By Ian Aldous: This week I was humbled to take a few minutes time from former undisputed World Heavyweight Champion, Lennox Lewis (41-2-1). He spoke about how close he came to returning to the sport from retirement and if David Haye should get back in the ring with either of the Klitschko brothers.
Do you think David Haye deserves another shot at Vitali or Wladimir Klitschko before he retires?
LL “It’s interesting because, if you ask me, I’d say they’re too big and too strong but if he wants to do better than he did before and he feels he can with proper training and proper coaching then, yes, I would say.”
After seeing the heavyweight division become very stale since your time as undisputed World Champion, how tempting has it been to return from retirement and regain all the belts?
LL “Very…. very and I’ve actually dreamt about it! I woke up and I talked myself out of it (laughs).”
How close did you get then?
LL “Well, I was actually throwing punches. So, yeah those guys still can’t touch me and it’s in me naturally. So, even for me to go and hit the bag and throw combinations just comes naturally to me, it’s a part of me.”
Following your final fight against Vitali Klitschko, how difficult was it to make the decision to retire?
LL “It wasn’t that difficult because I was actually pondering retirement before the fight and HBO talked me into the fight and said it would be the icing on the cake for me. They had a free date and they offered me a sum of money, so, I took advantage of it. If you ask me would I do that again? No.”
You fought in some of the biggest fights in the history of this great sport. Can you possibly pick out the highlight of your career?
LL “No, I can’t. Each fight has it’s own story to them and their own parallel.”
We’ve seen you as a pundit on Sky Sports over here in the UK. How are you enjoying that role?
LL “Yeah, that’s something that comes naturally to me and it’s interesting because I’m one of the few boxers that actually are commentators, which I feel the public needs to hear from, so they get someone that’s been in the ring’s point of view.”
Please check the official site of Lennox Lewis: www.lennoxlewis.com
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