What would have happened if Lewis was allowed to continue vs. McCall?

Its both. Bowe was a dangerous dude before he fought Golota. He was still a 6'5" 240lb guy with not too many miles on the clock. But he was not 100% committed and he wanted no part of Lewis.

 

Agreed. But he also had no claim whatsoever to the title.

 

No, he had no claim save for the claims made on his behalf, such was the aura of Bowe, the notion he was one or two fights away from being the man again. By the end of 1996, whatever initial, tenuous claim he had, must surely have evaporated. Once Lewis beat Golota, that should have seen Lewis installed as #1.

 

Bowe had a claim. The WBO lineage went back to Morrison beating Foreman. Foreman won the stronger lineage in his next fight against Moorer, so when Bowe beat Hide it's not hard to argue that his claim was real.

I stood up for the WBO for most of the 90's and I don't claim that its heavyweight belt was equal to the other 3 when this was going on, but to say Bowe had no claim is incorrect.

And when you look at the fighters Bowe was fighting at the time, he had certainly established a claim to being the best heavyweight which is what some of you like to pretend is the same thing as being the champ.

In fact, if the same scenario occurred in the 00's or now, I don't know that Bowe's claim wouldn't be seen as stronger than the other lineage by most people.

 

He had a tenuous claim for sure. Ironically, the WBO title he held had a decent lineage of fighters from the mid 90's on. But whatever claim Bowe had was pretty well gone by the time Lewis disposed of Golota and whatever doubts people had about Lewis should have gone with it.

 

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I do like the part in bold, however.

 

you fuckers are a bunch of lewis ball suckers.

lewis was out, he fell against the ref. right stoppage.

mccall knocked him out, deal with it.

 

:Hanzkiller:

McCall thru that punch with his eyes shut.:warning:

 

he still knocked him out, bonny lamb. at 9 lewis was wobbling all over the place, after he finished counting lewis fell against him.

he would have been doing the zab judah chicken dance if the ref hadn't have supported him

 

I honestly can't see how anyone could protest that stoppage.

 

Terrible stoppage.

Ref should always let the benefit of the doubt to a fighter in a championship fight

 

I have a very "on the fence" viewpoint on the matter and I also apply it to Tszyu-Judah (different situations I know but hear me out).

I think the stoppage was by the book. Lennox was wobbly, didn't look like he was responding alertly, and was leaning on the ref a little.

At the same time look that the magnitude of the fight, the situation of the fight, it's pretty clear he is hurt and his legs are wobbly. You honestly think that he is unable to continue tho?? This isn't a tickling competition, these fellas are out there to hurt each other. Lennox, and any world class, dare I say it World Champion, fighter deserves a bit of leeway there, imo.

The ref made the textbook call, but he should have let the fight go on and given Lennox the opportunity to overcome some adversity. Maybe he overcomes, maybe he doesn't.

 

I don't think the stoppage was really bad or anything, I have certainly seen worse, but I also wouldn't have had a real problem if the ref had stepped back and gave him one more chance... I think if he had and Lennox were to stumble or appear groggy while making his way toward McCall, he could still jump right in there before any punches were exchanged

 

Lewis was the champion and undefeated. He should have been given the opportunity to try to survive.