Lennox Lewis and HBO's interesting list of opponents

[Onamastus]

When Tommy Morrison lost to Michael Bentt it cost WBC champion Lennox Lewis a big money fight. Meanwhile Evander Holyfield had to defend his WBA and IBF belts against his mandatory, Michael Moorer, further delaying unification. In response, in 1994 HBO gave Lewis an interesting list of four opponents he could make a voluntary defence against. They were:

Ray Mercer
Corrie Sanders
Phil Jackson
Jeremy Williams

Lewis as we all know fought Jackson. Did he pick the easiest opponent? Who would you have preferred him to fight?

[Ambling Alp II]

Jackson was probably the easiest of the four. Mercer was easily the best of the four and they eventually had a great fight. He would have beaten Williams and Sanders fairly easily as well.

[Boxingguru75]

I remember it being talked about that Corrie Sanders had given Lewis problems n sparring. Lewis if I remember wasn’t all that surprised with Sanders jumped Wlad. He was always an incredibly dangerous heavyweight early in fights. Seemed to never be in great shape. Fast hands and power and southpaw - few managers would take that risk. Especially for a regular defense Mercer and Sanders would not have been invited to the dance.

[Onamastus]

Williams was too delicate to make it past the opening round versus Lewis, but Mercer and Sanders are interesting. I just rewatched the Jackson fight and was amazed by how uncomfortable he made things for Lewis. Lewis was all low hands, lots of arrogance and telegraphed rights. It was this refusal to respect opponents that blew up in his face against Oliver McCall.

I could easily see that Lewis getting destroyed by Sanders (I could also see Lewis destroying Sanders). Mercer was in poor form back then and it's impossible to know whether he could muster up the desperado performance he did versus Lewis in 1996. If he could, I don't think Lewis at that time had the knowhow or trainer to cope with him.