Am Having My Douts With Lennox Lewis's Greatness...

[Daddy T]

I could see lewis being ranked anywhere from say 8 to 12 without taking issue with it. But it's when people start putting him way up like G.O.A.T/top 2 or way down at 18/19 or not even top twenty that its clear they are simply biased. This debate over the mccall KO is pretty silly, there is no way it can be related to the Tyson douglas KO or even the Tyson stoppage against Holyfield as seems to be getting done again and again. It was a flash knockdown and imo he could have been given the benefit of the doubt and allowed to continue, a different ref and he would have been. The big pity with Lewis especially for his legacy is that he didn't take the vitali rematch given what vit has done since two wins over vit would settle the lewis debate once and for all.

[Barn]

I could see lewis being ranked anywhere from say 8 to 12 without taking issue with it. But it's when people start putting him way up like G.O.A.T/top 2 or way down at 18/19 or not even top twenty that its clear they are simply biased. This debate over the mccall KO is pretty silly, there is no way it can be related to the Tyson douglas KO or even the Tyson stoppage against Holyfield as seems to be getting done again and again. It was a flash knockdown and imo he could have been given the benefit of the doubt and allowed to continue, a different ref and he would have been. The big pity with Lewis especially for his legacy is that he didn't take the vitali rematch given what vit has done since two wins over vit would settle the lewis debate once and for all.

I agree 4-12 is acceptable in my opinion.

It's strange with the HW's you got Ali and Louis as the Top 2 and then it's just a mad free for all from then on with many being evenly matched.

[fitefanSHO]

I rate Lewis #8 on my Heavyweight Top 10 ATG list

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Joe Louis
3. Rocky Marciano
4. Larry Holmes
5. George Foreman
6. Jack Johnson
7. Evander Holyfield
8. Lennox Lewis
9. Joe Frazier
10. Jack Dempsey

Lewis avenged all of his defeats and beat the best big men of his era.

Was his chin a little suspect? Sure, but it was really only exposed once.

I agree the McCall stoppage was premature and Lewis deserved a chance to survive.

[The_Demon]

Lewis makes my top 10,he beat everybody that wanted too fight him,generally dominating them too,avenging both losses and was considered the best HW in a pretty solid era in the division,sure he had his weaknsesses and clearly isnt the GOAT or anything,but anything from 5-13 is fair imo

[IMDAZED]

And you will only find 1 other case of a career heavyweight who became champion beating EVERY fighter he ever faced. LL's lack of preparation have to be acknowledged in his two losses, but his dominance in rematches should be equally looked at.

Agreed.

I'd also add that struggling against Mercer isn't anything bad. Mercer was quite inconsistent but when he was on his game (as he was against Lennox), he was a handful for any HW. And as close as that fight was, I thought Lewis fought an excellent, excellent bout against a style that was an absolute nightmare for him.

[Holtol]

I consider Lewis the second best during his time, I think Holyfield was a greater boxer. And I think Bowe was better, he just had a shorter prime. I have a hard time seeing a second or third best in a decade being top 10 considering there has been over 10 decades of boxing.

[RubenSonny]

I don't know, blowing out Golota who had twice destroyed Bowe and two wins (yeah I know one was a draw) over a near prime Holyfield seems pretty defining to me. Just my opinion of course.

Golota was a mental midget and showed it in the Bowe fights, it was a way of quitting, I still give Lewis credit for it but in no way would I ever call that a career defining win. Holyfield is a good win, but he wasn't near prime, he was still good though, and I'd bet all my money on a younger version of Holyfield against Lewis, though I can see the argument for that being one I guess, but I don't consider it one.

Why did Bowe not fight him then?

Joking of course we know what path this thread is going to take.

I don't really know the details of it, I've seen evidence that suggests Bowe ducked Lewis and I've also heard from respected people the vice versa, I don't really know or care enough to comment on that. Even if Bowe did duck him, I'd still pick him to win, like I'd pick Dempsey to beat Greb, I think an in-prime Bowe is a better fighter than Lewis by quite a bit.

[slicksouthpaw16]

His first losses to Rachman and McCall were both fluke, one punch knockouts that he avenged convincingly. He beat EVERYONE he fought and reigned for years, hes a certified top 10 IMO.

[Dave Rado]

Because Duran was older, past his prime, and out of his weight class when he had those off nights.

Rubbish. When he lost to Kirkland Laing he was 31 and still in his prime. When he was knocked cold in two rounds by Hearns he was 32, and still in his prime. And he wasn't fighting at higher weights to challenge himself like Armstrong did - he was fighting at those weights because he could no longer make the lower weights. He wasn't fighting out of his weight class, he had just developed with age so that his weight class had increased.

Several of his best wins took place after or just before those two losses, including some at higher weights than those fights were at; and he gave Hagler all the trouble he could handle after the Laing defeat and only one fight before the loss to Hearns.

[Anthony342]

I'm with you guys. He has no class.

Why not? What makes him so unlikeable? I haven't seen much of his career yet.