Fight by Fight: Lennox Lewis

[HomicideHenry]

Amateur Background

Turning to amateur boxing at the age of 12, Lewis wouldn't suffer a loss until the age of 15 & that was to an 18 year old Razor Ruddock. Lewis, born in England, would reside in & represent Canada for his entire amateur career.

Overall Lewis had an amateur record of 85-11, avenging 5 of those losses. Capping off his amateur career with a Gold medal at the '88 Olympics, it was Lewis's third attempt at the games as he came up short in '80 and '84.

He had matches with the likes of Tyrell Biggs, Riddick Bowe, and even had a famous see sparring session with Cus D'Amato prospect Mike Tyson.



Lewis is listed as 6'4.5" in the Olympics. Lewis's height has been a matter of contention off and on over the years. Usually listed as 6'5" he may very well be 6'6" or taller.


Professional Boxing Career, The Prospect



1st fight
11-12-1 Al Malcolm would last two rounds with the debuting Gold Medalist in Royal Albert Hall, London, England. Lewis throughout his career was perceived as a 'foreigner' in his own country & this image problem would only increase in later years when he'd reside in Jamaica.



2nd fight
5-10-1 Bruce Johnson was 192 pounds against the 233 Lewis. He'd last two rounds.



3rd fight
Andrew Gerrard, 11-30-5, lasts four rounds with Lewis. It must be noted that the early Lennox was a bit more aggressive than the later version.



4th fight
13-10-1 Steve Garber is knocked out in the first round. The BoxRec forum is probably familiar with Garber for his matches with "Gypsy" John Fury.



5th fight
14-19-1 Melvin Epps disqualifies himself in round two, ending Lewis's kayo streak. It wouldn't be the last time a fighter would purposely disqualify himself to get out of a fight with Lewis.



6th fight
21-7 Greg Gorrell is a step up in class for Lewis and lasts five rounds.



7th fight
19-11 Noel Quarless, a well known journeyman at the time, lasts two rounds with Lewis.



8th fight
13-4 Calvin Jones, 243, gets blown away in the first round by Lewis.



9th fight
Michael Simuwelu, 18-2-1, lasts just 58 seconds with Lennox Lewis. An impressive showing that says, "I'm the best prospect in the business!"



10th fight
Jorge Alfredo Dascola, 14-3, is yet another first round knockout for Lewis.



11th fight
Dan Murphy, 25-4-1, was a last minute substitute for Phil Brown lasts six rounds. He was 210 to Lewis's 230.



12th fight
Ossie Ocassio, 22-9-1, the first "name" on Lewis's record. Ocassio had fought Larry Holmes for the title back in '79 and had lost decisions to Mercer, Biggs, Seldon, Coetzer, and lost by knockout to Evander Holyfield, John L. Gardner, and Michael Dokes. Ocassio had wins against Jimmy Young, Dwight Muhammad Qawi and a draw to Michael Dokes. The veteran goes the eight round distance with Lewis.



13th fight
11-4-1 Mike Acey gets stopped in two.



14th fight
Jean Maurice Chanet, 24-10, gets stopped in the 6th of a scheduled 12 for the EBU Heavyweight championship.



15th fight
35-0-0 Gary Mason for the British Heavyweight championship. Lewis 227, Mason 235. Lennox stops him in the 7th. No longer a prospect Lewis is now the best heavyweight in Europe and Britain. Next the international scene!

[HomicideHenry]

16th fight
Mike 'Hercules' Weaver, 35-15-1, is the first ex champion Lewis faces. At the time Weaver was 4-2 in his last six having lost to Bonecrusher Smith and Johnny Duplooy. Lewis kayos him in six rounds of a scheduled ten.



17th fight
Glenn McCrory, 28-6, blasted out in two in this British & European title bout. Lewis is noted as 6'4 and three-quarters inches.



18th fight
Tyrell Biggs, 19-4, a rematch from the amateurs. Lewis stops him in three, dropping him three times in the third. Lewis would later on have the reputation of being a man who avenges his losses. Lewis listed as 6'5".



19th fight
16-5 Levi Billups becomes the second man to go the distance with Lewis, losing by scores of 100-90, 99-91 and 98-92.



20th fight
Derek Williams, 19-4, gets stopped in three. For the Commonwealth title. Lewis awarded the Lonsdale title.



21st fight
Mike Dixon, 10-5, at 207 to Lewis's 233 loses by knockout in four rounds.



22nd fight
Yet another rematch. Lewis's first loss as an amateur was to this man. Ruddock from the British territory of Jamaica qualified for the Commonwealth title. To make it all the more interesting this was also a WBC title eliminator for Riddick Bowe's championship. Lewis to the surprise of many stopped Ruddock in 46 seconds of the 2nd round.


Special Note to Make at This Point



In what was the most anticipated heavyweight showdown in decades, Riddick Bowe and Lennox Lewis is still one of the most talked about "What if?" matches of all time.



For reasons still not entirely understood, Riddick Bowe threw away (literally) his WBC title in a trash can on national television rather than fight Lennox Lewis. To this day the tension between the two men is still there. The WBC for the first time since Spinks refused to fight Norton awarded their title to Lennox Lewis.

[HomicideHenry]

23rd fight
Tony "TNT" Tucker, 48-1, had only lost to Mike Tyson back in '87 and had amassed a 14 fight win streak since that time beating such men as Oliver McCall along the way. This solidified the fact that Lewis was a rightful champion, dropping Tucker in the 3rd and 9th rounds winning a 12 round decision.



24th fight
Despite Lewis being the world champion he was still something of an unpopular figure in his own country. Frank Bruno, 36-3, who fought Tyson for the undisputed title in '89 was still beloved and considered by many to be the "People's Champion". Lewis would dominate Bruno, stopping him in 7 rounds, but it made him something of a villain for doing so.



25th fight
30-1 Phil Jackson gets stopped in the 8th round by Lewis. His only loss being to Razor Ruddock, but no real noteworthy wins.



26th fight
Oliver McCall, 24-5, was supposed to be a stepping stone. He was considered to just be a glorified journeyman. He previously lost to Tucker, Norris, Douglas, and Hunter. He wasn't supposed to win. Mostly due to sheer arrogance, Lennox Lewis got his A-S-S WHOOPED in two short rounds. Lewis, fair or unfair, was written off as a flash in the pan.

[DrDuke]

Yeah, McCall was rated as a journeyman before Damiani fight and that win scored a bit better reputation for him. Still he should have been just an opponent for Lewis. But all the details around this situation played against Lennox. McCall was at his best, Lennox had bad coach at that moment, Lewis was also looking through McCall. But all those things are just excuses, cause boxers must be always prepared to the fight and there is always only one upcoming fight for any boxer, a one that scheduled first.

[HomicideHenry]

27th fight
Following the loss to Oliver McCall, the tainted ex champion made some big changes. He switched trainers, recruiting Emmanuel Stewart who would be with Lewis until his retirement. Lewis was rated #2 by the WBC and 22-10-1 Lionel Butler was #3 by the same organization. Lewis stopped him in the 5th.



28th fight
11-2-1 Justin Fortune did little to restore the people's faith in Lennox Lewis. Here he was fighting journeymen while McCall was fighting Larry Holmes. People still doubted Lewis & it'd take a big name to get the public back on board.



29th fight
Tommy Morrison was the former WBO champion and had just kayoed Razor Ruddock in a blistering slugfest. Back in '94 Morrison was supposed to fight Lewis in a title unification match, but lost to Michael Bennt. Both men were considered disgraced champions, and this was their "last chance" to start over. Morrison was cut almost off the bat and would get stopped in the 6th round. For the IBC Heavyweight championship.



30th fight
Lewis had to face one more big test before getting another shot at the title. Morrison may have had an iffy chin but "Merciless" Ray Mercer did not. The 23-3-1 Mercer was also a former champion, and had only lost to Holyfield, Holmes and Ferguson. What happened next is arguably the most exciting fight in the entire career of Lennox Lewis. If people thought Lewis had a weak chin before he showed on this night that wasn't the case.



31st fight
This was without question the most bizarre fight in heavyweight title history. McCall had already lost to Lewis's old rival Frank Bruno--- but the title was now vacant because Bruno lost to Tyson and "Iron" Mike wanted no part of Lewis, therefore giving up the WBC title (much like Bowe had done). Lewis coming to fight, whereas McCall looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but a boxing ring, dominated "The Atomic Bull" easily. McCall stops throwing punches and starts crying in the middle of the ring, pacing back and forth. Referee Mills Lane, witnessing a mental breakdown before his eyes, calls the fight off. Yes Lewis won, but in the mind's of the masses it was a tarnished victory.

[HomicideHenry]

32nd fight
Henry Akinwande, the WBO champion, had just won the British Heavyweight Eliminator. At nearly 6'8" he posed a unique situation for Lewis who never met a man taller than himself. Unfortunately, politics came into play and the WBO stripped Akinwande before the Lewis fight. Lewis dominated the fight, and the giant disqualified himself by refusing to stop holding on to Lewis.



33rd fight
28-2 Andrew Golota was thought to be the "champion in waiting" at this time in history, as his only losses were by disqualification to Riddick Bowe (whom he was beating). But in what is arguably Lewis's most dominating performance of his entire career he blows away Golota in a single round. For those who had doubts beforehand, those were now erased. Lewis was the biggest threat to Holyfield and Tyson or anyone else daring to put on boxing gloves.



34th fight
30-1 Shannon Briggs was the "lineal champion" after having been gifted a decision over George Foreman. Briggs also came from the bad streets of Brownsville where Tyson was from, and despite the Golota fight some thought Lewis was in for a helluva fight. Quite the opposite as Lewis blew away Briggs in the 5th after knocking him down three times. Lewis was now the WBC/LINEAL champion of the world, and one could make the argument that right then and there he was "The Man" and that all others were pretenders to the throne.



35th fight
Zeljko Mavrovic, 27-0-0, seldom appears in Lennox Lewis highlight reels but the European Heavyweight champion gave Lewis difficulties with his movement and off angles. It'd be Mavrovic's last fight as he'd be diagnosed as having a rare muscular wasting disease. Lewis in later years would remark that Mavrovic had the greatest footwork and movement of any boxer he ever faced. Lewis, 243, Mavrovic, 214.

[HomicideHenry]

36th fight
Lewis, credible & skillful as he was, still lacked that "career defining" fight. Hardly his fault that Bowe & Tyson wanted no part of him--- he finally got his chance to prove that he was the best heavyweight in the world. Evander Holyfield, the IBF/WBA champion had just recaptured the title for a third time avenging his loss to Michael Moorer. Nobody was more respected, admired or beloved than "The Real Deal". Lewis, nearly knocking out Holyfield, seemingly won the fight by shut out... But then one of the worst "screwjobs" in boxing history took place & Lennox Lewis was once again tarnished.



37th fight
The automatic rematch was a bit more competitive than the first fight, Holyfield taking Lewis seriously this time around. But the winner was obvious, Lewis was now the IBF/WBA/WBC/LINEAL champion of the world, undisputed. He was now the acknowledged heavyweight champion of the world, no questions asked. But there was some rumblings that Lewis couldn't say he was until he defeated Mike Tyson, odd as that sounds in retrospect all these years later.

[HomicideHenry]

38th fight
Sadly, despite Lewis proving himself to be this world-class, master-class heavyweight champion he was essentially this unwanted figure. He wasn't British enough for the English, and he was too British for the Americans. People who grew up on heavyweight knockout artists now found themselves "stuck" with a tactician as champion. Not unlike Larry Holmes years before, the public threw themselves into the corner of a 6'7" 250 pound wrecking machine named Michael Grant--- completely betting against Lewis, despite the fact Grant never beat anyone of worth. Lewis topples him in two one-sided rounds. It should have gotten Lewis respect, but for many "the wrong man won."



39th fight
Former champion Frans Botha, 40-2-1, became Lewis's 28th knockout in two rounds. To much fanfare for Lewis, the fight was held in the London Arena. This was Lewis's first fight in Britain since losing to McCall in '94. Quite the homecoming.




40th fight
The boxing world, still wishing Lewis wasn't the king of the hill, thought that David Tua would be the man to defeat Lewis. He was iron chinned, had explosive power, and never took a backwards step. His knockout wins over Ruiz, Rahman and Maskaev were perceived as indicators that he would "one day" be champion. Lewis destroyed those hopes & dreams with a completely one-sided boxing lesson by margins of 119-109, 118-110, and 117-111. This infuriated fans & critics, and served as fuel for the circus that was to come.

[HomicideHenry]

41st fight
Champion Lewis had grown complacent. There was "nobody out there". He was more interested in a future showdown with Wladimir Klitschko than he was of the opponent before him. So much so that Lewis and Wladimir put on a fictional contest for the Ocean's Eleven movie. It'd cost him everything all over again. For the moment the naysayers got their "exciting heavyweight" champion in Hasim Rahman, and Lennox Lewis was prematurely written off as dead in boxing.




Uncharacteristic of Lennox Lewis, the two heavyweights engaged in a studio brawl on ESPN. Back then these kinds of things simply did not happen. Rahman questioned Lewis's sexuality charging the ex-champion as being gay. The two men scuffled and Rahman body slammed Lewis through a table. Most people perceived this as Rahman having the psychological edge over Lewis, however, the ex champion was a 5-2 betting favorite over Rahman.

Special Note to Make at This Point


Rahman initially had a multi-fight deal in place to defend the titles against Brian Nielsen*, the Holyfield/Ruiz III winner, and Mike Tyson. Don King, obviously, was looking to get the belt back on Tyson by keeping Rahman away from Lewis, and fighting stiffs.

However, Lewis sued King and Rahman saying that he had an automatic rematch clause and the US District Judge (yes it went federal) ruled in favor of Lennox Lewis.

*It's partially the reason why Mike Tyson later on would fight Brian Nielsen, as the Danish heavyweight was ranked in the top ten (which shows the power of Don King in boxing at that time).



42nd fight
Lewis in lean, mean fighting shape beat and battered "street tough" Rahman from pillar to post in the rematch--- knocking him out unconscious in the 4th round. Lewis sneered after the fact, "Has-Been Rahman, that's my new name for him now. The Buster Douglas of the 21st century... I told you that punch was a lucky punch in South Africa. I had too many attributes for him." Lewis was 36 years old at this point and many wondered just how much longer could he remain on top.

[HomicideHenry]

Much has been said and written about the 2002 "clash of the titans" between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson. In the end, this fight was passion versus intellect--- not between the combatants but amongst fight fans.

Many people believed in the Tyson mystique, despite him being just a headhunter at this stage of the game. He was nowhere near the level of what he once was, and quite frankly was living off of his name fighting low caliber opponents around the world.

He was more fantasy and show business than legitimate threat to anyone in the top ten, let alone Lennox Lewis. But the mainstream media, who was not interested in the world champion who spent his free time playing chess--- made it all about how ferocious, insane, and reckless Tyson was. The argument boiled down to this:

#1- Lewis has a weak chin & Tyson only needs one punch

#2- Tyson is so badass he'll wreck do-gooder Lewis

#3- Even if Lewis looks good Tyson will find a way to brutalize the Englishman

#4- Come on, we should all back Mike because who wants Lewis as champ anyways?

Etc etc etc... It was beyond ridiculous from the start and even the boxing syndicates were pushing Tyson over Lewis... Oddly enough the only press that was friendly to Lewis in America was the comedy show MADTV that Lewis made an appearance on.



Lewis had been calling out Tyson since the mid-90s, but the "Baddest Man on the Planet" wanted no part of him. Tyson, every now and then, would tell the press how as teenagers he beat up Lennox Lewis easily and that Lewis wasn't on his level.



But it wouldn't be until Tyson did a short whirlwind tour of the British Isles that suddenly his tune seemed to change, following a brutal knockout of Julius Francis who was long passed his prime.



Even those who supported Lewis was concerned that Tyson would do something dangerous. After all he bit Holyfield's ear off, tried to break Botha's arm, hit Savarese and the referee after the fight was stopped, and hit Norris after the bell.

But those fears were unfounded. Tyson did such tactics and acted like a freak because he wasn't any good anymore. The fact of the matter is that he was only good for four rounds. He didn't really train anymore, and was only fighting because he was penniless. The public didn't know that at the time, that despite having amassed $300 million dollars he had nothing to show for it.



The Brian Nielsen fight should have been all the evidence in the world anyone needed to know that his chances with Lennox Lewis were next to nothing. Nielsen, though ranked in the top ten (courtesy of Don King) was nothing more than a glorified journeyman whose 61 wins were built on a mixture of tomato cans and dives. It took Tyson seven rounds before Nielsen quit between rounds--- startling considering Nielsen went 12 rounds with Norris who Tyson kayoed in the 1st.



Regardless the public still bought into the Tyson myth, primarily because of Mike's antics in interviews and the infamous press conference between Lewis and Tyson which was so out of hand that the state's of Nevada, New York, and New Jersey said that they wanted no part of the Tyson freakshow.



Eventually the state of Tennessee agreed to stage the match. Lewis and Tyson would split a $60 million dollar purse. Not including the ppv sales, etc it smashed all previous records in boxing. The sad, bitter irony is that Tyson was made out to be this monster who Lewis couldn't beat but the moment Lewis dominated and kayoed him, the world reacted with a condescending, "So what? Tyson was old." Lewis never got the credit he fully deserved.

[HomicideHenry]

What should have been his highest moment of his career, Lewis found himself being down played as champion all over again. Tyson's excuse that he didn't train, didn't take the fight seriously, etc was bought hook, line & sinker by the public who refused to believe Lewis actually beat Tyson fair & square.

Lewis's victory over Tyson was also overshadowed by the entry of Light Heavyweight champion Roy Jones into the Heavyweight division--- something he's teased the public with since the mid-90s.

In a move unique to boxing, Jones was given a shot at the WBA Heavyweight Championship without a single fight to legitimately earn that spot.

No thanks, largely, to Don King and his latest brain child the "Super Series" where an elimination tournament would decide Lennox Lewis's number one contender.




Largely all smoke and mirrors because the division was so incredibly weak at this moment and time in history--- King needed Lewis's cooperation to make this thing work, so he bought Lewis's IBF title for a few million dollars (and a few cars).

Roy Jones would fight John Ruiz, and Evander Holyfield would fight the 'harmless' Chris Byrd. King assumed that Jones would sweep the tournament and that a $100 million dollar showdown with Lennox Lewis would be the end result.



Well... Jones did his part, and Holyfield dropped the ball... The "Super Series" was a disaster because Jones/Byrd wasn't worth a wooden nickel, and everyone scrambled to make Jones/Holyfield instead.



Tyson, for his part, had to prove he was worth the rematch--- so he kayoed the hapless Clifford Ettienne in less than 50 seconds. That made "believers" out of doubters so the Lewis/Tyson rematch was intended to happen once Lewis beat his WBC mandatory.



Kirk Johnson, 34-1-1, was a hot and cold underachiever who would look good one day and the Pillsbury Doughboy the next. Lewis, feeling no heat whatsoever from Johnson, counted his millions and dreamed of the potential back-to-back "mega money" fights he'd have with Tyson and Jones.



With two weeks to go before facing Johnson, whose only loss was by disqualification to Ruiz in a horribly boring fight--- the rotound Johnson pulled out due to injury and the WBC selected Vitali Klitschko instead to fight Lewis.

It was considered an "even trade-off" as Klitschko was still perceived as a heavyweight with no heart and no grit after quitting on his stool against Chris Byrd years prior. Lewis accepted the change with the expectation there'd be no bumps in the road ahead.



Lewis, 256, was ill-prepared to face the 6'8" 245 Vitali Klitschko. In what is considered the most exciting fight of Lewis's career since facing Ray Mercer years before--- Lewis down on all scorecards managed to pull out the victory after the ringside doctor stopped the contest due to Vitali Klitschko having one of the worst cuts in boxing history.



HBO's Larry Merchant following the fight pressed Lewis about the match being more difficult than expected, but Lewis was completely flabbergasted and upset Merchant brought it up. Whether Lewis liked it or not, the public was fully in the corner of Vitali Klitschko and demanded a rematch.

Lewis was hurt by the comments many made after the fact--- most common was the statement, "Had it gone one more round Lewis would have gotten knocked out," which infuriated him to no end. Everywhere he went everyone asked about Klitschko.



Lewis's dreams of a "mega money" clash with Jones evaporated when Jones went back to 175-pounds. His potential rematch with Tyson now had zero interest. Lennox was more interested in fighting Wladimir Klitschko, the younger brother--- the same song & dance since before the first Rahman fight.



People refused to hear it from Lewis, and the sport seemed to be turning all their focus on Vitali Klitschko--- and the elder brother was zeroed in on getting his rematch with Lewis. His 2nd round kayo of Kirk Johnson cemented him as Lewis's mandatory. There was nowhere for Lewis to run or hide. He had to make a decision.



The announcement that Lewis was retiring rather than give the fans the rematch they so desperately craved, initially brought scorn & hateful comments that Lewis was a coward and that only feuled the rhetoric that Lewis would have lost to Klitschko--- that Lewis was lucky in his fight with him. That he got saved by a cut.

That viewpoint carried for several years. When Lewis was present at the Klitschko-Sanders fight, the crowd booed when his face was shown on the big screens. For a couple of years, promoters tried to tempt Lewis into making a comeback to fight Vitali Klitschko. Rumors of purses roughly $45 million dollars were common. But to no avail, Lewis stayed retired.



Briefly, he seriously considered coming back. At one point, back in 2013, he threw out a number. $100 million to return to face Wladimir Klitschko. At the time that kind of money was impossible to achieve--- the first $100 million dollar pay day wouldn't come around until Mayweather vs McGregor in 2017. It never went anywhere.

[HomicideHenry]

In 2009 Lennox Lewis was entered into the IBHOF. These days Lewis is viewed more favorably than he was in his time. He's much like Larry Holmes, Floyd Patterson, Ezzard Charles, Gene Tunney and Jim Corbett--- that he had the misfortune of following popular icons beloved by the sport.



A familiar saying during the reign of Wladimir Klitschko was, "I miss Lennox Lewis." It wasn't just fans saying that either. Critics who had been harsh on Lewis found themselves singing his praises as well.



Lewis is generally considered the greatest "big man" in heavyweight history, and several champions and trainers saw him as being the greatest heavyweight that ever lived.

I suspect that his reputation and abilities will only grow in time. He's also one of the great ambassadors of the sport and his opinion is always welcomed these days on all the big matches.



The fact that he never rematched Klitschko is now no longer a problem, and in fact, the idea of such a thing is the subject of parody--- between the two men earlier this year. To much fanfare, it's considered the best WBC Convention ever held.

[HomicideHenry]

"The Quiet Man" John Ruiz is one of the very few men Lennox Lewis NEVER fought. It's not exactly Ruiz's fault for that as he was the WBA's mandatory for Lewis following the Holyfield fights. Lewis, in an uncharacteristic move, pulled a Bowe on Ruiz and dropped the belt rather than fight him.

Now, this was done primarily for political reasons. Lewis was in no way intimidated by Ruiz. It was because Lewis reneged on the contract he signed to get the Holyfield fights which insisted if the title switched hands Lewis had to defend that belt against their mandatory next. Lewis didn't want to do that. He wanted to pick and choose what fights he wanted now as the lineal champion.

https://nypost.com/2000/08/13/holyfield ... -decision/

Because of this Ruiz and Holyfield had their trilogy--- had Lewis just done the match, Ruiz arguably never would have been the first Hispanic Heavyweight champion and Holyfield wouldn't have been the first four-time Heavyweight champion.

http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/spo ... e-1.863273

However, Ruiz was avoided by the Lewis camp at much later dates. For reasons not understood. Emmanuel Stewart was not interested in Lewis fighting Ruiz for the WBA title, but he was interested in Kirk Johnson who lost to Ruiz. The mind boggles.

https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/28/spor ... ation.html

[Ambling Alp II]

The McCall rematch was "This was without question the most bizarre fight in heavyweight title history." That is a bit of an exaggeration.
As usual with Lewis, much is not accurate.
He didn't deserve the decision in the 2nd Holyfield fight. He did almost nothing in that fight but paw with his jab. The first fight was not near a shutout.
He should not have got the decision against Mercer. He fought well, though he should have jabbed more. Mercer fought a great fight.

On the hand, the McCall fight should not have been stopped.

Bowe did sign to fight Lewis. That should have been mentioned, but seldom is.

Liked that the Mavrovic fight got a little attention. That fight almost always gets ignored for some reason.

[DrDuke]

He didn't deserve the decision in the 2nd Holyfield fight.

He should not have got the decision against Mercer.

Clear Lewis' fights. Competetive, especially Mercer one, but with blown up controversy talk. Although Holyfield bout #2 isn't even considered controversial.

[Srebmun]

Criticism of any fight or era of LL's career aside, absolute Epic post/thread.

[HomicideHenry]

Criticism of any fight or era of LL's career aside, absolute Epic post/thread.

Thanks for that.