Lennox Lewis accomplished a lot in boxing and went out on top, although he should've given Klitschko a rematch, but c'est la vie.

I don't think he was all that great. granted, he got robbed in the first fight with Holyfield, but i feel Evander beat him in the rematch. the major hurdle that stands in the way of me considering Lewis great is his pair of fights with one Oliver McCall. he gets KO'd in the first fight and was so terrified of him in the first part of the rematch that i distinctly remember him practically sprinting to the other side of the ring when McCall feinted at him. of course, Mr. McCall suffered his nervous breakdown...Lewis wins.

I really think Lewis is a good fighter - not great but very good, that being said I really never liked LL. He is one of the only fighters I ever really rooted against. When I was watching the first fight with Holy I thought that LL handed him his ass. My dad was watching with me and he said - even before the judges decision came in he said, "You know he really didn't TAKE the title from the champ." Old LL was doing a Jawny Ruiz to Holy and the judges didn't buy it. It was jab grab - jab grab.
I really disliked LL after the Grant fight - look at that fight and Lewis is holding and hitting ALOT. It is one of the most blatent and foul filled fights. I thought that LL should have been disqualified in that fight - but he was HBO's boy and Forman, Merchant, and Lamply didn't say anything - i guess forman said once when they showed it in slo mo "He got away with a little holding there..." but he quickly added "Grant shouldn't have ben down there."

he won the first fight vs holyfield and the second also. i gave holyfield round 234-or maybe 78 but it was clear that ll also won the rematch holyfield couldnt do anything, he did hit one another hard punch time to time but was mostly dominated by ll. mccall got lucky against ll and it wasent lewis primes, after he had emanuel his new trainer he became must better. emanuel must be a great trainer he was with moorer when more was light heaveweight,holyfield etc but always with winner(anyone know more about him?). ll did hold a lot and hit vs grant but the ref didnt said anything i guess its ok. so yeah lewis is one of the greatest,
and was smart enough to quit on top. and i think he also change heavyweight size forever. before him it was mostly 220pound after him i think 250pound.

he won the first fight vs holyfield and the second also. i gave holyfield round 234-or maybe 78 but it was clear that ll also won the rematch holyfield couldnt do anything, he did hit one another hard punch time to time but was mostly dominated by ll. mccall got lucky against ll and it wasent lewis primes, after he had emanuel his new trainer he became must better. emanuel must be a great trainer he was with moorer when more was light heaveweight,holyfield etc but always with winner(anyone know more about him?). ll did hold a lot and hit vs grant but the ref didnt said anything i guess its ok. so yeah lewis is one of the greatest,
and was smart enough to quit on top. and i think he also change heavyweight size forever. before him it was mostly 220pound after him i think 250pound.

How could you give rounds 2 and 4 to Holyfield in their second fight? I gave Evander rounds 3, 6, 7, and 12. 116 - 112. Competitive but lewis won!

How could you give rounds 2 and 4 to Holyfield in their second fight? I gave Evander rounds 3, 6, 7, and 12. 116 - 112. Competitive but lewis won!

u have right, i have forgot. i only remember that holyfield landed som good punch on lewis´ face. but overall lewis dominated totally. :D

The reason that people don't think of LL as great is because he never dominated (except Tyson) and he was always cautious. He didn't strike fear in people's eyes,.

But at the end of the day, if you put 1996-1999 Lewis in the ring with anybody in history, his size and defense with the crisp jab wins rounds against any fighter in history.

I have to admit, I rooted against him in about 5 of his biggest fights, but looking back, he knew how to win (and often did enough only to win).

The reason that people don't think of LL as great is because he never dominated (except Tyson) and he was always cautious. He didn't strike fear in people's eyes,.

But at the end of the day, if you put 1996-1999 Lewis in the ring with anybody in history, his size and defense with the crisp jab wins rounds against any fighter in history.

I have to admit, I rooted against him in about 5 of his biggest fights, but looking back, he knew how to win (and often did enough only to win).

true, he is not as interesting as holyfield,tyson etc(except vs rahman studiofight :)). but in the ring he always did what he could and should. in his prime he could easily beat anybody in history like tyson said he is too big :D

True, but Lewis' problem was also his PR skills, or lack of them! He was arrogrant and big headed. He never gave credit to an opponent and when he lost he claimed the other guy was lucky. I didn`t like Lewis and i also admit, i rooted against him on many occassions and cheered when Rahman leveled him!

oh now being great is how interesting you are and your PR skills?

Lewis is great...end of story

Lewis was a great fighter, just a poor human being!

Lewis was a great fighter, just a poor human being!

oh do come on, why cos he was aloof and private, suppose you prefer cannibal rapists mate? (obviously judging by yourt avatar you dont but you understand what im getitng at, holyfiuled is a total hypocrite for example, being religious yet fatheirng several children out of wedlock by different partners yet still preach? but no one would rail against good old evander?)

normally i agree with a lot of your posts but thats ridiculous.


Lewis was just not likeable at least he didnt womanise take drugs and bite people in the ring. (ooooh sounds painful.)

Not being funny but there needs to be some perspective here. You may not like lewis but to call him a poor human being is ridiclous compared to what some have done. Even Ali. :boxing:

He was pretty good, i have quite alot of his fights, along with some very early stuff.

He was into the tactical side more than getting kos.
After the Rahman rematch he said he noticed that rahman kept his left up to avoid the straight right, then says he hooked his right, rahman went down HARD.
I just admire his skills as a tactician, he aint the brightest guy i ever saw but he sure knows how to adapt to a fighters style and take advantage of mistakes.

Poor human being cos he didnt spice up the media? In that case Tyson must be a great human being.

LL was a great boxer, he beat every single fighter hes ever faced. The quality of his opposition was better than Tyson's too and in my opinion better than holmes. He doesnt get enough credit because hes not exciting.

I`m not saying it in a bad way. I think Guys like Tyson, Judah and Corrales should be shot and hung for their wicked actions in ( and out ) the ring. My point was that Lewis will never be considered a top five heavyweight because he had no personaility and was very arrogrant towards his opponents. Not saying he`s a villian, just saying he wasn`t very human and one couldn`t relate to him. Thats why allot of fans didn`t like him!

well thats different mate!
and i respect your opinion even if i dont agree but im a big fan of lennox.

I think like holmes his stock will go up in time and he will be rated in the upper echelon eventually.

Poor human being cos he didnt spice up the media? In that case Tyson must be a great human being.

NO WAY!! Tyson is a piece of ****. Lewis was poor at showing his humn side i.e respect to opponents.
Tyson wasn`t (isn`t, but he can`t fight anymore thats way the past tense ) human at all. he was an animal, just like Zab 'Attack an old ref' Judah and Diegeo 'rape and beat girlfriend' Corrales.

I dont think arrogance is such a bad thing if you can back it up. Ali said something along those lines, he was one of, if not the most arrogant boxer ever yet no one is taking a bite at him now.

Lewis not being remembered as top 5 HW is a lie. 10-20 years from now people will only remember his record, like Holmes who wasnt respected all that well during his time, people think he's way underrated now. I believe Lewis will make top 10 in most list and top 5 in some. Its not too unfathomable to think that a man who was top of his game and beat every single one of his opponent(including V.klit who I believe will be the new era of HW boxing) will not be regarded as great in the future.

Lewis was a better role model for most boxers out there, he presented himself well and was polite. You never hear news about him doing this and that. In a way, he is very simmilar to holmes, but as always its the bad boys who are remembered most. Just think Liston, Foreman, Tyson, Ali, Dempsey. Dempsey apparently raped prostitutes btw incase your wondering why I put him down as bad. Ali fought for his rights but alot of the stuff he believe in was lunacy.

The great thing about Lewis was that he represented a true heavyweight with his size, strenght and weight. He used his height to win fights unlike Wladimir Klichko who leans down to face his opponent face to face. Tall men are usually more viotile to getting hit hard and we saw this from Rahman but otherwise he had a very decent chin and brought a few good years. He was also considered the undisputed champion unlike now when its uncertain who the real champion is.

I would like to point out:
G.O.A.T. is an acryonym for "Greatest of All Time". The other option was great, and the topic starter did not choose either. :D

Lennox Lewis: "Great or Not Great".

I would like to point out:
G.O.A.T. is an acryonym for "Greatest of All Time". The other option was great, and the topic starter did not choose either. :D

Lennox Lewis: "Great or Not Great".

This is GOAT quote. Logical, clear, short and to the point.

I would like to point out:
G.O.A.T. is an acryonym for "Greatest of All Time". The other option was great, and the topic starter did not choose either. :D

Lennox Lewis: "Great or Not Great".
the title of this post ("Lennox Lewis: Great or Goat?") was meant to be an eye-catcher that expresses the range of perceived worth or greatness (or lack thereof) of Lennox Lewis. opinions can fall anywhere along the gamut between great and goat. responders can say he's "swell" or he's a "cold fish". whatever pleases.

i am aware of the Greatest of all time acronym (G.O.A.T.). There's only one of those. don't be confused...G.O.A.T. is not an option when talking about Lennox Lewis. no disrespect to the former champ, but anyone saying he's the greatest of all times must be a relative.

i didn't express my opinion using the words "great" or "goat" per se, but i did give my opinion: I don't think he was all that great. further, he was a good heavyweight. to me, his performances in the ring didn't warrant the "great" moniker. Ali was great. he would've embarrassed Lewis.

I`m not saying it in a bad way. I think Guys like Tyson, Judah and Corrales should be shot and hung for their wicked actions in ( and out ) the ring. My point was that Lewis will never be considered a top five heavyweight because he had no personaility and was very arrogrant towards his opponents. Not saying he`s a villian, just saying he wasn`t very human and one couldn`t relate to him. Thats why allot of fans didn`t like him!

i cant write it better. i like ll like a boxer he is great in the ring he dont cheat, but outside, before the fight he cant pr its nothing interesting about him. sort of its good for his own, he quite on top dont use drugs etc not like tyson,holy,ali. and when tyson fight everybody talk about it even if tyson is not as good as ll. and what is wrong to have different woman?, if you got money and afford to have kids why not?. and holyfield,tyson also looks better/harder whatever you want to call it than ll
:D

, he quite on top dont use drugs etc not like tyson,holy,ali.
:D

Are you saying Muhammed Ali, and Evander Holyfield use drugs?

Are you saying Muhammed Ali, and Evander Holyfield use drugs?

no but tyson did, maybe i should explain and write it clearly next time :(, ali dont quite on top holyfield also

I love how people try and link a fighters personality to his ability to fight.

88 Olympic Gold Medal
3 Time Heavyweight Champion(Only Ali and Holyfield did this)
16 Title defenses(3rd all time behind Loius and Holmes)

If you can look at that record and say that fighter wasn't great then your a hater plain and simple.

As far as him saying his opponents got lucky, please show me some proof that proves him wrong. Someone tried to say Lewis won the McCall rematch only because McCall broke, down, but ignore the fact that Lewis was in complete controll of the fight up until that point.

and do we even need to talk about what happend in the Rahman rematch?

How is he not a "good human being". Someone please give me examples im begging you.

Evander Holyfield is 10x more imoral than Lewis and I never hear him brought up.

Lennox Lewis sucks. I heard that Marvis Frazier sucker punched him and KHTFO at a "Save the Children" fundraiser in Berkley, CA.

I love how people try and link a fighters personality to his ability to fight.

88 Olympic Gold Medal
3 Time Heavyweight Champion(Only Ali and Holyfield did this)
16 Title defenses(3rd all time behind Loius and Holmes)

If you can look at that record and say that fighter wasn't great then your a hater plain and simple.

As far as him saying his opponents got lucky, please show me some proof that proves him wrong. Someone tried to say Lewis won the McCall rematch only because McCall broke, down, but ignore the fact that Lewis was in complete controll of the fight up until that point.

and do we even need to talk about what happend in the Rahman rematch?

How is he not a "good human being". Someone please give me examples im begging you.

Evander Holyfield is 10x more imoral than Lewis and I never hear him brought up.

Great post Jose ;)

GREAT.

Simple as that. Bowe avoided him, throw out any qualms about Lewis not fighting Bowe...Riddick went as far as to embarrass himself and boxing by dumping that belt in the trash b/c he was so scared.

The prime debate is endless...he beat Holy twice but people say Evander was done; he beat a shot Tyson, sure, but he did beat a prime Tua, destroyed Ruddock (whom Tyson struggled against more than a little), a prime prospect (inexperience granted but ALOT of people picked the upset) in Grant, destoyed Golota, defeated solid fighters who would be HUGE challenges for today's heavies in Morrison, Briggs, and Akinwande. This is a solid resume, and it's not his fault that he was avoided like the plague in the early 90s.

Sure, he avoided Byrd, but he was all about taking on the young guns (Grant, Tua, Kirk Johnson--injury of course stopped that fight) who many deemed worthy of title shots. Then he steps in under trained against an incredibly motivated Vitali and rips his eye up and batters him around with those uppercuts in a courageous effort given his physical condition.

Lewis was an enigma, no question. But you have to consider putting him top 10 all time heavies. He was a highly skilled huge man with power, all he lacked was a solid beard.

GREAT.

Simple as that. Bowe avoided him, throw out any qualms about Lewis not fighting Bowe...Riddick went as far as to embarrass himself and boxing by dumping that belt in the trash b/c he was so scared.

The prime debate is endless...he beat Holy twice but people say Evander was done; he beat a shot Tyson, sure, but he did beat a prime Tua, destroyed Ruddock (whom Tyson struggled against more than a little), a prime prospect (inexperience granted but ALOT of people picked the upset) in Grant, destoyed Golota, defeated solid fighters who would be HUGE challenges for today's heavies in Morrison, Briggs, and Akinwande. This is a solid resume, and it's not his fault that he was avoided like the plague in the early 90s.

Sure, he avoided Byrd, but he was all about taking on the young guns (Grant, Tua, Kirk Johnson--injury of course stopped that fight) who many deemed worthy of title shots. Then he steps in under trained against an incredibly motivated Vitali and rips his eye up and batters him around with those uppercuts in a courageous effort given his physical condition.

Lewis was an enigma, no question. But you have to consider putting him top 10 all time heavies. He was a highly skilled huge man with power, all he lacked was a solid beard.

i think we should putt lewis to top 10 of all time heavies. he use his size perfectly, and he also highly skilled. prime ll could beat anyone in boxing history. only think he dont have is a great chin but that maybe its for his own good. he know that and didnt got hit much and hard as many other greatest. great fihter he was :boxing:

Lewis was a great fighter. His two losses to McCall and Rahman seemed to come from his own ego, laziness and lack of taking his opponents seriously. But, when it came to the rematch, he destroyed them - especially Rahman. He was knocked out by McCall and Rahman, but I don't think they really dominated him through the fight. He let his guard down and got knocked out. Holyfield and VK gave him a much more difficult time. He was big, but still good on his feet. He had good technical skills. He didn't have the best chin, but it wasn't really bad either. And he had a lot of power. That one-two that knocked Rahman out was brutal.

He is great, just look at his resume...

He was a good champion. I would have a lot more respect for him had he defended the WBA Title against Ruiz and the IBF against Byrd.

He should have defended them all (IBF,WBA,WBC) or retired with them all rather than disrespect the sport and the other titles. He had plenty of time to fight Grant and Tyson and still defend his titles.

Had he done that I wouldn't care so much about a Klitschko rematch and I would consider him "Great"

GREAT.

Simple as that. Bowe avoided him, throw out any qualms about Lewis not fighting Bowe...Riddick went as far as to embarrass himself and boxing by dumping that belt in the trash b/c he was so scared.



I always blamed Bowe for not facing Lewis, but the timeframe was so short, as Lennox was KTFO by a single shot from a journeyman, and took so many years to rebuild his reputation.