Lennox Lewis: A Career Re-Examined

[joeandthebums]

Does anybody have any information on the "turning pro" period of Lewis career?

For example, details of offers from promotional companies who wanted him to turn professional with them.

[sonnyboyx2]

Here are two important facts about Lennox Lewis that gets overlooked.

1. Lennox is the Largest Heavyweight to hold a significant title reign in the history of boxing. He was more massive than Wlad, Vitaili, Bowe, Prime George, while maintaining an incredibly cut physique. His peak fighting weight is 15- 20 lbs heavier than Prime George. He's 1.5 to 2 inches taller than George, longer reach, Basically bigger in every way imaginable in addition to being faster and more skilled.

2. No one under 230 lbs ever put Lennox down. Lennox is unblemished, undefeated against fighters under 230! So to say 215 Ali, 205 lb midget Frazier, 190 dempsey or 220 lb "mummy" George would even pose a threat is highly laughable. They are not in Lennox's weight class and itd be like tiny welters trying to halt a middleweight. Mccall was not only 230 but was built like an Abrahms tank. Anything less wont even tickle Lewis.

Surely your joking. Lewis is 6'4'' half-inch tall & 240lbs PED abuser. because Lewis chose to refuse to fight the No1 contenders, he never got to defend the undisputed championship of the world. Being stripped of the WBA title in 2000. Lewis defended his WBC & IBF titles and then got stripped of the IBF belt. Which left him with only the WBC title..

Ernie Terrell 6'7''
Nicolay Valuev 7'0'' 330lbs
Wlad 6'7''
Vitali 6'8''

Hasim Rahman 6'2'' 238lbs poleaxed Lewis in 2001
Oliver McCall 6'2'' 237lbs poleaxed Lewis in 1994

So your incorrect claiming Lewis was never beaten or put down.

Muhammad Ali 6'4''
George Foreman 6'3''
Jack Dempsey beat many fighters bigger in size than Lennox Lewis.. Jess Willard, Carl Morris, Fred Fulton all bigger guys than Lewis, yet Dempsey destroyed them in the very first round.

Size is nothing. brutality and fighting ability are what count. Joe Frazier possessed more brutality and fighting ability than any fighter in history.

[juggernaut666]

Sorry Jugger, but i cannot have it mate. Tommy Morrison hitting harder than Mike Tyson?.. Tyson knocked out nearly half of his career opponents in the opening round. Morrison's claim to fame is out-pointing old 45yr old Foreman. Which is not a bad achievement, but it does not qualify Morrison to be labeled an elite Class A boxer. Tommy Morrison has one of the most padded resumes in heavyweight history, He fought club fighters, journeyman and a couple of hasbeens. Then got the decision over Foreman. Axel Shultz, Alex Stewart, Shannon Briggs & Jimmy Young also hold claim to that certificate. Morrison vs Tyson would have been a mismatch, with Tyson winning via first round knock out. Michael Bent chiseled Morrison in one round. Morrison was of the same cut as Peter McNeely, Brian Nielsen & Eric Esch.

Pinklon Thomas fought both and said Morrison hit him harder. a few guiys that have fought both have said the same thing.Mercer said tommy hit him the hardest as well more than anyone ever did,Razoer Ruddock stated Morrsison had the same Tyson like power as well,i don't think its far fetched at all. Tyson would in all likely hood k.o Morrison inside 2 rounds but that's a clash of style,however Morrsion was the better fighter in the early 90's. Tyson struggling with average guys like Botha is one example.


I really don't think Butter Bean would beat any Version of Ruddock do you?Well maybe 51 year old Ruddock.

[billeau2]

LOL... your funny bill

Funny Sonny you think one dimensionally. You determine your agenda and then attempt to construct an argument, dismissing anything that is inconsistant with your argument.

As Ray often says you have to look at skills, the development of a fighter and other such things. You refuse to do this which is why one cannot debate you.

Morrison was indeed brought along slowly and had some rough patches. none of this detrachts from his skills which are evident. You see although I sometimes may appear to have a biase towards older times, what I look at is the skills and willfullness of the fighter involved. Lets use an example...my intention not being to create a straw man...Take Gene Fullmoore. he appears as unskilled and a brawler. But this man achieved and one may well ask "Why?" When we look closely we can see some of what this man could do in the ring.

In the heavyweight division every now and then a pure puncher comes along...the path set down by the Brown Bomber himself. Morrison was set in that mold and developed to be a pure puncher....and no I am not comparing him to Louis per se I am categorizing his skill sets.

Morrison had skills and you can see them on tape. Competition is but one yardstick by which one measures ability. Tyson himself lost to the two best fighters he fought right? Oh yeah Im sure you will qualify those losses funny Sonny because thats what makes you so funny!

Put another way: would you say that Vitali klitschko should be judged on his resume? think about it funny sunny!!

[juggernaut666]

Strangely enough, it always struck me that one reason old/big George was so dangerous was how hard it was to get to his head...You couldn't really hurt him much to the body because there was so much mass and that archie moore cross guard made it hard to get through. Yeah with that said I do think young George was the best variation.

40's foreman had the best chin in boxing history.Dundee also said 40 year old foreman would have gave Ali a better fight than the 24 year old one,in an interview I read 2 years ago somewhere.

[Joeyzagz]

Ernie Terrell 6'7''

Ernie Terell? LOL that guy was 212 lbs when he fought Ali. Terrell literally would be the smallest opponent Lennox ever faced.

Prime Lennox was heavier than Jess Willard... faster, stronger and far more skilled. Lennox/Dempsey would be like Lennox/Tyson, except dempsey's 190lb body would be flying out of ring upon first uppercut.

No boxer under 230 stands a chance at flooring Lennox. stop dreaming.

[sonnyboyx2]

Ernie Terell? LOL that guy was 212 lbs when he fought Ali. Terrell literally would be the smallest opponent Lennox ever faced.

Prime Lennox was heavier than Jess Willard... faster, stronger and far more skilled. Lennox/Dempsey would be like Lennox/Tyson, except dempsey's 190lb body would be flying out of ring upon first uppercut.

No boxer under 230 stands a chance at flooring Lennox. stop dreaming.

I disagree with you. In my opinion Jess Willard was vastly superior than Lennox Lewis. Could Lewis fight 25rds in 110* degree heat against a fighter of the caliber of Jack Johnson?... Lewis was knackered after 6rds with Vitali Klitschko. Lewis was knackered after 12rds with old Holyfield, blowing like a pig, slumped on his stool. Legendary trainer Lou Duva whose family promoted Lewis throughout the 90s said, "Lewis is another Carnera".. except in my opinion, i believe Carnera was better than Lewis.. Your opinion Terrell would be the smallest fighter Lewis ever faced is laughable. If Ernie Terrell chose to use the same PEDs as Lewis, then he would be the biggest opponent Lewis ever faced. i would fancy Terrell to beat Lewis. Lennox could do nothing against Henry Akinwande who resembles Terrell, But Terrell is better than Akinwande and would beat Lewis. If journeymen like McCall & Rahman can level Lewis, then i see no reason why similar level fighters no matter what their measurements cannot also beat Lewis.

Joey, what you constantly fail to address is, Lewis using PEDs.

You also keep making claims Lewis beats fighters like Dempsey, Frazier, Louis, Ali. When there is not a single occasion in Lewis career where he defeated an opponent of their caliber. They also during their career's never lost to journeymen of the caliber of McCall & Rahman when in their prime championship years.

[sonnyboyx2]

Pinklon Thomas fought both and said Morrison hit him harder. a few guiys that have fought both have said the same thing.Mercer said tommy hit him the hardest as well more than anyone ever did,Razoer Ruddock stated Morrsison had the same Tyson like power as well,i don't think its far fetched at all. Tyson would in all likely hood k.o Morrison inside 2 rounds but that's a clash of style,however Morrsion was the better fighter in the early 90's. Tyson struggling with average guys like Botha is one example.


I really don't think Butter Bean would beat any Version of Ruddock do you?Well maybe 51 year old Ruddock.

what about the Michael Bent defeat? .. the Ross Puritty draw?

[juggernaut666]

what about the Michael Bent defeat? .. the Ross Puritty draw?

Well again you cant take away Morrisons abilities when he was on point,hes certainly not the most focused fighter but would you put money on either of those guys in a rematch? I wouldn't.

[Scott9945]

No, your opinion means little, ko ratio is actual data we can use to determine how dangerous an opponent is.

It's only useful if it is relative to the quality of opposition. That really should be obvious.

Unless of course you think Edwin Valero is the best KO puncher ever...