Where does Lennox Lewis rank in HW history?

Discuss.

 

I voted top-10, but on a given day, I could see him as low as maybe 12 on a list. I wouldn't have him in my top-5 by any stretch, but top-10 is pretty fair, & seems to be a consensus.

I do feel he's getting more over-rated with the passage of time.

 

imo he is solidified in the top ten. Louis, Ali, Holmes, Johnson, Marciano, Foreman, Lennox. In that order on my list. then Frazier/Dempsey/Tunney/Holyfield/Tyson, etc.

 

Definitely top ten

at his very best, maybe even top 5

but I can't put him that high taking into consideration the first Rahman fight

Also, though it was certainly not entirely his fault, there were fights that either didn't get made or were made far too late so it knocks him down a peg or two on the list

but, at his best, fully focused, he was a major problem for just about anyone... BIg, strong, cool, monstrous right hand puncher and one of the very best finishers I've seen among big time heavyweights

 

Top 10. Somewhere in there. I think he would've created a phenomenal legacy which could've pushed him into the top 5 if he had taken on both Klitschkos. We can beat around the bush all we like but everybody here including the most hardcore Lewis fan knows that Lewis could've taken that Vitali rematch. It was one of the few times where fans from all over the world who didn't take an interest in boxing were genuinely interested in seeing these two giants mix it up. The first fight was brutal despite technically lacking but what's important is that it was exciting and one of the very few times where Lewis had to go from boxing 101 to a full fledged bloody street fight.
Lewis/Vitali II would've been huge. All questions would've been answered and the book on Lewis' career completed. But many many fans out there still believe Lewis chickened out and got lucky. It did hurt Lewis' rep and will continue to do so.

 

For overrated read: finally getting his due. He was disparaged throughout his career and as with most boxers, is only now getting the respect he deserved all along.

 

Top 5

 

I feel hes getting all that and more.

 

If Lewis fought any heavyweight in history 5 times I wouldn't pick anyone to get 3 wins over him. Put it that way. Head to head he's probably the best ever, don't agree with me? Don't care.

 

Okay...?

 

Sorry Ramonza that was a bit blunt of me ::, you can disagree with me if you want mate

Who do you see getting 3 wins over LL?

 

Larry Holmes, Ali, Joe Louis are the strongest candidates possible of beating Lewis 3 times imo.

 

Please don't say Tunney, Ramonza ::

 

He could have beaten any heavyweight that ever lived.

That said nobody ever nailed Wlad to the Canvas for like 15 seconds either.

 

Top 5 for sure, a case could be made for top 3 behind only Ali and Louis

 

Lewis would have beaten Louis and all of the people that Louis beat.

 

Undoubtedly Top 10, and a case to be made for Top 5, which is what I actually voted.

The wild card in these polls seems to be where Marciano and Foreman rank among the best of all-time. I personally don't have Foreman in my Top 5 and in fact barely have him in my Top 10. Marciano is right on the edge, but I believe LL should rate no worse than slightly above him.

 

Top 5 for sure.

 

Top 2 is Ali and Louis for me and most other lists.

After that the next 3 or 4 are interchangeable: Holmes, Lewis, Foreman, Holyfield.

Tyson should be in that group too, but the losses to Evander Holyfield, post prison, hurts him IMO. Marciano should be there also on account of his unbeaten record, but the only good Heavyweights he fought were old and done and so I'd place him just after Tyson.

Therefore I have Tyson and Marciano just after that group but before guys like Frazier, Dempsey, Johnson, Liston and Bowe.

 

one of if not THE worst to ever hold a belt

 

I hear you on Marciano and Foreman. I often struggle with their rankings.

Marciano has to be rewarded for his undefeated record as well as victories over Charles and Walcott. It's fashionable to denigrate Rocky based on his size and overall competition (and skin colour to be perfectly frank) but 49-0 is impressive in any era. He therefore has to be SOLIDLY in the top 10.

Foreman winning the title again at age 45, 20 or so years after first winning it is such an incredible achievement that you have to rank him high...especially when you consider that in his younger days he utterly destroyed PRIME Frazier and PRIME Norton (he also stopped Chuvalo, Lyle and others).

As such I often rank Foreman at 3..but truthfully arguments can be made for ranking Holmes and Lewis (even Holyfield) over him.

 

Holyfield beating Bowe in the rematch and then Tyson for his third title is crazy impressive achievements.

So with Evander we have him knocking out Buster Douglas, beating Bowe (first and ONLY man to do so), knocking out Tyson, knocking out Moorer, draw with Lennox (even if the 1st fight should have gone to Lennox...the 2nd fight looked like a draw or victory for Evander to me), and then you have tough guys like Stewart, Cooper and Mercer as well.

Therefore he's up there also.

 

That said

Lennox never collapsed like a pathetic heap against Lamon Brewster or Ross Purrity, and at least lost to a guy who knocked out Wlad's father

Oh, and he violently avenged that defeat immediately... not 4 years later

 

if Lemmon is top 5 that means Holyfield is three or four on your list, correct?

 

but he also lost 2 of three to Bowe, lost two (I don't care about your ridiculous position regarding "official" tallies) to Lewis, lost to Michael Moorer... that's not insignificant

And Bert Cooper was a clubfighter with a punch... He was literally no better than Ron Stander

 

You don't have to care about my position to be honest with you...it's the only position to take.

I happen to think that Morales won the first two fights with Barrera, but the official score between the two is that Barrera won 2 to Morales' 1.

Simple.

We can argue till we're blue in the face but the facts are the facts.

And as you know we can disect any career if we want and make the person look bad. Holyfield beating Bowe and Tyson at the times when he did it proves his point. Mercer, Cooper, Stewart, Dokes and others are merely icing on the cake.

 

I voted top-10 but I can see top-5, in fact, I take it back... top-5.

In retrospect, the Vitali fight sure was a nice feather in his cap on the way out. His Jones/Tarver I moment, only he was smart enough to walk away when it was over.

 

MAB won the first Morales fight very, very clearly.

 

First off, stop bringing up Cooper... that would be like me touting Hagler on the basis of Wilford Scypion

Secondly, Morales/Barrera were CLOSE, debateable fights (BTW, Barrera won all three on my card)

there was nothing CLOSE about Lennox/Holy

the position you take is absurd

you cant even compare the two

 

Not in my opinion.

Again..it all boils down to how you score round 5, because that round was a microcosm of the fight. It's subjective. I saw Morales throwing all the leather and getting the better of MAB for over 2/3 of that round. I saw MAB flurry at the very end and hurt Morales...leaving the final impression.

I scored the round for Morales. HBO and many others scored it for MAB.


Tito-Mayorga round 1 is similar.

Mayorga throws all of teh leather for 2 mins 30 seconds. Tito hurts him and has him backing up in the last 30 seconds. HBO scored that round for Tito..I gave it to Mayorga.


Morales was consistently busier and landed more on Barrera throughout that fight. Barrera had the more eye-catching moments and stunned Morales a few times.