That's hilarious. Toney would have NO chance in hell of beating any Ali from 1962-1978. Ali wins 10 out of 10 of those fights.
Lennox Lewis, on the other hand, would have beaten Ali, Foreman and Frazier all in their primes.
It could go either way.
If you look at the good big guys that gaveTyson trouble, like Douglas, Tucker and Ruddock who took him the distance and consider than Vitali is probably a better boxer than even those guys, I would say Vitali would have a great chance.
I think Tyson benefited from a very weak heavyweight division that improved in the late 80's and early 90's, which is when he began to struggle. I don't think he got worse after 88...I just think the competition got better.
I voted for Vitali. If I was gonna lay money on it I'd go with Vitali because I think it's a bad style for Tyson. Vitali would have been able to keep him at distance, on the end of his excellent jab. Vitali also has a great chin and has never been KO'd, so I'd give him a good chance of getting to the later rounds, where the fight may well have turned in his favour.
It's hard to know whether this is a joke or not. Because it's America, it's actually possible.
The sad thing is that, even if Tyson doesn't get back in the ring (and pray to God he doesn't).....there will still be certain people trying to make it happen. And I bet they sleep like babies at night.
Zab Judah grew up in the hood. Got him nowhere. We dont know what Khan can be yet. If he can take a punch hed beat everybody at 140.
As I said, you can't compare 'the hood' in the U.S. to Manila, where most people live in cardboard boxes and corrigated iron. I'm just talking about the mental strength side of things. And we're comparing Amir Khan to Manny Pacquiao here, right?
Jesus christ, I know people find it hard to have perspective when they're caught up in the moment, but this is ridiculous.
Floy Mayweather, I despise the guy, but he's clearly an ATG if he beats Mosley and Pacquiao. In such a case he would have reigned in one of the greatest eras ever for the weights he's been in.
You're talking about people like Pacquiao, De La Hoya, Mosley, Cotto, Marquez, Judah, Hatton, Margarito, Clottey, Morales, Barrera. All those people have fought each other and Mayweather's fought most of them. If he beat Mosley and Pac he'd be the king of all those guys because either he or Pac would have beaten all those guys yet Mayweather would have also defeated Pac and somehow remained undefeated? That would be incredible.
Two things about Pacquiao:
1. He is an athletic freak of nature. I've never seen a man of his size with such speed and strength.
2. He is mentally far tougher than Khan could ever be. Khan is from a working class family in Bolton in the north of England. Not a particularly nice place but it's like living in Manhatten when compared with the shanty towns and villages that makes up 99% of Manila. I've spent time traveling in the Philipinnes and have seen the kind of life that Pacquiao was raised in to. You talk about the ghettos in the states and what not. That's nothing. Doesn't even come close man. Walking around the shanty towns of Manila makes you ****in cry. Extreme poverty, homelessness, starvation. 7-11 has guards with machine guns. That's why Pac has the character he has. Stepping in to a boxing ring for him is like taking a walk in the park.
Huge Roy Jones fan here.
I don't see Roy having any chance of beating Hopkins. B-Hop will take a boring UD. I wish Roy never took this fight, but I guess he's got kids to feed.
So funny the way Jeff Lacy was built up to beat Joe and he got humiliated. No one could beat Joe. He'd still be undefeated now if he was fighting. An incredible achievement and one that automatically qualifies a fighter as an ATG. I think pretty much everyone I've met who's in boxing and who knows about boxing acknowledges this.
Totally agree. Mayweather has brilliant offense, but he also understands the art of boxing: Hit and don't get hit. A shame that all his 'class' obviously went into his boxing and not his personality.
Stupid poll.
Why can only one be remembered as a great fighter? They both are.
Do you mean who should be regarded more highly? I would say Cazlaghe, because he couldn't have done anymore than he did. Undefeated and a champion for 10 years. That takes incredible ability and application.
Trinidad was awesome though. Mad props to Felix. Definite Hall of Famer.
i dont think it'd quite be in Buster Douglas territory, but I'd still be shocked if Clottey managed an upset. I just don't see it happening, unless Pacquiao does something to defeat himself...
Cleaning out your division and going unbeaten as champion for over ten years? Beating Top 10 P4P'ers like Mikkel Kessler (At the time) and Bernard Hopkins?
Yeah, I think that makes you an all-time great.
Incredible that we're debating Lewis' last fight of his career (which he won!), when he was in his late 30's!
That people use THAT as their best argument against Lewis being the greatest of his generation highlights just how great the guy was.
Most heavyweights got beat up towards the end of their careers. Not Lewis. The guy was pushing 40 and still fighting the top guys. After Tyson, he really didn't need to go on.
No, you're right. He didn't outbox Vitali. And I would also say that the Mercer fight was as good as even, but this isn't the point. EVERY fighter has off days.
Lewis was 37 when he fought Vitali.
He was 37.
...And the referee had to stop the fight to save Vitali.
McCall and Rahman's punches shouldn't have been able to get through but once they did, they would have knocked out ANYONE.
To say Lewis has a glass chin is stupid. Anyone who saw the shots that Lewis took against Mercer will know that. And how many fighters can you name who went 32 rounds with Holyfield and Tyson without ever looking close to being knocked out. Look at how the big hitting Klitschko's shots just made him come back angrier. Lewis was a beast.
By the way, someone was questioning his nationality? Who cares? The fact is, he is an all-time great fighter. Let's not forget.
If you really want to know, he's an east London boy (that's London, England). Born and bred. Not only was he born in England, but he's spent most of his life here.
Fact is, a huge right from Lewis busted Klitschko's eye open and the referee had to stop the fight for Klitschko's safety. This was from a Lennox right hand. People like to forget that. If Klitschko had done the same to Lennox, then victory would have been his. But he didn't. A 37 year old Lewis beat the young, prime contender fair and square and retired with his pride...and importantly his brain, still in tact.
Klitschko should count himself lucky he never met prime Lewis.
Lennox Lewis could do whatever he wanted as a heavyweight and he proved that. He could outhink, outbox anyone he came up against. The story is that when he sparred with Tyson in 83 Tyson came out like a madman and cut him. But Lewis fought on, came back and schooled Tyson the next day.
He worked people out and then used his weapons to take mother****ahz out.
No man test ;-)
Foreman admitted Lewis would have been a nightmare for him. Straight out of Foreman's mouth.
Lewis was superior to Foreman in every way except maybe punching power. But Lewis had A LOT of power himself. He would have jabbed Foreman's head off before knocking him out.
Imagine 32 year old Lewis vs 37 year old Klitschko. What happens? Lewis KTFO.
Although let's be honest....that was gonna happen in their fight anyway.
But it's like me saying that Jimmy Young was better than George Foreman because he beat him. He wasn't. Foreman rates higher.
Just like Lewis rates higher than Klitschko.
And Lewis rates higher than Foreman.
This will be similar to the Pac/Cotto fight.
Clottey's a good fighter but he just aint in Pacquiao's league.
If Pacquiao's still as hungry as ever then it'll be a cakewalk.
Pacquiao to win every round and stop Clottey late on.