How Great Is Lennox Lewis's Resume?

[sonnyboyx2]

The fans wanted Dempsey to fight black contenders, it was Dempsey's Managers , scared bureauc**** and the politics of boxing that kept it from happening.

The fans also wanted Lewis/Bowe, it was politics and the managers who scuffed that up as well.

The difference in these two situations is that Dempsey is still missing an entire race of people on his resume' and Lennox is only missing a single belt holder. A belt holder who soon became belt tosser to avoid fighting Lennox.



6 white guys in 30 fights is a majority? I have no idea who Lennox fought before Mason but your statement is false regardless.

Michael Grant was the top USA fighter before Lennox destroyed his soul. The problem is that once Lennox beats these guys, they arent considered Top or prime anymore. Golota was touted as a relentless beast for hurting Bowe twice but when Lennox destroys him in 1 round, Golota becomes a punchline.

Jack Dempsey was an incredible fighting machine here is a piece written by IBHOF Boxing Historian Eric Jorgenson.

In the Associated Press Mid-Century Poll conducted in 1950, Dempsey received 251 votes as history's number 1 fighter, pound-for-pound; distant runner-up Joe Louis received only 104 votes and 3rd choice Henry Armstrong only 16.)

With respect to Dempsey, there is an additional "biasing factor" relating to films. The film clip most people see is the second half of his first round against Jess Willard, when Dempsey had Willard reeling around the ring and ready to go. Yes, he looks wild, perhaps even "crude", as The Ring's editor-n-chief Nigel Collins contends, but pretty much every fighter looks that way in such circumstances. Anyone troubling himself to view the second and third rounds of that fight, when Dempsey was catching his breath after his premature victory celebration following his apparent 1-round win had left him a bit winded, would have to concede that Dempsey appears highly skillful
bouncing nimbly beyond Willard's reach, deftly slipping punches, etc.

In fact, Dempsey was an extremely skilled and versatile fighter all around, more along the lines of a heavyweight Roberto Duran than a prehistoric version of Marciano and Frazier (as many today seem to believe). He had the same granite jaw, remarkable stamina, and indomitable will that Marciano and Frazier had, but was quicker, a much better boxer, and, consequently, much harder to hit than either one of them. Also, he neither cut like Marciano nor swelled like Frazier. Finally, whereas Marciano and Frazier tended to wear their opponents down over the course of a fight, Dempsey had one-punch power in both hands (indeed, he was one of the very few fighters in heavyweight history who hit equally hard from each side). He demolished big, modern-sized heavyweights (Willard, Carl Morris, Fred Fulton, and Luis Firpo, among others) in record time. And, whatever their merits as overall fighters (and I submit that they have been underappreciated by boxing historians), those fighters were tough and strong, and these fights demonstrate that Dempsey's power would have proven effective against today's heavyweights. Dempsey possessed an extraordinary combination of skills which allowed him to handle any style he encountered.

Dempsey is often criticized for avoiding Harry Wills (as well he should be), but the fact is that very few experts of the day thought Wills would give Dempsey a run for his money. Indeed, Dempsey
regularly destroyed the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th best black fighters of the day (George Godfrey, Big Bill Tate, and Larry Gaines) in sparring sessions, and Wills was not much better than any of them, if at all. At bottom, Dempsey was just so much better than any other fighter of the day that no one particularly cared against whom he defended. Though Wills unquestionably deserved a shot at the title, he wouldn't have lasted 5 rounds.

[Joeyzagz]

Sonny, in order to make the fight possible, Lewis would need to spend some condiderable time marinating in peroxide.. If you think Lewis had an easy resume, then take away all the black guys and you've got 7 white fella's which = the sum total of Dempsey's title defenses, which also took him an incredible 7 years to accomplish!
Can you honestly imagine how frustrating it was to be a boxing fan during those years?
There's you're MW champion, Harry Greb fighting all creeds and colours every other week, while the HW champion remains as a barely active cherry picker who only fought once a year.. It makes me laugh when people say that Dempsey didn't have a choice
His toughest test as champion was Gene Tunney, and Jack lost 19 out of 20 rounds to him.

Best post in thread. If the Middleweight champ could do it, I would hope the Heavyweight champ would grow some stones and demand a fight with a black contender. Dempsey didnt just duck one person but an entire race and for that he cant be compared properly with other ATG HW's.

Dempsey should have Marcianos record if he was exempt from facing an entire portion of contenders. Or he should have at least surpassed Lennox's 14 title defenses.... 7 times is not going to cut it.

There are no coordinated big men that 'resemble' Lennox on Jack's resume but There is a ferocious puncher that 'resembles' Jack on Lennox's resume'

The difference is that Morrison was actually knocking black guys out, and Dempsey never did this in his pro career.

[General Zod]

Dempsey is often criticized for avoiding Harry Wills (as well he should be), but the fact is that very few experts of the day thought Wills would give Dempsey a run for his money. Indeed, Dempsey
regularly destroyed the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th best black fighters of the day (George Godfrey, Big Bill Tate, and Larry Gaines) in sparring sessions, and Wills was not much better than any of them, if at all. At bottom, Dempsey was just so much better than any other fighter of the day that no one particularly cared against whom he defended. Though Wills unquestionably deserved a shot at the title, he wouldn't have lasted 5 rounds.

Fights are decided in the ring, not in peoples imaginations

[CarlosG815]

Fights are decided in the ring, not in peoples imaginations

But when it comes to Lewis "He'd have won anyway" as you and your Lewisinites always claim. You are by far the worst troll in this section.

I can't understand for the life of me what is so hard to understand. Lewis never fought anybody at prime, aside from Vitali.

I'm not saying this because I don't like Lennox - that is the REASON I don't like Lennox.

Sonny isn't saying all these things (which are backed up by articles, and a little common sense and unblind faith should tell you that it is the truth) because he hates Lennox - it's well known that he followed his career closely and watched many of Lennox' fights from just a few feet from Lennox himself. It's clear to me that he doesn't have some "blind, baseless" agenda against him just because he doesn't like him - but because all those things are true.

See the problem is with you guys, when somebody points something out in a non aggressive way, like Sonny did, you guys get so rabid and run to the Limey Lang to recruit people to come over here and spit out wikipedia quotes and try to claim his resume is great when it's so obvious that it's not.

He's been retired for a while - the hype has wore off. Sometimes before a fight we get hyped up for a fighter, like we did with Tyson, that he still has it, but in hindsight, we look at what was going on. His performance, his behavior post fight, what he went on to do in his other fights post Lewis, etc. and it's clear that he was less than a journeyman at the time, but more like a BUM when he fought Lewis. And that goes for the majority of the opponents Lewis faced - the big names were past it, fights with other big names never happened, he got jacked by McCall and Rahman, and he lost to Evander but got a gift.

Only a die hard LENNOX fan would turn a blind eye to these facts and try to over credit everything he ever did.

You can pick apart a lot of resumes, but Lewis' is by far the WORST.

He's been retired for a long time - don't buy the hype, and don't believe a word that guy said post retirement because it's obvious with the use of hindsight, THAT IT JUST ISN'T TRUE.

Any true champion would have said screw Don King's step aside money, I'm taking Tyson's belt, and a career highest purse, and I want to prove that I'm the best - but he didn't. He took chump change compared to what he would have got by fighting, and passed on the belt.

Save the "He was going to fight him later for more money and the unified title blah blah" that's ****. You fight a fighter regardless - and using hindsight, we know that he waited until 2002 when Tyson was in poor physical condition, mental health, with no desire to fight. He had been banned, sued, disgraced, etc.

Lewis could be picked apart all day - but it's all already been covered in this very thread.

You can accept it and move on, and still be a fan, or you can deny it and fight the facts forever and live in denial and believe that Lewis is one of the greatest HW's ever.

[sonnyboyx2]

Best post in thread. If the Middleweight champ could do it, I would hope the Heavyweight champ would grow some stones and demand a fight with a black contender. Dempsey didnt just duck one person but an entire race and for that he cant be compared properly with other ATG HW's.

Dempsey should have Marcianos record if he was exempt from facing an entire portion of contenders. Or he should have at least surpassed Lennox's 14 title defenses.... 7 times is not going to cut it.

There are no coordinated big men that 'resemble' Lennox on Jack's resume but There is a ferocious puncher that 'resembles' Jack on Lennox's resume'

The difference is that Morrison was actually knocking black guys out, and Dempsey never did this in his pro career.

i burst out laughing at this post.. "Tommy Morrison resembles Jack Dempsey" ha

[CarlosG815]

i burst out laughing at this post.. "Tommy Morrison resembles Jack Dempsey" ha

Sonny I haven't responded to a single thing this clown has said - he's clueless as they come. I wouldn't waste the time - he obviously has a lot of time, and no knowledge to back it up. It will be like arguing with a stubborn 7 year old.

[The_Demon]

Look at all the pathetic lewis haters in here

Hilarious!

[Toney616]

Look at all the pathetic lewis haters in here

Hilarious!

The guy fights, makes his money leaves with his health and fortune and people want to hate him because of it.

[mickey malone]

you have forgot to add most of the white skinned guys Lewis fought which was like 11 of his first 14 fights...

i agree with what you are saying micky, you are around 95% correct... i fully agree with what Rid**** Bowe says in that youtube video that Lewis deliberately priced himself out of fighting him, Bowe would have got $6 million for a Lewis fight and $30 million for a rematch with Holyfield.

Lewis was never interested in being the best, or he would have fought the best, Lewis was only interested like you say in having the WBC title and fighting bums, he could easily have fought Bowe in 93 or 95 he could easily have fought Tyson in 96 but he simply never fancied the job..

Name for me the fighters other than Gary Mason who Lewis fought when they was at "The Top of their Game"?

Joe Mesi -- Lewis tried his best to get a fight with Mesi

Irrespective of how good they turned out to be, here's who I thought were at the top of their game when they faced Lewis..

Rahman - 29 years old, coming off a KO over Corrie Sanders
Tua - 28 years old, coming off a run of 8 KO's including 1 over Rahman
Mavrovic - 29 years old, dominant European champ, unbeaten
Briggs - 28 years old, coming off a win over Foreman
McCall - 28 years old, coming off a win over Damiani
Jackson - 32 years old, had only been beaten by Ruddock, fought a lot of cans
Bruno - 32 years old, a tadge past his best, but was coming off a KO over the Truth
Akinwande - 32 years old, coming off of wins over Tucker, Zolkin & Jeremy Williams
Derek Williams - 26 years old, coming off wins over Jimmy Thunder & David Bey
Grant - 28 years old, coming off wins over Butler, Al Cole, Saverese, Golota
Golota - 28 years old, had just out brawled Rid**** Bowe, not Lewis's fault he had a turn
Vitali - 32 years old, coming off wins over Bean, Donald and Purrity

[Joeyzagz]

Sonny I haven't responded to a single thing this clown has said - he's clueless as they come. I wouldn't waste the time - he obviously has a lot of time, and no knowledge to back it up. It will be like arguing with a stubborn 7 year old.

You said this:

He is the only HW I can think of that never fought any top contender at any point in his career.

This was a bold faced lie. I think you realized that so now you've changed it from never fought top contender to...

Lewis never fought anybody at prime, aside from Vitali.

Still a lie, but using a floating term like prime gives you wiggle room. Whatever. Sonny wrote this.

Lennox Lewis often chose to fight `white`fighters and avoid all the top USA black fighters, he fought more white skinned fighters than he did blacks yet all the top black fighters was at the top of their game which is why Lewis avoided them.

Another bold faced lie. A little hyperbole can be funny sometimes, but now you guys are just making stuff up to defame his legacy.

A Dempsey detractor does not need a lie to discredit him. We all know Jack never defended his title against a single black contender. No hyperbole needed there, just truth.