Lennox Lewis
I think Kirk Johnson is a more exciting fighter than Chris Byrd. A lot of people agree with me when it comes to that.Collection: Thinking
Boxing always was corrupt and always will be corrupt. The three world champion's belts really are absurd. One single association would make this business more reputable. Just as powerful as the promoters, is the media. The cable networks control the cash flow. You cant ignore the influence the media and the promoters have on the sport. They have a financial objective - high ratings, selling pay-per-views and selling out arenas. Because of the system, the public may not be seeing the best the sport has to offer, but what sells.Collection: Sports
A boxer should quit at the top, as they say. But thats complicated. There are plenty of people in boxing who make money out off you. And they tell you that youve still got it, that its still getting better.Collection: People
There are still a lot of Mike Tyson fans out there, and a lot of disbelievers in the first fight, and they want to see us fight again. I am the emperor. If he wants to fight, I am here. If he does not, I understand.Collection: Fighting
Every era that comes along has a superstar that emerges. Once we are out of the game, there will be a superstar who will emerge that everyone will notice.Collection: Games
There is not too much left for me to do, but I am sure there are a couple of great fights out there for me. I have basically achieved my goals. There are a few fights the public wants to see, and that is really what is left for me.Collection: Couple
I am the heavyweight champion of the world, and the greatest heavyweight you have seen for a long while. With Tyson on the card, it is definitely an added bonus because Lewis-Tyson on the same card would be a great doubleheader. This is what the fans want to see.Collection: Long
People are still crying out for Lennox Lewis. They still want to see Lennox Lewis. That motivated me. I am still young. I have a couple fights left in me.Collection: Couple
[Kirk] Johnson throws some heavy punches and is a knockout fighter. This is what people want to see. They want to see a fight, they want to see punches and they want to see action.Collection: Fighting
I am proud to be in Los Angeles. I have a lot of fans that love me here. When you talk about the Meccas of boxing - Las Vegas, New York - now you have to talk about Los Angeles.Collection: New York
Vitali [Klitschko] does want to fight me, but his promoter wants to be bigger than him. This is another situation of politics in the sport.Collection: Sports
It's a very interesting fight [Klitchko vs Tyson Fury] because this is the first time [Wladimir] Klitschko is fighting someone as big as him and with longer arms. He will have to be a little bit more aggressive, otherwise the younger guy will have more speed and more energy and I think that may be the difference.Collection: Fighting
When I saw Tyson knocking everybody out on TV, I thought, He's goooood. But when I saw him in person, he didn't look as awesome.Collection: Saws
I don't see where Tyson Fury has boxed anybody of Wladimir's [ Klitschko] calibre to be able to get in the ring with Wladimir and do well.Collection: Able
During the past twenty-three years, I have set a number of goals for myself and I’m proud to say that these goals have been achieved.Collection: Past
You can consider me like fine wine. I just get better with age.Collection: Wine
People want to see me back in the ring. I think it is more of a drag lying around on the beach.Collection: Beach
I am just taking the top fights out there for me. People will get bored seeing me every day knock someone out.Collection: Fighting
Different fights bring out different things. I consider myself a seasoned professional. I have done things in the gym that have not come out yet. People would be amazed if they saw me train.Collection: Fighting
A great champion needs a background in amateur boxing, I'm convinced of that. There you learn everything that youll need later as a pro. Someone whos got more than 400 amateur fights behind him no longer gets nervous before going into the ring and doesnt lose his nerve during a fight. You know all the boxing styles, youre prepared for anything, youve got the pedigree that you need to be a successful pro.Collection: Fighting
The media can make boxers, controls who makes it big and who doesnt. They can build up fighters or knock them down.Collection: Fighter
As a boxer I took the liberty of using not only my fists, but also my head.Collection: Liberty
After about 25 fights you don't always have to keep going to the bathroom before the fight.Collection: Fighting
When I was fighting Tyrell Biggs, Tyson was telling me at ringside to hit him to the ribs. We always had a mutual respect for each other since we sparred those early times. We got that over with.Collection: Fighting
I was very aggressive as a child. At primary school in London my attitude was 'If you don't do what I say, I'll knowk you out', and I was eventually expelled for fighting.Collection: Children
I have always been English, ever since I emigrated from England and since the kids in Canada beat me up at the age of twelve for having an East London Cockney accent. I thank them for the cockney taunts because the beatings turned me on to boxing. But on a serious note Canada has been kind to me.Collection: Kids
I am going to have one Klitschko for breakfast and one Klitschko for lunch.Collection: Lunch
At first I didnt give a damn to go down in history. I wanted to win. But the more I won, the more I thought about leaving something behind. Yes, it's as important as hell to me. I want to leave something that people will remember me by. Of course, a lot of boxers want to do that. But it's not easy. Take Larry Holmes, he was the big man after Muhammad Ali, he wanted to emulate him, but for some reason the public didnt take him like they did to Ali. I think people wont fully understand what I contributed to the sport for years.Collection: Sports
You've got to understand that everything has its time. I had wonderful years as a boxer, I achieved everything. I dont miss anything.Collection: Missing
Boxing and chess are similar. Its about the choice of means. Sometimes I need a pawn, a bishop or a knight to defeat my opponent. Its about finding the best way. A good boxer has to be variable. He doesnt just need to know how to punch. He must also know how to protect himself, how to defend, how to avoid the opponents punches. Only a complete fighter can become champion.Collection: Mean
I could never stand big-mouthed types. I had problems with that at high school. Ive still got the scars on my fists from the teeth of the guys I hit so that theyd finally shut up. I came from England to Canada, of course, and was often ridiculed because I had a strange accent. I was expelled from school and it was a long time before I could control myself. But the impulse remained: a punch in the mouth to get some peace and quiet.Collection: School
Patience is a part of boxing. After I had missed out on the Olympic gold medal in 1984, a lot of people tried to talk me into turning professional quickly to make money. They told me that the next Olympics in Seoul would be boycotted again, that I was wasting my life, blah blah. But I still had unfinished business. I wanted the gold medal, and I got it in 88. Only then was I ready to turn professional.Collection: People
For me, there's never any bad blood - unless you do something to me.Collection: Blood
The Tyson fight was like the hardest I ever trained for a fight in my entire career.Collection: Fighting