Lewis vs. Holyfield 1: Robbery in the Garden?

Lewis vs. Holyfield 1: Robbery in the Garden?

Eugenia Williams: 115-113, for Holyfield.

Stanley Christodoulou: 116-113, for Lewis.

Larry O’Connell: 115-115.

Three scorecards that are still debated to this day. It’s been called a robbery of epic proportions. With good reason.

”I got robbed. I controlled the whole fight.” The words of Lennox Lewis echoed the thoughts of many. His trainer, Emanuel Steward said, “It wasn’t even close.” Lewis landed nearly as many punches as his opponent threw. Evander Holyfield only threw 385 punches. Lewis landed 348 of his 613 attempts at finding the target. In comparison, Holyfield landed only 130 punches during the entire twelve rounds. In six of those rounds, Holyfield landed single-digit amounts. But still, one judge, the American, Williams, scored the fight for Holyfield. A week after the fight, Williams, on reflection, said she had got it wrong. After rescoring the 5th round, a round Lewis dominated, but yet Williams inexplicably gave it to her fellow American. She changed her mind and now scored it for Lewis. But only that round. Not the fight. The thoughts of reflection still only gave Lewis a draw on her revised card. Make of that what you will.

Lou DiBella, then at HBO, said of Williams:

“Williams should never work as a boxing judge again. She is either biased, incompetent, or worse.”

Don Elbaum, a matchmaker and promoter for over thirty years, added his views to the fire when he said: “Williams should go to jail for that decision.”

While much of the venom was aimed at Williams. She wasn’t the only one on the night to render a bizarre scorecard.

Britain’s Larry O’Connell somehow couldn’t split them either. O’Connell struggled in the aftermath because he couldn’t find daylight between the pair. “I did what I thought was right at the time. I can’t be any more honest than that,” O’Connell said. He had to endure much public abuse for his scorecard. “I feel sorry for myself. I’ve taken so much stick. But I feel even more sorry for Lennox.”

Frank Maloney, Lewis’s manager, said of the beyond-controversial scorecards: “This is the biggest liberty in boxing history.” 

Lewis stormed out of the ring in protest. The deafening relentless boos that followed the shock announcement were a mixture of anger in one direction and sympathy for Lewis.

Arthur Mercante Jr., a throwback piece of nostalgia to another famous night at the iconic Madison Square Garden, was the man in the middle. He believed Lewis was denied a rightful victory. Mercante only gave Holyfield three rounds. ”This is just a crime for the sport I’ve been around all my life,” Mercante said. Very few argued with his words. In truth, how could they?

Showtime’s Steve Farhood said: “I’ve been covering boxing for twenty years. I would put this in the top five for the worst decisions I’ve seen.”

It was supposed to be a celebration. The crowning of an undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. Holyfield was 36, Lewis 33. Both had a right to say that they would win. The American had stood up to the bully in recent times. Twice. Mike Tyson couldn’t intimidate Holyfield. Or beat him. Tyson had bitten off more than he could chew. Literally.

Lewis had only lost to Oliver McCall in thirty-five fights. A defeat he later avenged. The British fighter defended his WBC title, and Holyfield put his WBA and IBF belts on the line. A fight to crown one true King. Or so we thought.

The British vocal faithful were in fine voice. The noise amplified further when Lewis dominated the first two rounds behind his thudding jab. Holyfield started slow. Very slow. In the opening six minutes, he landed nothing of note.

But he had predicted a 3rd round victory. As he left the corner, Holyfield told his corner, “This is the round he goes out.”

Holyfield went for it, trying to make his prophecy come true. Lewis survived a mini wobble of sorts in those three minutes. He appeared stunned a couple of times, and it was a round he clearly lost. Holyfield won the round. But his chance of victory had already gone. He seemed heavily fatigued by his efforts to end it in his round of choice. His best chance, his only chance, of victory was already gone.

The 4th was a Lewis round. The 5th even more so. Holyfield was hurt repeatedly. A looping left hook from Holyfield that missed its intended target, was met with a counter from Lewis that ended with the American hurt and pinned on the ropes, taking numerous heavy shots from Lewis.

But in typical Holyfield fashion, he came back in the 6th. A left hook had Lewis holding on. Lewis still had his moments, but this observer made it a Holyfield round. But it could have been scored either way. One of the few rounds that you could truthfully say that.

Another strong round from Lewis in the 7th round pushed him further ahead. I had it 5-2 for Lewis at that juncture. I wouldn’t have argued with 6-2 in his favour. But Lewis was winning. In truth, he was dominating.

Nothing changed in the 8th. Holyfield advanced but without purpose. Or reward. The heavy jab of Lewis couldn’t miss. Holyfield couldn’t land. He suddenly looked like an old fighter. The output was low from the start. Even more so now.

A closer round followed. But still, you had to be kind to score it for the American. After nine rounds, Lewis already seemed in an unassailable lead on the cards.

Holyfield found some semblance of his old form in the 10th. He made a big effort to change the fortunes of his night. Holyfield won the round. But he needed more. Much more. Lewis seemed content to take the next three minutes off. I gave Holyfield the 11th as well, but he was still three rounds down on my card. Lewis raised his right fist to the crowd in premature celebration. He thought he had the fight won. We all did. And when Lewis took the 12th, he appeared to have sealed his win and the undisputed status he so badly craved. It looked like a mere formality. The travelling British Army chanted in salute to a seemingly famous and historic victory.

Harold Lederman scoring the fight for HBO saw it for Lewis by way of a wide and convincing scorecard of 117-111. I had it a little closer at 116-112. But, however it was scored, there appeared to be only one winner.

“Lennox Lewis has just been robbed.” Words from the HBO commentary team echoed what virtually everyone was feeling when Jimmy Lennon Jr. said both fighters retain their world titles.

The card of Christodoulou seemed close to the truth. The other two cards were anything but. Williams scoring the fight for Holyfield was beyond any kind of justification. You just couldn’t defend it. Not many tried to. Even she must have been embarrassed. If not, she should have been.

There were criminal investigations for possible corruption. The smell of a fix was very much in the air. But nothing changed, certainly not for Lewis. The victim of daylight robbery was the narrative post-fight. A dark cloud hung over the sport. Only a rematch could put things right. At least, to a point.

It was a fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world. But instead of undisputed, we got dispute. A sold-out Madison Square Garden came for a coronation in 1999. They left in anger and bewilderment. Holyfield was relieved, even if he was in a state of denial. Only the promoter Don King seemed happy. He had kept control of the lucrative heavyweight division. King also knew that controversy sells. He now had the biggest lottery ticket in town.

Six months later, they met again. This time in Las Vegas. It was a closer fight. A better fight. And Lewis finally got what he was denied in New York. But the stench from their first meeting never left. And it never should. A shameful night for the sport. Sadly, one of many.