Lennox Lewis stood accused of clearing the gym for every sparring session after receiving a ‘verbal sitdown’ over sparring with John Ruiz.
Lewis took a tongue-lashing from Ruiz’s legal advisor, attorney Anthony Cardinale on social media after posting about Roy Jones Jr.
The former undisputed heavyweight champion pointed to Jones taking the easy route when the ex-Pound for Pound king challenged for the top division title.
Responding to Jones Jr. celebrating the anniversary of his famous triumph, Lewis stated: “When they said you couldn’t do it, they didn’t mean John Ruiz.
Jones had said: “Twenty years ago today, I accomplished what they all said I couldn’t do. But what god ordained me to do. Become a heavyweight champion of the world!”
Seeing Lewis retort to Jones, Cardinale then got involved with accusations that Ruiz got the best of the Brtion in training sessions.
Lennox Lewis vs John Ruiz sparring
“Curious, do you remember getting your ass beat so bad sparring with John before you were KO’d by McCall in London that you closed the gym when you were in the ring with him? Just asking because I do,” said Cardinale to Lewis.
He continued: “OK, that was 1994. But in 2000, that was you who gave up the WBA belt rather than fighting John, wasn’t it?
“Business decisions aside, you ducked him.”
Asked by a fan if the sparring session could have been a fluke, Cardinale added: “Would be, except it wasn’t a one-session fluke. It was many, and Lewis had the gym cleared every time he went in the ring.
“He was such a “threat” that John, the WBC mandatory, demanded to fight Grant, number two, in order to force Lewis to fight him instead.”
Top Rank’s Bruce Trampler then verified Cardinale as a source in the accusations. Trampler pointed out: “Oh! Shots were fired by the man who would know.
“Top attorney and straight shooter Tony Cardinale is just keeping it real in a verbal sitdown with Lennox and Roy,
“Reminding them that Johnny Ruiz was a real guy.”
What happens in sparring
Deciding not to respond to Cardinale, Lewis kept a dignified silence to what should amount to private sessions between two fighters back in the day.
Maybe not the days of social media today, but what happened in sparring sessions used to stay in sparring sessions.
However, being a fly on the wall in those Lewis vs Ruiz spars would have been interesting.
Follow experienced boxing writer Phil Jay on Twitter @PhilJWBN. Follow WBN: Facebook, Insta, Twitter.
