Editing Lennox Lewis (section)

===Second reign as WBC heavyweight champion===
{{main|Lennox Lewis vs. Lionel Butler}}
In his first comeback fight, Lewis was given a chance to fight for the mandatory challenger position within the WBC and won it by knocking out American contender [[Lionel Butler]]. However, at the behest of promoter [[Don King]],{{Citation needed|date=January 2009}} the WBC bypassed him and gave [[Mike Tyson]] the first chance at the title recently won by Briton [[Frank Bruno]] from Oliver McCall. Bruno had previously lost to both Lewis and Tyson.

Lewis had the number 1 contender's slot in the WBC rankings when he knocked out Australian Justin Fortune, then defeated former WBO Champion [[Tommy Morrison]] in October 1995, winning the minor IBC title. This was followed by a close majority decision win over Olympic gold medallist and former WBO champion [[Ray Mercer]] in May 1996. Lewis successfully sued to force Tyson to make a mandatory defence of the WBC title against him. Lewis was offered a $13.5 million guarantee to fight Tyson to settle the lawsuit, but turned it down. This would have been Lewis's highest fight purse to date. Lewis accepted $4 million from Don King to step aside and allow Tyson to fight [[Bruce Seldon]] instead, with a guarantee that if Tyson defeated Seldon, he would fight Lewis next.<ref>{{cite news|title=BOXING;Bronchitis Stops Tyson: Seldon Fight Is Off|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/07/04/sports/boxing-bronchitis-stops-tyson-seldon-fight-is-off.html?pagewanted=2|newspaper=The New York Times|date=4 July 1996|access-date=3 May 2017}}</ref> After winning the WBA title from Seldon, Tyson relinquished the WBC title to fight [[Evander Holyfield]] instead. The WBC title was declared vacant. This set up a rematch between Lewis and McCall, who met on 7 February 1997 in [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]] for the WBC title. 
{{Main|Lennox Lewis vs. Oliver McCall II}}
In one of the strangest fights in boxing history, McCall, who had lost the first three rounds, refused to box in the fourth and fifth rounds. He then began crying in the ring, forcing the referee to stop the fight and award Lewis the victory and the title. As newly recrowned WBC champion, Lewis successfully defended the title in 1997 against fellow Briton and former WBO world champion [[Henry Akinwande]], who was disqualified after five rounds for excessive clinching. Lewis then met Poland's [[Andrew Golota]], whom he knocked out in the first round. Lewis retained the WBC world title in 1998 when he knocked out [[Lineal championship|lineal champion]] [[Shannon Briggs]], who had recently outpointed [[George Foreman]] in a controversial fight to win the lineal title in five rounds, and beat formerly undefeated European champion [[Zeljko Mavrovic|Željko Mavrović]] from Croatia in a 12-round unanimous decision. Lewis stated in 2006 that his fight with Mavrovic was the most awkward win of his career.<ref>[http://www.secondsout.com/uk-boxing-features?ccs=338&cs=20602 SecondsOut Boxing News – UK Features – Lennox Lewis: Consummate Cool]. Secondsout.com (27 October 2006). Retrieved on 25 November 2011.</ref>
{{Further|Lennox Lewis vs. Tommy Morrison|Lennox Lewis vs. Ray Mercer|Lennox Lewis vs. Henry Akinwande|Lennox Lewis vs. Andrew Golota|Lennox Lewis vs. Shannon Briggs|Lennox Lewis vs. Željko Mavrović}}