(AMERICAN CRITICS GET NO SATISFACTION)
By David Field, PA Sport Boxing Correspondent, New York
Lennox Lewis finds it hard to win in America. Fights, yes, but when it comes the critics' acclaim, often no.
Being England's finest makes it doubly tough for the undisputed world heavyweight champion to satisfy.
Maybe never, especially in New York where the Big Apple has made a habit of turning sour on him, first with the Evander Holyfield draw outrage and then the judge's recent verdict to take away his WBA title.
If he boxes a technical fight, he should have knocked-out the other guy. If he lays out the opponent in no-nonsense fashion, as he did to Michael Grant inside two rounds at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, he was wrong not to have boxed more and used his jab.
But Lewis just smiled and shrugged his massive shoulders when, yesterday, he was on top of the world, enjoying life as undisputed heavyweight champion in his 54th floor Madison Avenue penthouse, with its privileged vista of the Manhattan skyline.
Coming into the ring to the western theme of "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" gave one highly-critical New York writer the opportunity to describe Lewis as ugly and Grant bad.
Only the latter part of that assessment realistically applied.
Wallace Matthews, of the New York Post, said: "If someone had dropped you into the Garden just before the opening bell and asked you what was going into the ring, you might have been tempted to guess that Lewis-Grant was a Golden Gloves bout between two sub-novice heavyweights."
But Lewis contents himself that the American public at large appreciate his talents and status, as patriotic as they are.
"Everybody says I should have knocked out Evander Holyfield, but it wasn't easy to knock him out so I had to box a technical fight", said Lewis.
"When you've got Michael Grant in there who is technically lacking, you don't waste time in trying to knock them out, end of story, you don't get paid for overtime.
"In a situation like that I was in a search and destroy mode, not there for a long fight.
"I think I've won the hearts of the public here, they see me as the people's champion. I do my own thing, I just come to conquer, and once I do I move on.
"I'm undisputed, this is what I want to get in the mind of the public, let them realise I'm in position where I could run for years, to give me the kind of fight that will threaten me in any way.
"I've reached my mission and now it's a situation, boy, where everybody that was in my path is not around anymore. Where's Riddick Bowe, who supposed to be so great?"
Of course, there is still Mike Tyson in what would be the biggest fight on earth.
And Tyson's trainer Tommy Brooks is attributed to saying Iron Mike watched Lewis on television on Saturday, called his adviser Shelley Finkel and told him: "Get me this guy."
The getting would rely on rival cable channels Home Box Office, who have Lewis contracted, and Showtime, Tyson's network, coming to an agreement.
Next on the Lewis hit-list is South Africa's Frans Botha at the London Arena on July 15, his first British appearance since losing the WBC title in his first term to Oliver McCall in September, 1994. IBF top contender David Tua will then follow in November.
"Botha? he's getting knocked out, simple as that," added the champion. "I don't take anybody lightly. He's got some natural boxing ability. But he's never seen a boxer like me, and I'm going to tell him.
"It's time for the British public to see me again, they saw me in a situation which was too good, now I'm undisputed champion and they get a chance to see me in that light, which is a better light.
"It's like I've gone away I've worked and I've sacrificed, have been in the other man's backyard, his home turf and still survived, and I'm now coming back to my backyard - my fans are wanting to see me.
"I'm not letting the belts go too easy. There's talk of me dumping them, I worked so hard to get them. I want to keep it going, but I don't want to stay too long in this sport - but I'm not on a timescale.
"It will be when I'm satisfied. The time I do have I want to take advantage of. There's always a guy to fight, that's the drug of boxing. When you beat one guy there's always another one to beat."
Lewis watched the movie a 'Fistful of Dollars' before the fight, appropriate with him banking 10million for five minutes, 53 seconds work, adding: "The song is a shoot-off, the beat behind it, and you know you are going to the OK Corral."
While the overmatched Grant made nervous and tight-as-a-spring ring entrance, Lewis danced in his dressing room.
Later, he neatly sidestepped question about the slender female who entered the ring at the end.
It is reported that he and model Aisha are involved in a relationship, with Sky television apparently suggesting wedding bells in the summer.
But Lewis, being the private man he is, remained private. "No, no, a bit too early for those kind of things right now."
