51 ko's over taking joe louis...hes about to surpass the most title defences of any heavyweight,one of the highest ko percentages of all time, beaten many current/ex world champions, and barely losses rounds...
Is he the greatest ever???
I think so...
If Lennox at age of 39 fought today's Haye he would lost or be likely knocked out - having said that it's funny that people will talk Vitali ducked Haye if he chooses to retire and he will be 42.
Lennox wasn't really that exciting either (more exciting than Wlad, but not Tyson exciting) - especially under Emanuel. Lewis is not really known for the very good chin and if Haye catches him with the big punch he could KO him. That's why I don't really believe Lennox would go chasing Haye much more than Wlad did.
Lennox was far more exiting than Wlad and Vitali and he fought better competition.
Lennox didnt duck Vitali, he took the fight on short notice, as his opponent pulled out, thats alone tells us Lewis wasnt scared of anyone. He fought a young Vitali and went toe to toe taking and giving heavy blows.
Lennox had nothing to prove, he won and he was by that time past his cell by date and called it a day.
Vitali is indeed ducking Haye, he is the only competition out there but instead he chooses to fight bums aka Charr. If Vital retires without fighting Haye, it'll always be seen as a duck.
Haye would have never troubled Lewis, it'd have ended via uppecut to Haye's chin. Lewis was a great inside fighter so he was willing to take risks and go toe to toe, Wlad doesnt do that and thats why he was unable to finish Haye off
Great come back after 2003-2004 losses, very few would have been able to do that. Current Wlad would be a challenge for all the greats past champ.
Greatest? I don't think. Maybe prime Lennox.
Imagine what thE older school hw KO percentage would be like if they were fighting in this era?
I seriously question if any heavyweight other than the Klitschkos could last more than three or four rounds against Foreman. I seriously doubt if any could last the distance against Frazier.
Hell, Ali isn't even considered a strong puncher and I think very few heavyweights besides the Klitschkos could last the distance with him.
If Lennox Lewis has fought the pumped up cruiserweight David Haye, he wouldhave TKO'd him within 8 rounds
Wlad best fight was against Haye and he didnt impress. He has perfect opportunity to shw the world he was exciting, but he chose to be a jab jab jab clincher.
Lewis wud have beat the dog **** out of Haye, inside and outside, no amount of running around the ring wud have saved him
Thats what separated Greats from Wlad, he doesn't have the killer instinct
If Lennox at age of 39 fought today's Haye he would lost or be likely knocked out - having said that it's funny that people will talk Vitali ducked Haye if he chooses to retire and he will be 42.
Lennox wasn't really that exciting either (more exciting than Wlad, but not Tyson exciting) - especially under Emanuel. Lewis is not really known for the very good chin and if Haye catches him with the big punch he could KO him. That's why I don't really believe Lennox would go chasing Haye much more than Wlad did.
PLEASE.
Vitaly is better!
How many times has this fool been KO'd/KD?
Find a ref that won't let him jump on every opponents head/shoulders after they get close to him and you'll see just how average Wlad is.
No, he will struggle to get credit until he is well gone and even then there is a big sticking point; the level of competition simply were not there during his time.
His stats look great on paper. But then me beating up a bunch of midgets who are out of shape and not at the same level as me doesn't count for as much as fighting guys who are equal in many ways to you. It's not his fault, but "it is what it is"
'nuff said....
If Lennox Lewis has fought the pumped up cruiserweight David Haye, he wouldhave TKO'd him within 8 rounds
Wlad best fight was against Haye and he didnt impress. He has perfect opportunity to shw the world he was exciting, but he chose to be a jab jab jab clincher.
Lewis wud have beat the dog **** out of Haye, inside and outside, no amount of running around the ring wud have saved him
Thats what separated Greats from Wlad, he doesn't have the killer instinct
Considering there was only one title back then, one man who was indisputably the champion, the record for defending his title doesn't really compare to Louis' run. Unless he did it with the Lineal Title.
Or that the record for KOs by a heavyweight champion is held by Primo ****ing Carnera.
Maybe that the number of titles means that there are a lot more ex-'champions' (titlists, the only current champion is Wlad) than there used to be.
He lacks meaningful wins. Especially when you are trying to claim he is the greatest. What wins does he have that compare to, for example, Ali's wins over Frazier, Foreman and Liston. Just to name a few.
Wlad is great. But the greatest? Only with a lot of mental gymnastics.
I always thought that the record for KO's by a heavyweight champion was held by Tommy Burns, who also happened to have been the smallest heavyweight champion. The meaningful context is"heavyweight champion. I think Carnera had only one or two defences.
On another topic.... Seeing that Klitschko holds basically ALL the heavyweight titles and if he lost he's lose all, his defences can logically equate with Joe Louis holding the single unified title.
No it's impossible he could ever be one due to the competition level being sooo damn low. The HWs of today are terrible just BAD. We've seen countless fighters such as Lucian Bute fighting bums, looking unbeatable, but when they finally fight someone good they get destroyed, except there are no other elite fighters aside of Wlad/Vitali in the HW division.