Lennox Lewis
So, I gave my belts out to others to give them a chance.Collection: Chance
When you go into the other guy's backyard you cannot hope to win on points.
In boxing you create a strategy to beat each new opponent, it's just like chess.
Whatever I do, I always want to get better.
My main goal was to win all the belts, and I have done that.
It's not rage that drives me, it's competition.
The mission I set out on in the beginning - to become heavyweight champion of the world, undisputed, lineal champion - you could say that mission is complete.
If the money's right, I'm happy to bust up the other side of his face... No problem.
I have been in there with all of them and there is nothing left for me to prove.
The fight will last as long as I allow it to last, and then I will knock him out.
People know I was the last true champion.
During the past 23 years, I have set a number of goals for myself and I'm proud to say that these goals have been achieved.
Now I am ready to set new goals and start a new career for myself outside of the ring.
After you win all these belts, you cannot fight all these mandatory guys.
You can just fight one man at a time.
If the media didn't know I played chess, there'd be no angle on me at all.
I just want to complete my legacy.
I wanted to prove I was the best fighter in the world.
I don't have anything else to prove.
I've worked hard and accomplished what I've accomplished in the heavyweight scene.
When you look back in history and see other fighters coming back, it's never really been good for them.
If I don't feel the same hunger as I once did then I definitely shouldn't box any more.
I always ask myself why old heavyweights come back, but I plan to stay out of the ring.
I've got a new life now, a new future, there's a lot more to Lennox Lewis than just being a boxer.
Action is what separates the do-ers from the dreamers.Collection: Dreamer
In boxing, if you think you will lose... you're already halfway there.Collection: Thinking
Sometimes success needs interruption to regain focus and shake off complacency.Collection: Focus
Boxing isn't just about brute strength; it's about skill and outwitting your opponent.Collection: Skills
How can you trust a man who can talk for 5 minutes and you cant understand a sentence of it!Collection: Men
Boxing involves the possibility of defeat, I accepted that very early on. After all, there are only two men and one of them wins.Collection: Winning
Mike Tyson fit the American ideal of a boxer. A fighter who jumps out of his corner and hits out fiercely. Thats what he'll be remembered for. But good boxing doesnt work like that. Tyson never won on points. It was clear that he'd come a cropper some day.Collection: Boxing
I play chess about four hours a day in training camp. You have to decide what move to use, or what combination of moves. I think less when I box because the reaction time is a lot quicker, but some people call me the chess boxer because they say I think too much in the ring. I take my time and they don't see the action they want. Some boxers just go in there and just throw punches and hope to win.Collection: Sports
The danger of a closed mind is that it can also leave good things like love, compassion and reason on its outside.Collection: Compassion
I'm undisputed and there's no disputing that.Collection: Undisputed
Adversity is something that makes reaching your goals so much more rewarding than if it didn't exist.Collection: Adversity
I've found that taking shortcuts will get you to the place you don't want to be much quicker than they get u to the place u want to be.Collection: Want
The fight will last as long as I allow it to last.Collection: Fighting
There were different heroes with different images. There was Mike Tyson, the animal, there was Evander Holyfield, the devout, the priest. And there was me, the thinker, the intellectual boxer. So there was something for every fan, if you like. The public could always identify with one of us.Collection: Hero
If youve got physical weaknesses, youll lose. Nobody who gets cut easily can be a champion, however strong and talented he is. Boxers are trained to see and exploit their opponents weaknesses, they hit you on your wounds. Only the strongest survive in this sport.Collection: Sports
There is just one rule about boxing: never bet on the white guy.Collection: White
You can't spend 110 percent on something if you don't have that same hunger and drive. I have achieved all my goals - my mission is complete.Collection: Goal
I am definitely not scared of Mike Tyson. I am at the top of the food chain and he is looking to knock me off. Mike's an arrogant imbecile. He sounds like a cartoon character.Collection: Character
Recently I donated money to the establishment of the Muhammad Ali Foundation in Louisville. I regard that as a kind of payback. He smoothed the way for us. He wasnt just a great person who had conviction, but made the sport of boxing great. He was the first superstar, he made our stock rise. Without him we wouldnt have earned so much. Americans from every walk of life have contributed to the foundation: Bill Clinton, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt. Unfortunately I was the only American athlete to make a donation. Theres not enough respect in our business.Collection: Sports
Sometimes the image of the intellectual boxer did for me more harm than good. If a boxer has a reputation as an intellectual, some people no longer respect him as a fighter. With me it was always Lennox should react, not think. But thats nonsense. Only the guy who controls his opponent wins.Collection: Winning
I cannot fight everyone at once. I have to take one at a time.Collection: Fighting
Thomas Hauser respects boxing and boxers. He gives readers insight into what happens in and out of the ring. Everything he writes is fair-minded and reality-based with a human touch.Collection: Writing
I have always said I am a five-dimensional fighter.Collection: Fighter
The fact is that Mike Tyson bit through my trousers and took a significant piece of flesh out of my thigh.Collection: Pieces
I come across famous people all the time. It's the respect factor I appreciate. They respect me, they respect what I've achieved and the manner I've done it. It's street credibility. They know where I'm coming from, they know my reputation.Collection: People
Fighters used to be afraid of the Russians, Cubans but then I'd figure them out and figure out how to beat them.Collection: Fighter