Title Defenses: W. Klitschko 13 Lennox Lewis 12

[Munchies]

No all biased aside. Lennox was not in his prime, he was at his heaviest of his career, inactive fighter and still legitely beat Vitaly. Vitaly by himself would beat anybody on that list.

David Tua would beat anybody in Wlad list.

Tua lost to Byrd who Wlad beat twice.

[BoxerDood]

It's actually 13-11.

Vitali dominated Lennox and scared him into retirement.

You mean Vitali got caught by one of Lewis's deadliest punches and was left with a deadly cut that caused him to quit, and if he didn't he would have gotten KTFO?

Not to mention Lewis was washed up and out of shape...

[Clyde Barrow]

Lennox is still a better champion than Wad is. But Wlad can overtake him via longevity. The quality of opposition just isn't there as much as it was during Lewis' reign.

[squealpiggy]

No.. did anyone accuse you of it?

This thread is for a discussion, not a debate on racism.

Red K sent.

****ivore accused him of it.

For instance, Tyson looks great on paper and he surely has a legacy that exceeds that of any of Wlad's victims, but that version of Tyson also lost to Danny Williams and Kevin McBride.

I don't think that's entirely fair though. Tyson was on a pretty good streak to get into title contention at the time, and had basically given up two years later when he fought the greatest heavyweight that ever lived and Danny Williams. I mean Kevin McBride.

And.........many thought he would have went on to lose that fight had he not cut Vitali. I'm one of them.

Yeah but many thought that Hatton would have won against Pacquiao had he not been outclassed and completely starched. It doesn't actually matter what would have happened if something else didn't happen, because what did happen is that Lewis soaked up everything that Vitali offered and smashed his face to bits, forcing a stoppage.

Note* Vitali clowned the champ Lennox on ten days notice.

Without wanting to get overly technical, this:



...is not clown makeup.

As it stands now David Haye is basically playing the Rid**** Bowe role. Wlad can't force him into the ring and he has defeated most every other fighter of note.

Is this a reference to the fact that Haye pulled out of a fight injured, a heinous act that no Klitschko would ever dream of?

I don't discredit Lennox's win over Vitali, he beat him fairly within the rules of boxing. I think he should have given Vitali a rematch though, but oh well.

I can respect this point of view, a rematch would have been a good thing but clearly Lewis had had enough of the sport at that point and he did something that not enough fighters manage: Retired at the top and with all his faculties intact. Uuuuuh. Definitely.

Naw, don't cop out like that. Lennox got sparked out twice by big right hands that were both nowhere in the same league as Wladimir's. Bad combo for Lennox in my opinion even though I am not saying Klitschko definitely lands the money shot. No way to tell what would have happened actually.

Wlad shows far too much reluctance to throw big shots even against people he knows can't hurt him, so against a big punching heavyweight like Lewis he'd be timid beyond belief.

I'd be willing to concede that Wlad is the better technician. He has better defense and a better jab than Lewis ever did and he may even be a harder hitter. But Lewis had a better chin, took a punch better and also had that fight in him that seems lacking in Wlad since he got starched by Sanders.

[Boxin']

Title Defenses: W. Klitschko 13 Lennox Lewis 12 Larry Holmes 20!

Larry Holmes is greater than both these giants

[Kilrain]

Lewis's is slightly better in my opinion. There's not a great deal to pick between both. Lewis's era wasn't great. Tyson was in jail, then he had a quick couple of fights before the earbiting incident and he was suspended again. Holyfield was quite gnarled when Lewis got him, but he was still 36. Considering Holy was like 44 or so when he deserved a decision over Valuev recently. Wlad hasn't really had a defining fight. The division is truly awful. I think Lewis is a superior fighter, I think Lewis would outjabbed and outsmarted Wladimir, that's me calling it how I see it.

[paulf]

Lewis' list is MUCH more impressive IMO.

[squealpiggy]

The point of the thread was not to say the Wladimir Klitschko is a better fighter than Lennox Lewis, or that his resume is superior to Lewis'.

But what you did was to line up their title defenses and then start to diminish Lewis'. Which you then proceed to do in the rest of the above post.

Lewis was a better champion than either Klitschko and has the beating of Wlad any day of the week prime for prime. I don't want to diminish Wlad particularly but it's hard to deny that there isn't one name on his resume that Lewis couldn't handle with ease and that the reverse cannot with any confidence be claimed.

[Hitman932]

But what you did was to line up their title defenses and then start to diminish Lewis'. Which you then proceed to do in the rest of the above post.

Lewis was a better champion than either Klitschko and has the beating of Wlad any day of the week prime for prime. I don't want to diminish Wlad particularly but it's hard to deny that there isn't one name on his resume that Lewis couldn't handle with ease and that the reverse cannot with any confidence be claimed.

I have plenty of confidence that Wladimir would have beaten the guys I listed under Lennox's name. I certainly would not be worried about him losing to Tua or Holyfield, not the way he fights currently. I also don't recall Lewis ending any of those fights with a KO so Wlad would probably ultimately do better than Lewis did against them.

I think Lewis is the better fighter prime for prime, but to say he gets him any day of the week when he could lose to McCall and Rahman on Monday and Thursday doesn't make much sense.

[street bully]

I have plenty of confidence that Wladimir would have beaten the guys I listed under Lennox's name. I certainly would not be worried about him losing to Tua or Holyfield, not the way he fights currently. I also don't recall Lewis ending any of those fights with a KO so Wlad would probably ultimately do better than Lewis did against them.

I think Lewis is the better fighter prime for prime, but to say he gets him any day of the week when he could lose to McCall and Rahman on Monday and Thursday doesn't make much sense.

Both have below average chins, but Wlad basically copied Lewis' style, and Lewis was the better fighter, just the way it is. Wlad is carving out his own legacy which is good to see though.