Luis Ortiz has named his greatest heavyweight fighter of all-time.
Among the pantheon of greats from boxing’s most captivating division there are some dubbed as the best ever by fans.
Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, Jack Johnson, Rocky Marciano and Jack Dempsey are a handful of contenders for those wishing to pick their number one.
And the likes of George Foreman and Joe Frazier are fondly remembered for their engrossing parts played in the dramas of the 1970s while in the 80s Larry Holmes and Mike Tyson are regarded as two giants of the sport.
A decade later saw the emergence of Riddick Bowe and former Cruiserweight king Evander Holyfield who would compete in a legendary trilogy. But for Ortiz it was another standout colossus from the 90s that stands out.
Speaking recently in the build-up to his own fight against Andy Ruiz on September 4 the Cuban was asked for his greatest of all-time pick.
Answering through a translator he said:
“Lennox Lewis.
“Lennox dominated in range and distance with the jab. Obviously, there’s a lot of them, it’s just his opinion but he feels that for a big man he was extremely dominant and knew how to use that very well and he loves Lennox.”
Lewis was a man mountain of a heavyweight in his prime. The 1988 Olympic Gold Medallist went on to become a three-time heavyweight champion and was recognised as Undisputed in 1999 when he defeated Evander Holyfield in their rematch.
In the final 12 months of his career Lewis gained a knockout win over a faded Mike Tyson before battling Vitali Klitschko to a sixth-round victorious ending when the fight was stopped on cuts. Lewis then retired from the sport in 2004.
