Lennox Lewis is one of the most decorated and respected heavyweights to ever lace up the gloves.

Over a long and remarkable career, Lewis beat every man he faced, although not always the first time of asking. Despite always being a considerable talent, the Olympic gold medalist twice came unstuck to underdogs – once to Oliver McCall in 1994, and once to Hasim Rahman in 2001, both of whom left Lewis flat on his back.

However, both men received the same treatment themselves in rematches as Lewis, the self-professed ‘pugilist specialist’, went on to a record of 44 fights, 41 wins, 32 of them by knockout.

In that time he became a three-time heavyweight champion and a two-time lineal champion as well as being the last undisputed champion until Oleksandr Usyk took that honour by beating Tyson Fury back this May.

Taking part in The Ring Magazine’s Best I Faced feature, Lewis named the best puncher he ever came up against and it wasn’t the likes of Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield or even the two men who stopped him as many might expect.

“Shannon Briggs. He lacked endurance but Briggs certainly knew how to put his bodyweight behind a punch. Unfortunately for him you need the full package when you face me so power isn’t enough. Fans may expect me to say McCall or Hasim Rahman for punching power but I basically set myself up against both of them.”

Shannon Briggs has an 83% knockout-to-win ratio in the ring, and was well known for his aggression. He would win the WBO Heavyweight Title against Siarhei Liakhovich in 2006 by twelfth round TKO, but dropped it in his first defence against Sultan Ibragimov.

Although Lewis retired after a bloody and hard-fought battle with a late stand-in Vitali Klitschko in 2003, he recently suggested he might like a fight with YouTuber turned boxer Jake Paul.