Lewis, overated or a true Heavyweight great?

[RobbieD]

All time great in my eyes. At the end of the day, he never ducked anyone and beat everyone put in front of him. Can't argue with that record.

[GasPed]

Ok. First post (on my way to 100 ). My 2c - LL was (and is) all time top 10 in the heavies, but only just. He was either THE MAN, or THE PREVIOUS MAN for 10 years straight, and everyone knew he was the quality of the division. A couple sucker losses drop him out of the top 5, but the fact he avenged those puts him in the top 10. History will perhaps judge him a little more fairly than many do today...

[GasPed]

Also, whoever thinks Jack Dempsey or Rocky Marciano could somehow walk out of the 1920s or 1950s and dominate today needs a little head shake and some medicinal help. They would be pygmies today - as SoundTraveller points out, they might be dominant cruisers, but that would be it.

Even Sonny Liston and George Foreman would dwarved by today's standards. You can't compare heavies from different eras IMO, simply because of the size progression of the human race in general.

[SonnyG8R]

Also, whoever thinks Jack Dempsey or Rocky Marciano could somehow walk out of the 1920s or 1950s and dominate today needs a little head shake and some medicinal help. They would be pygmies today - as SoundTraveller points out, they might be dominant cruisers, but that would be it.

Even Sonny Liston and George Foreman would dwarved by today's standards. You can't compare heavies from different eras IMO, simply because of the size progression of the human race in general.

I don't think 6-4, 230lb George Foreman would be "dwarved". Nobody today could match his power.

[Foreman]

Of the group of fighters bandied about as top ten greats, who besides Lennox has that bad of a chin? Nobody

Size matters eh? I guess Michael Grant, Primo Carnera and Butterbean are up there as well? A little guy can't beat a big guy? Tyson beat a lot of guys who were bigger than him sometimes by a good bit, and Tyson's greatness has been suspect.

Lennox is top twenty, maybe top fifteen, no more than that. He was big, had some skills and a very craftily guided career.

So he avenged one of his losses(McCall doesn't count) big deal. He did to Rahman what the Rock did to him. The score is 1 to 1. Why does Lennox get credit for that? Did they have a rubber match I'm not aware of?

My opinion as to a top ten in no particular order:
Ali
Louis
Holmes
Dempsey
Foreman
Frazier
Liston
Holyfield
Marciano
Johnson

[Neuraxis]

I don't think 6-4, 230lb George Foreman would be "dwarved". Nobody today could match his power.

Someone needs to recheck how much Foreman weighed.

[Silverfox]

Thanks for the other reply.

People generally, don't realise just how large these men are. Years ago, I was introduced to the then up and coming heavyweight, Pierre Coetze. The man was +- 6'5"...hands the size of dinner plates...and it seemed as if he could block daylight from a barn's doorway! It was the same impression when I met Gerrie Coetzee.

One good crack from those guys and one has to go down!

What's happened to Butterbean? Haven't seen him around for a long time now?

[leff]

Thanks for the other reply.

People generally, don't realise just how large these men are. Years ago, I was introduced to the then up and coming heavyweight, Pierre Coetze. The man was +- 6'5"...hands the size of dinner plates...and it seemed as if he could block daylight from a barn's doorway! It was the same impression when I met Gerrie Coetzee.

One good crack from those guys and one has to go down!

What's happened to Butterbean? Haven't seen him around for a long time now?

He is in k1