Wladimir Over Lennox, Says Man Who Boxed Both

January 14th, 2009

By Scoop Malinowski

While we patiently wait for worthy heavyweight contenders to develop and ready themselves to competitively challenge the world dominating Klitschko brothers, in the meantime, what we can do is contemplate a fantasy bout to fill the void. Former WBC Heavyweight title challenger Phil “The Enforcer” Jackson who boxed Lennox Lewis in 1994 and later faced Wladimir Klitschko in 1999, thinks Wladimir might have had the edge over Lennox.

“Well, Wladimir…I also worked with both of the Klitschko brothers. The experience that I got from Wladimir…he’s a tough cookie. Wladimir – he’s a good fighter, man. Because he has that power. He has that power.”

What else does he do well? “Jab. He’s not a mover like his brother – his brother moves extremely well. He wears you down with that power, man.”

When asked if Wladimir’s power exceded the strength of Lewis, Jackson replies with no hesitation: “Yeah, most definitely. Yeah.”
Which hand, left of right? “Both. Both. Put it this way…if it would have been him (Wladimir) in there when his brother fought Lennox Lewis, I think he would have dropped Lennox Lewis. I honestly do. I think he would have dropped Lennox Lewis – if he would have been in the best of shape.”

Phil Jackson, who retired in 2004 with a record of 44-13 and 38 KO’s after losing in one round to Dominic Guinn in Atlantic City, sparred with both Klitschko brothers and noted some differences. “I sparred both. The older brother – he’s a good mover, a good combination puncher. He has power, don’t get me wrong. But not the kind of power that his brother posesses. Wladimir’s punches – you could feel it. But the older brother, like I just walked through him. He hits you with more good combinations than his brother does. But to me, the younger brother punches harder than the older. Wladimir…he just don’t give a damn. He just comes forward. He just throw ‘em at you.”

Jackson, a 1988 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team heavyweight alternate, sparred with the Klitschko brothers around five years ago in Atlantic City. He remembers them being a pleasure to work with. “We sparred right here in Atlantic City, when Wladimir fought Ray Mercer. They were real good people. Real down-to-earth. They don’t treat you no differently…you would think people of that status would treat you differently, as far as talking to you when you’re not training. They’re just real polite, real good people, man.”

As to what it was that helped to make Lennox Lewis the great champion he was, the now 44-year-old Jackson answers, “Lennox Lewis’s jab. He works behind that jab real well. And he set everything up by the jab. To me, he’s not a one-punch knockout artist, but he wears you down with the jab. I think that’s what made him a great fighter.”

Note: Jackson lost by TKO 8 to Lewis in May of 1994 and lost by KO 2 to Wladimir Klitschko on November 11, 1999 in Las Vegas (one night before Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield to win the undisputed world heavyweight championship.)