Lewis, overated or a true Heavyweight great?

[jack_the_rippuh]

Heavy List...
1. John Ruiz
2. Lennox Lewis
3. Mike Tyson
4. Evander Holyfield
5. Michael Moorer
6. Ken Norton
7. Joe Frazier
8. Rocky Marciano
9. Hasim Rahman
10. Danny Williams
Honorable Mentions:
Muhammad Ali
Joe Louis
David Tua
Roy Jones Jr.
and some other losers who couldn't make the list..

[nohero]

I used to say "no way" to him being top 10 because I do truly believe he is overrated by today's fan. Any who says he beat everyone he faced you might recall McCall? The Rahman loss he avenged but the win against McCall was hardly Lewis' doing... McCall beat himself by having a nervous breakdown. So I'll always say McCall bested him, and McCall was a crackhead...

However... whenever I try and sit down and seriously arrange my top 10 all-time I truly have a lot of trouble putting more than 8 fighters ahead of him... and that's even with my dislike for him. Truth is, no matter how you slice it, he was a damn good fighter and does hold a lot of accomplishments.

It hurts me to admit it but I would put Lewis top 10... anywhere from 7-10 really would be acceptable I think. Anyone putting him top 5 makes me cringe, I can't understand anyone who would do this but everyone has an opinion.

[dempseyfire]

10 ahead of him? Easy
Here's 11
In no pat. order

Joe Louis
Cassius Clay/Ali
George Foreman
Larry Holmes
Jack Johnson
Jack Dempsey
Joe Frazier
Rocky Marciano
Sonny Liston
Jim Jefferies/Evander Holyfield
I'd also put Jersey Joe Walcott and maybe Max Schmeling ahead of Lewis so Lennox comes in at around 13 all time, which is not bad at all . . .

[jabsRstiff]

Dempsey....


No offense....but Scmeling ?

He won his title by DQ......& beat a green Louis,

yes, Max is obviously better than my above comments appear to make him out to be..

But, there's NO WAY he's better than Lewis.

[marvdave]

I don't know if I agree with Lewis being a top ten of all time, but certainly top 15. He was a good champion with exceptional skills. what burns me about Lewis is that he dumped his belts rather than fight Ruiz or Byrd. IMO it tarnished his career.

I don't care who the champion is, I don't agree with ANY reason, money or whatever, for dumping a title. I think it's disrespectful not only to the sport of boxing, but the fans, and champions that held the belt before them. It's goes against the spirit of what the title represents.

The other thing that bothers me about Lewis is, although he won the first fight, He "escaped" into retirement without rematching Vitali. That left a lot of unanswered questions. Lewis won the fight fair and square, but the questions that remain are about Lewis, not Vitali.

I don't think your reading the post, and your twisting the words around to fit your own agenda.

[dansweeney]

Lewis was good but he didnt fight a prime tyson,holyfield or bowe,if he fought any of these guys in his prime he would have lost

[jabsRstiff]

Lewis was good but he didnt fight a prime tyson,holyfield or bowe,if he fought any of these guys in his prime he would have lost

Mike Tyson didn't fight a prime ANYONE.

Prime Larry Holmes would have embarrassed him....& made him quit.

[jack_the_rippuh]

Lol...he fought prime Bowe...in the olympics, but he fought him.

[Neuraxis]

Lewis was good but he didnt fight a prime tyson,holyfield or bowe,if he fought any of these guys in his prime he would have lost

Does anyone know why Bowe gave up his WBC belt after he beat Holyfield for the first time so he wouldn't have to fight Lewis.

[Great]

Does anyone know why Bowe gave up his WBC belt after he beat Holyfield for the first time so he wouldn't have to fight Lewis.

Lewis knock him out on Olympic Games in 1988.