Lewis Retains WBC Crown

Lennox Lewis huffed and puffed, but he couldn't knock Zeljko Mavrovic down.

Lewis,

"Lennox definitely was huffing and puffing by the third round," his trainer, Emanuel Stewart, said. "I can't explain why. Lennox definitely trained hard for this fight."

The 243-pound Lewis was in control over the last eight rounds when he landed several solid right uppercuts and stiff left jabs, which were his two most effective punches.

"In the later rounds, 8, 9, 10 and 11, he caught me and I couldn't come inside," the 214-pound Mavrovic said. "I'm tired, and he punched me unlike anyone else in the world."

It was the European champion's first defeat after 27 victories, 22 by knockout.

The victory moved Lewis, 34-1 with 27 knockouts, a step closer to a unification bout with IBF-WBA champion Evander Holyfield.

"He knows where to find me," Lewis said. "It's up to him to sign the contract."

Holyfield, however, now faces a WBA mandatory defense against Henry Akinwande. He made an IBF mandatory defense Sept. 19 and won a unanimous decision over Vaughn Bean.

"I was pleased with my performance," the 33-year old Lewis, of Britain, said. "I adjusted well in the ring. I expected Mavrovic to run."

Mavrovic tried to stay in close with Lewis but simply didn't have the power to take control of the fight. His best round was the seventh when he shook Lewis with a couple of two-punch combos to the head late in the round.

There was no question that Lewis had a big edge in power, but the fighter who calls himself a one-punch knockout artist never came close to knocking down Mavrovic.

Mavoric was marked about both eyes, and Lewis was cut in the mouth.

Judge Franfisco Ciminale of Italy scored it 117-111, Tommy Kaczmarak of New Jersey had it 119-109 and Bob Logist of Belgium saw it 117-112.

"I said before the fight `You are my friend' and I meant `You are my riend,"' Mavrovic said in the ring. "You beat me, and nobody ever beat me before."

Mavrovic boxed well in the first few rounds before Lewis took charge in the fourth, landing several hard rights to the head and a good shot to the body. In the fifth round, Lewis landed several good jabs and left hooks and a right to the body that made Mavrovic grunt.

The best round of the fight was the 11th when Mavrovic landed a one-two in mid-round and then a hard left with 50 seconds left followed by a one-two to the head.

Lewis then rallied with a right uppercut and a hook to the head followed by two left-right combinations and bulled Mavrovic into the ropes at round's end.

"Mavrovic must have 240 pounds of steel in his chin," said Frank Maloney, Lewis' manager.

A CompuBox analysis of the fight showed Lewis landed 216 of 507 punches in this mandatory WBC heavyweight defense. Mavrovic landed 132 of 298 punches.

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