Ranking Floyd Patterson Above Lennox Lewis, Can It Be Justified?

[GJC]

No i dont accept that he was taking easy defences, he fought the top contenders and then got into a 3 fight series with No1 contender Johansson before moving on to Sonny Liston.. yes it seems that Liston was the best fighter in the world from 1959 omwards yet John Ruiz & Chris Byrd & Wlad Klitschko was the best fighters in the world from 2000-2003 did Lennox Lewis fight any of them?

What victory would you say cemented Ruiz place as number one contender?

[sonnyboyx2]

My point was that at Patterson's time or indeed any other to say that to be European champion is a fast track to a world title shot is inaccurate and I have proved that. I don't get angry Sonny when you discuss Lewis, far from it You agree that Johanson was the third person who as European champion fought for the world title?

yes he was but he was deserving of that title fight with him being the official No1 contender having just destroyed Eddie Machen in less than a round

[sonnyboyx2]

What victory would you say cemented Ruiz place as number one contender?

you will have to ask the WBA that question

[GJC]

yes he was but he was deserving of that title fight with him being the official No1 contender having just destroyed Eddie Machen in less than a round

I agree but the Machen fight was the key not the European title and less deserving than Liston you'll agree?

[GJC]

you will have to ask the WBA that question

Be better to ask Don King, no?

[sonnyboyx2]

What victory would you say cemented Ruiz place as number one contender?

What victory would you say cemented Frans Botha's place as a worthy world title contender?

What victory would you say cemented Michael Grant's place as a worthy world title contender?

What victory would you say cemented Zeljko Mavrovic's place as a number one contender?

What victory would you say cemented Andrew Golota as a worthy world title challenger?

What victory would you say cemented Henry Akinwande's place as number one contender?

What victory wpuld you say cemented Phil Jackson's place as number one contender?

[sonnyboyx2]

I agree but the Machen fight was the key not the European title and less deserving than Liston you'll agree?

No i don't agree... Johansson had just destroyed the official No1 contender in Eddie Machen with Johansson himself being a top 10 ranked fighter due to him being European Champion, the victory rocketed Johansson to be No1 contender... Liston was not in the picture in 1958 at the time Johansson beat Machen, Liston came into the title picture after beating Williams in 59 and Folley, Harris & Machen (points) in 1960

[GJC]

What victory would you say cemented Frans Botha's place as a worthy world title contender?

What victory would you say cemented Michael Grant's place as a worthy world title contender?

What victory would you say cemented Zeljko Mavrovic's place as a number one contender?

What victory would you say cemented Andrew Golota as a worthy world title challenger?

What victory would you say cemented Henry Akinwande's place as number one contender?

What victory wpuld you say cemented Phil Jackson's place as number one contender?

I'm going to nap so I'll say goodnight to you but I'll come back to this. Not saying every Lewis defence was tough but to say he ducked Ruiz is a stretch, you can't possibly believe Ruiz would have beaten him?

[sonnyboyx2]

I'm going to nap so I'll say goodnight to you but I'll come back to this. Not saying every Lewis defence was tough but to say he ducked Ruiz is a stretch, you can't possibly believe Ruiz would have beaten him?

Yes i do strongly believe he would have beaten Lewis.. Ruiz beat Holyfield & Rahman far easier than Lewis beat them so why should i think he would not beat Lewis?

Ruiz had little trouble with Nickolay Valuev's size so Lewis size would not have given him too much trouble

[sonnyboyx2]

I'm going to nap so I'll say goodnight to you but I'll come back to this. Not saying every Lewis defence was tough but to say he ducked Ruiz is a stretch, you can't possibly believe Ruiz would have beaten him?

It is not a case of `Do i believe Ruiz could beat Lewis`.. it is more a case of did Lewis believe he could beat Ruiz... and i don't need to give Lewis a call to find the answer to that question.