Lennox Lewis walked away from boxing in 2004 following a successful career that saw him reign as heavyweight champion on three occasions.
An illustrious career that also brought an Olympic gold medal in 1988 was often fought at world championship level with Lewis defeating outstanding fighters such as Mike Tyson, Hasim Rahman and Evander Holyfield.
Despite defeating numerous legendary names, Lewis credits one fighter as being smarter than the others and that is Vitali Klitschko.
The pair met on short notice in the summer of 2003 and after enduring several tough moments, Lewis was victorious as Klitschko was stopped by the ringside doctor due to a number of cuts on his face.
Lewis bowed out of boxing shortly afterwards but he is quick to pay tribute to Klitschko's qualities.
“Vitali used his awkwardness to good effect. Everyone said that I should have fought him again, but he was just icing on my retirement cake,” said Lewis when speaking to The Ring in 2015.
“I took him on at short notice and despite being mentally ready, my physical preparation wasn’t ideal. I beat him at my worst so there was no need for a rematch. He definitely experienced the uppercuts.”