Boxing
I lost to Holmes, Lewis, and Holyfield, but no fighter hit me harder in my 19-year career than Wladimir Klitschko
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Ray Mercer was a crucial part of the thriving 1990s heavyweight scene as he featured in several high-profile fights against some of the division's biggest names.
Turning professional after winning Olympic gold in 1988, Mercer began his assault on the professional ranks and soon found himself competing against world level opponents for major prizes.
Mercer won the WBO belt in 1991, but he would endure his first loss the following year when he was beaten by heavyweight great, Larry Holmes.
Despite the setback, Mercer would push on, and his all-action style ensured that he would remain in significant fights as he took on Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis.
Mercer competed well with both legendary fighters and quite a few observers believed he had done enough to score a win over Lewis, but Mercer was beaten on points by both fighters.
In 2002, Mercer was stopped for the first time in his career as he could not find a way past Wladimir Klitschko when trying to win the WBO belt for a second time.
Mercer was stopped in the sixth round, and he credits the mighty Ukrainian as being the hardest puncher he ever faced in a career that lasted almost two decades. The American would walk away from boxing in 2008 and when reflecting on his run in the sport, he had nothing but praise for Klitschko’s power.
"Wladimir Klitschko, he was a bigger and stronger guy,” said Mercer when speaking with The Ring.
“I really didn’t know him so when he hit me, I was like, ‘Damn, where did he come from?’ I was in shape, and he was just a powerful dude, his jab and everything, very heavy-handed, more than Lewis.”
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