The Disrespect shown to Lennox Lewis

[mickey malone]

Its laughable really, all you old timers in here. Most of you put Lewis in the top 10 ATG at heavbyweight, but everyone of you votes against him in head to head against anyone decent at heavyweight.

Tyson, Holy, Spinks, Ali, Foreman, Frazier, Liston, Louis, Marciano, Dempsey, Holmes, rid**** bowe, joe walcott, jack johnson, anyone else you care to think of. Anytime Lewis goes up against one of these guys all i see is "lewis was overrated" "lewis was glassed jawed"

so who in your opinion would he actually beat!

Please don't include me.. I rate him at no4 AT on boxing ability, & have at least one altercation every day concerning this.. But, yes, you're right, the majority generally don't like him and/or don't rate him.. I wonder what the reasons are?
I know a lot of fans in the UK still haven't forgiven him for cashing in over there after winning Olympic gold for Canada.. And a lot of US fans tend to think he had a glass jaw & avoided top fighters in their prime, then you have the Klitchsko fans who say their man was robbed..
My only criticism would be his ****iness.. That's the reason he got KO'd twice.. But... That's all that did happen to him, & other than that he was pretty damn near perfect, avenging both defeats & proving himself to be the dominant HW of his era..
I would imagine you've posted this in response to the odd clown, who thinks he gets owned my Spinks, simply because he was helped back to his dressing room after getting KO'd by McCall.. That's the type of reasoning we're dealing with here..

[Sugarj]

I'm a reformed Lewis doubter, ever since the McCall loss I expected him to lose to everyone with decent credentials (or a punch!).

I thought lightning would strike twice with McCall, but I didn't end up giving him a round!

I remember telling everyone that Golota would beat him, Golota destroyed in 1!

Then I thought he'd lose to the huge and heavy handed Michael Grant who was destroyed in two.

Then I thought David Tua had the 12 round pace and punch to beat Lewis. He barely won a round!

After the Rahman loss, I didn't give Lewis a chance in the return, I thought he was too old, too slow at this point. Wrong again, Lewis was awesome, fast and sharp in stopping him in 4 rounds.

My final doubt came the night he faced Tyson. Tyson had looked in good form for a couple of years destroying Norris, Golota, Francis, Savarese and Nielsen. Many boxing pundits were tipping Tyson to find Lewis's suspect chin and once again I found myself agreeing that if McCall and Rahman could find once punch KOs.....certainly Tyson could. Wrong again!

I didn't dare pick a winner in his fight with Vitali Klitschko, I thought Vitali was a real threat, but I was sick of getting Lewis predictions wrong. Both fought with heart, both survived sickening shots, neither went down. I'd have preferred a technical draw here but cut rules are cut rules!

This all left me with the conclusion that, frankly Lennox Lewis was a truely superb heavyweight, one of the best to grace the sport and certainly a top ten all time great. I think its a crying shame that we didn't see him face the peak Holyfield and Bowe around 1992, he may well have lost these matches, tough to pick..........but Lewis wasn't at his peak till five years later.

[mickey malone]

I'm a reformed Lewis doubter, ever since the McCall loss I expected him to lose to everyone with decent credentials (or a punch!).

I thought lightning would strike twice with McCall, but I didn't end up giving him a round!

I remember telling everyone that Golota would beat him, Golota destroyed in 1!

Then I thought he'd lose to the huge and heavy handed Michael Grant who was destroyed in two.

Then I thought David Tua had the 12 round pace and punch to beat Lewis. He barely won a round!

After the Rahman loss, I didn't give Lewis a chance in the return, I thought he was too old, too slow at this point. Wrong again, Lewis was awesome, fast and sharp in stopping him in 4 rounds.

My final doubt came the night he faced Tyson. Tyson had looked in good form for a couple of years destroying Norris, Golota, Francis, Savarese and Nielsen. Many boxing pundits were tipping Tyson to find Lewis's suspect chin and once again I found myself agreeing that if McCall and Rahman could find once punch KOs.....certainly Tyson could. Wrong again!

I didn't dare pick a winner in his fight with Vitali Klitschko, I thought Vitali was a real threat, but I was sick of getting Lewis predictions wrong. Both fought with heart, both survived sickening shots, neither went down. I'd have preferred a technical draw here but cut rules are cut rules!

This all left me with the conclusion that, frankly Lennox Lewis was a truely superb heavyweight, one of the best to grace the sport and certainly a top ten all time great. I think its a crying shame that we didn't see him face the peak Holyfield and Bowe around 1992, he may well have lost these matches, tough to pick..........but Lewis wasn't at his peak till five years later.

A truly great post.. Everyone should read this at least twice..

[Sugarj]

Your a gentleman and a boxing scholer Mickey.

[Kid McCoy]

I would imagine you've posted this in response to the odd clown, who thinks he gets owned my Spinks, simply because he was helped back to his dressing room after getting KO'd by McCall.. That's the type of reasoning we're dealing with here..

I've just watched the first McCall fight again and I maintain the stoppage was premature. Lewis had taken no punishment up to that point, he was up at the count of 5/6 and the way he put his gloves up and immediately protested the stoppage tells me he still had enough of his wits about him. To my mind the champion deserves the benefit of the doubt in that situation.

I've seen fighters in worse condition than that allowed to continue. Bowe in the Golota rematch, Holyfield against Bowe, Holmes against Snipes, where Holmes got up and promptly staggered into the turnbuckle. Put that referee in charge of that and the Shavers fight and Larry likely gets waved off both times.

[mickey malone]

I've just watched the first McCall fight again and I maintain the stoppage was premature. Lewis had taken no punishment up to that point, he was up at the count of 5/6 and the way he put his gloves up and immediately protested the stoppage tells me he still had enough of his wits about him. To my mind the champion deserves the benefit of the doubt in that situation.

I've seen fighters in worse condition than that allowed to continue. Bowe in the Golota rematch, Holyfield against Bowe, Holmes against Snipes, where Holmes got up and promptly staggered into the turnbuckle. Put that referee in charge of that and the Shavers fight and Larry likely gets waved off both times.

Check out the post.. It's on the Spinks Vs Lewis thread, written by SonnyBox.. He actually raises one or two interesting points as an eye witness.. On that, I have no reason to disbelieve him, but I know he doesn't rate Lewis..

[Sugarj]

The McCall fight didn't really harm his career too much in the end, premature or not. Granted I've seen more obviously hurt fighters be allowed to carry on.

Sonnybox will no doubt be on later to tell you he was ringside that night and that Lewis was glassy eyed and couldn't walk properly leaving the ring. Hell, I've only got the fight on VHS! He may be right.

If Lewis didn't lose to McCall he wouldn't have sacked motormouth Pepe Correa, (whose 200MPH advice inbetween rounds is the worst I can ever recall from a trainer of world class boxers!) he may not have hooked up with Manny Steward (who was in the opposite corner that night) and a knockout may have happened if he ended up meeting someone like Bowe, lets say in late 2004, early 2005. Steward and Lewis were a good team, we got to see the best of Lennox when Manny was in his corner.

[Kid McCoy]

Check out the post.. It's on the Spinks Vs Lewis thread, written by SonnyBox.. He actually raises one or two interesting points as an eye witness.. On that, I have no reason to disbelieve him, but I know he doesn't rate Lewis..

Lewis looked okay to me in the ring afterwards. There's just something about a Don King fighter benefiting from a questionable decision by a referee never heard from before or since that has me a little su****ious. Maybe I'm just cynical.

[mickey malone]

Lewis looked okay to me in the ring afterwards. There's just something about a Don King fighter benefiting from a questionable decision by a referee never heard from before or since that has me a little su****ious. Maybe I'm just cynical.

Once again, good point from SugarJ on Correa, he had to be the worst trainer of all time..
With ref to the KO, I think it would'a KO'd anyone.. This is Oliver McCall we're talking about, & certainly one of the strongest heavies of all time.. Only the ref could see into Lewis's eyes, & according to some ringsiders that night, on returning to his corner, asked Correa, "What Happened?" I think the stoppage may have been fair in this one.. I mean, imagine what that punch would'a done to Michael Spinks.. In fact, when you look at the rematch, had it not been for the mental breakdown, Lewis would've had to go the distance 4 sure.. McCall offered zero defense & allowed Lewis to unload some monsterous shots, while just walking about, shaking his head & crying.. Really was a combination of amazing & bizarre.. Don't think anyone will ever KO the Bull..

[Sugarj]

Greatest chin of all time may go to Mr McCall! He cryed during his ring walk to Wembley before facing Bruno too.

He rebounded to stop Akinwande late and is still active. McCall had potential, but he was a headcase with substance issues.