HBO dumps Lennox Lewis

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=27593

After four years with HBO’s Boxing After Dark, Lennox Lewis will be leaving his post as commentator to begin fundraising efforts for his international training academy. Lennox is looking forward to developing a state of the art training facility for young boxers to improve their competitiveness in professional competition. Lewis also continues to explore innovative business ventures and film and television projects.

Alright, who should replace Lennox Lewis?

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=5172002

Former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, a staple at ringside as an analyst for HBO's "Boxing After Dark" series since 2006, has been let go by the network.

Lewis, who did not return telephone messages, worked his final broadcast on April 24 when he was part of the telecast headlined by the Tomasz Adamek-Cristobal Arreola heavyweight fight.

"After four years with HBO's 'Boxing After Dark,' Lennox Lewis will be leaving his post as commentator to begin fundraising efforts for his international training academy," HBO said in a statement attributed to Lewis's handlers. "Lennox is looking forward to developing a state of the art training facility for young boxers to improve their competitiveness in professional competition. Lewis also continues to explore innovative business ventures and film and television projects."

Multiple sources with knowledge of the situation told ESPN.com that leaving was not Lewis' decision and the network did not want him back. Lewis, who was heavily criticized for his on-air style, was informed of the decision late last week.

His contract expired and he was not offered a new deal, according to sources.

Lewis, 44, was three times a heavyweight champion, including becoming undisputed champion in 1999 when he outpointed Evander Holyfield in a rematch of their controversial draw. He defended the title with a sixth-round TKO of Vitali Klitschko in June 2003 and announced his retirement in early 2004.

In mid-2006, he was hired by HBO, for which he had been a cornerstone fighter for many years, to serve as an expert commentator on "Boxing After Dark" working alongside blow-by-blow announcer Bob Papa and analyst Max Kellerman.

Lewis (41-2-1, 32 KOs) won a 1988 Olympic gold medalist for Canada and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2009, his first year of eligibility.

Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com

 

hbo should poach tarver

 

Mike Tyson

 

Why he's worse IMO

 

Time for them to go crawling back to big George!

 

Bring in Paul Williams. Whenever somebody got their opponent hurt he could spill out his new catchphrase "He's killing him to death"

 

Good.

 

:bears:

Replace Manny with George. Let them rotate Lewis' position on Boxing After Dark until they find someone good.

 

That would be risky,but Tyson does know Boxing

 

Hopkins

 

Bobby Czyz is the best.

 

Tyson has said in the past he doesn't much like doing the announcing gig though.

 

Roy Jones is the OBVIOUS Choice....



REED:hammert:

 

Paulie Malignaggi can speak well and has a ton of knowledge.

 

I don't want to see him on TV anymore.

 

Roy was very good indeed but too bias. I remember watching Vince Phillips Kostya Tszyu fight and Roy was cheerleading Vince like crazy. If the camera cut to Jones I bet we would see some pom poms

 

One fight in about 100, as opposed to Jim Lampley who does it every fight.

 

Lampley promotes the figthers who it's in the best interest of HBO to promote. Roy just promotes his buddies.

 

I think Tarver would be a good choice. I've seen him on Showtime recently and he is pretty good.

I still find it weird that he was hired for the last Rocky movie and he barely had any lines. The guys is good at talking shit and promoting himself yet he had no personality in the movie.

 

They're from the same town and his father trained Vince, its understandable.

 

I think Manny Steward sucks. He always knew someone was going to do something and he always acts like the fight is ho hum and is generally negative.

 

The return of Ray Leonard?

 

About time....Lewis is just so awkward...amazed they chose him in the first place, and more amazed they stuck with him for so long. This is one defeat Lennox will struggle to avenge.

 

I like Paulie but he is too biased.

Plus he speaks like he's got a motor in his mouth.

 

him or Tarver

 

Ahh... they're giving the job to Parkinson's.

 

Maybe they should fight to decide who gets it.

 

What's the difference?