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It's now history that Andrew `Sixhead' Lewis is no longer a World boxing champion. And it is also history that he went down to a slugger named Ricardo Mayorga in his third defence of the WBA welterweight title. What is not historic and is not known is what happened to Lewis leading up to the day which has gone down as one of the worst on the nation's sporting callender.
Former IBF junior welterweight champion American Zab Judah pointed out to Stabroek Sport that if the former champion wishes to recapture the fire he "once had" he would have to get rid of his trainers and return to Gleason's Gym "where it all began. In an exclusive interview with Stabroek Sport Lewis explains.
SN: What went wrong on Saturday
AL: I was fighting really well but got careless in the fifth round. As you would have seen all the judges had me ahead on their cards at the time of the stoppage of the fight. I got careless and was caught with punches that I was not supposed to let catch me. Everyone make mistakes and I have learnt from this one. I know that I will have another chance to prove myself and the next time that I get back there it would be different.
SN: Do you think that Mayorga is a better boxer than you.
AL: No way. He just had a lucky night as some people do. I was ready to continue after I got knocked down. I WAS OK. I was looking at the referee's eyes. I was focused.
SN: If you could have blamed your defeat on someone who would it be.
AL:I blame myself. I was the fighter in the ring and I made the mistakes. I really can't blame anyone else for something that I did wrong. Some people have said that my corner is to blame but I blame me.
SN: Are you comfortable with the work put in by your corner.
AL: In life you have to make changes. It could be possible that the corner is giving a problem too. I say if it has to go that way then it has to go that way. What I mean is that I have to sit back and look into everything. Sometimes there is a motivation from getting a new trainer. It has happened to me before. I'm looking deep into my career and who knows if there will be any changes.
SN: Does Andrew Lewis have a problem with making the 147-pound welterweight limit.
AL: I never really wanted to get into it but there is a slight weight problem. I am not someone to make excuses and this one is not. I really could not eat as I wanted to because I was unsure of if I would have made the weight. Right now I am thinking of moving up to 154. If you take a look at me now Steve, you would see that I look much better than when I weighed in or on Saturday night. I have been fighting as a welterweight for more than 12 years. The time may have come for me to step up. It's not that I can't make welterweight but I'm not comfortable making it. Sometimes in your life you have to make decisions. In order for me to make welterweight I'll have to get a dietician. Of course I'll love to remain in that division and reclaim my title before I move on but right now that does not look too certain.
SN: Have you detected a change in the way persons treat you now that you are no longer a champion.
AL:I always knew that people treat you different at times. If you win people jump on the bandwagon. If you lose they jump off. Some who were on your side will make a slide. This is life and a man has got to face many things, the good, the bad and the ugly. This is one that I have to face. What I want folks to know is that I'll be back really strong. You pay for your mistakes and learn from them. To all the people in Guyana I say that life is not over for me. I'm OK. I just need some time off and I'll be back in the gym and ready to make Guyana proud once again. I know that I'll be a world champion once again. I have to do it again. I'll correct the mistakes and go again.
SN: Would you call Saturday's performance your worst.
AL: It was not my best performance. I wasn't Andrew Lewis that night. Some shots that should have landed did not. Something was real wrong. Things just were not going right. The night belonged to Mayorga who was very lucky to win by TKO in the fifth round.
SN: Will you be returning to Guyana soon.
AL: Yes. I should be home in another two weeks. I have some business to take care of.
SN: Have you been in contact with you manager since Saturday and what has the relationship with him been.
AL: I really don't know about any problem between me and my manager. There is no rip off as far as I know.
SN: Is there anything that you would like to tell Guyanese and your fans
AL: Don't count me out because of what happened on Saturday. I have made Guyana proud once and I will do it again. Everyone gets a bad day. Some get it sooner and some later. Saturday was my bad night. There are much better coming. I wouldn't be giving up like that. I'm a true warrior. And one more thing I'd like to say is that Don King never brought me to America.