Mama8217;s boy8217; grabs media attention

8220;Soft spoken and fond of chess, Lewis8230; has finally made boxing8217;s summit with none of the hype and bluster for which boxing is so renowned,8221; the newspaper said.

The Daily called him a quiet, home-loving role model.

Many newspapers focused on Lewis8217; close relationship with his mother, Violet, who was first into the ring to congratulate him. 8220;The hardest man in the world is still a mummy8217;s boy at heart,8221; echoed The Star.

But Daily Telegraph columnist Sue Mott considered the home reaction to Lewis8217; victory lukewarm.

She said thelack of interest is aimed at the sport as a whole. Boxing has been hit recently by a wave of corruption scandals.

8220;Poor Lennox Lewis8230; is merely king of a heavyweight derision,8221; she wrote.The American press was silent about the champion, as Lewis refused to meet with American reporters yesterday.

8220;This is only for the British press,8221; Lewis8217; manager, Frank Maloney, said. 8220;This is a thank you to the British press. It8217;s just something he wants to do.8221;

Lewis says it doesn8217;t get any better than being the champion. He left the ring with only the WBC and WBA championship belts. The IBF withheld its belt because of a sanctioning fee dispute.

Whatever the outcome, Holyfield put things in perspective. 8220;It8217;s not so much what I think, it8217;s what reality is,8221; he said adding, 8220;and what reality is, he8217;s the heavyweight champion of the world.8221;