Greater Fighter, Jake LaMotta or Lennox Lewis?

[RubenSonny]

There's no point in my going through Lennox's career, and I don't really know enough about LaMotta to come up with the details about some of his opponents. I'm no expert on boxing history, I'm more focused on the current scene.

But based on the little I do know about that era, I feel LaMotta is overrated by boxing historians. And in my opinion, which I'm entitled to, Lennox Lewis was the greater fighter.

Tunney thats pretty unfair reasoning, no? You've made a judgement on LaMottas greatness based on very little information, your entitled to your opinion but your not protected from criticism.

[JAB5239]

JAB.. you are taking out of context what i said, let me repeat it.. McCall & Rahman was the best two fighters Lewis ever fought "Who was at the top of their game".... what i mean by that is that all Lewis other championship opponents had huge question marks against them and was NOT at the top of their game.... do you agree or disagree?

Im sorry Sonny but I have to disagree. Tua, Grant, Vitaly, Mercer, Golota all were at the top of their game. Holyfield may have been a bot past his best, but that is still better than the majority of fighters in history.

[sonnyboyx2]

Im sorry Sonny but I have to disagree. Tua, Grant, Vitaly, Mercer, Golota all were at the top of their game. Holyfield may have been a bot past his best, but that is still better than the majority of fighters in history.

JAB.. you are wrong and your agenda of trying to make out that Lewis is a Top 5 ATG is not working mate, Lets take a look at what you claim in comparison to what i said in that McCall & Rahman was the best fighters Lewis ever fought who was at the "Top of their Game"...

David Tua weighed 250lbs against Lewis and was knowhere near being at the "Top of his Game"

Michael Grant was never deserving of a title fight and was exposed in his previous fight by Golota.. Grant would be destroyed by both McCall & Rahman.

Andrew Golota was "sedated" in his dressing room after taking one of his "Panic-Attacks" which contributed to his abysmal display in the fight. his record does not stand-up against McCall or Rahman's.

Ray Mercer was 35yrs old when he fought Lewis and had been "schooled" by 42yr old Larry Holmes as well as Jesse Ferguson whom he tried to bribe.. Mercer was years past his best and no where near being "At the Top of his Game"

Evander Holyfield was 38yrs old and years past his best and was knowhere near to being "At the Top of his Game"

Vitali Klitschko is debatable wether he is better than McCall or Rahman with Vitali beating no fighter of worth during his career other than has-beens and no hoper's with him taking retirement so as to avoid fighting his No1 contender Hasim Rahman during the 1990s.

So your comment that i have an agenda to "besmirch" Lewis is incorrect as there is more than a case that a strong case can be made that i am correct.. so you need to stop throwing out accusations at me everytime i reply to a post someone has started up on Lennox Lewis because we have been over it many many times and as you well know i have never ever been proven to lie or tell untruths when discussing Lewis, yet it seems the truth being told about him hurts those who have an agenda to glorify the guy into some kind of mythical fighter who we should all rate as greater than almost every heavyweight who ever lived, which is hideous... you always seem quick to jump onto anything i say about Lewis yet you never respond to JoeyZagz laughable comments which you and everyone else know to be incorrect and nothing other than pure unadulterated obsessive blinded worship.

[CarlosG815]

Im sorry Sonny but I have to disagree. Tua, Grant, Vitaly, Mercer, Golota all were at the top of their game. Holyfield may have been a bot past his best, but that is still better than the majority of fighters in history.

Jab you can not possibly believe this... Especially about Tua. Tua's best days were 5-6 years prior.

[CarlosG815]

Lennox Lewis is a bonafide phony who had a carefully managed career with spoon fed opponents. Jake Lamotta is a legitimate ATG, something Lewis is far from being.

[Scott9945]

Jab you can not possibly believe this... Especially about Tua. Tua's best days were 5-6 years prior.

Tua wasn't even in the top ten 5-6 years before that. Tua had KO'd Rahman less than two years before the Lewis fight and was considered a very dangerous opponent for Lennox at the time. More than a few boxing writers picked him to win too.

[sonnyboyx2]

Tua wasn't even in the top ten 5-6 years before that. Tua had KO'd Rahman less than two years before the Lewis fight and was considered a very dangerous opponent for Lennox at the time. More than a few boxing writers picked him to win too.

What you say is true enough.. but David Tua was NOT at the Top of his Game when he fought Lewis in 1990.. he weighed 250lbs...

John Ruiz vs Tua (225lbs)........1996
Ike Ibeabuchi vs Tua (226lbs....1997
Oleg Maskaev vs Tua (223lbs)...1997
David Izon vs Tua (223lbs)......1996
Hasim Rahman vs Tua (224lbs)...1998

Lennox Lewis vs Tua (245lbs).......2000

Chris Byrd vs Tua (233lbs)...... 2001

So it is clear to see that he was at least 20lbs overweight the night he fought Lewis with pre-fight reports claiming he started training camp weighing over 300lbs...whay Carlos is saying is that David Tua was a better fighter 5yrs previous.

[CarlosG815]

Tua wasn't even in the top ten 5-6 years before that. Tua had KO'd Rahman less than two years before the Lewis fight and was considered a very dangerous opponent for Lennox at the time. More than a few boxing writers picked him to win too.

That is meaningless because we see the hype built up around many fights, including Pacquiao vs Margarito where many people were choosing Margarito to win. People who know boxing (or think they do, such as myself) had said that Margarito would lose every round and get destroyed. I remember my uncle calling me the night of the fight asking where I was and I told him "I'm out to dinner." "YOu're not going to come watch the fight?"

"That fight is a joke. Pacquiao is going to beat him like a punching bag. Margarito will not win a single round."

He made a case for Margarito and had bought the hype, but we all know how that fight went down. Manny dominated and won every round.

People who knew boxing at the time knew that David Tua was in no shape to be fighting anybody who wasn't a complete bum/flunk/journeyman.

I don't see how you can possible even say that Tua was at or near the top of his game. Look at the roll of fat, over roll of fat on his body and head in that fight. It is embarrassing.

[sonnyboyx2]

LaMotta's achievements are greater than Lewis achievements as is LaMotta's resume due to the fighters he beat who was "At the Top of their Game" in Robinson, Cerdan, Yarosz, Janiro, Dauthuille, Mitri as well as wins over Williams, Zivic & Satterfield.. LaMotta also took part in a "Ring Magazine Fight of the Year" and was undisputed Middleweight Champion of the World..... Lewis was a "Paper-Champion in 92 & 97" fought a draw and a hotly disputed victory for the undisputed title in 2000 then was stripped of every belt for refusing to fight the No1 contenders.. IMO LaMotta was a far greater fighter than Lewis and his achievements are greater than those of Lewis.

[IronDanHamza]

Lamotta. Not even close.