis did not force the finish, preferring to score, move and make Butler carry his excess weight around the ring. The crowd became impatient at times, but Steward’s plan was plain. Butler’s only realistic chance lay in landing a wild punch while fresh, and Lewis was unwilling to provide him with the opening.

By the fourth round, Butler’s early ambition had almost disappeared. His advances had slowed, his hands were lower, and he was throwing fewer punches. Lewis remained cautious, working behind the jab and occasionally bringing the right hand over the top. Butler was now following rather than cutting off the ring, and his attacks were generally reduced to single swings. All three judges—Chuck Hassett, Larry O’Connell and Angel Luis Guzman—had Lewis comfortably ahead after four rounds.

Lewis came out for the fifth, prepared to finish the contest. Almost immediately, he landed a right-left combination which sent Butler to the canvas. The challenger rose, but the knockdown removed what remained of his resistance. Shortly before the first minute had elapsed, Butler attempted a large right hand. Lewis ducked beneath it and then pushed him down during the following tangle. Denkin correctly ruled that no knockdown had occurred and warned Lewis for the shove.

The interruption did not alter the course of the round. Lewis returned to the jab and began landing more freely as Butler’s movements became increasingly laboured. The challenger could no longer close the distance quickly enough to threaten, and he left his head exposed whenever he attempted to punch. Lewis struck him with straight rights and hooks, driving him towards the ropes and forcing him to absorb blows without a meaningful reply.

Near the end of the round, Lewis landed a heavy right which sent Butler backwards and down against the ropes. Denkin moved in immediately. Butler’s hands had dropped, and he appeared to be waiting for the next attack rather than preparing to defend himself. The referee stopped the contest without completing a count. Butler later admitted that Lewis had prepared properly, and he had not.

The result improved Lewis’s record to 26 wins and one defeat, with 22 victories inside the distance. It also established him as the WBC’s leading available contender, although it did not, as was sometimes suggested, guarantee an immediate rematch with McCall. McCall subsequently lost the championship to Frank Bruno, and the WBC then placed Mike Tyson ahead of Lewis in the queue. Lewis threatened legal action but was required to continue waiting. He eventually regained the vacant WBC title against McCall in their unusual rematch in February 1997.

The Lionel Butler fight was not one of Lewis’s most demanding contests, but it was an important stage in his recovery. He had returned after a damaging defeat, begun work with Emanuel Steward and resisted the temptation to prove himself through reckless exchanges. Butler’s condition and limited defence made him an inferior opponent, yet he possessed enough power to punish carelessness. Lewis gave him no such opportunity. He controlled the range, allowed the heavier man to tire and completed the stoppage when the proper moment arrived.