Al Bernstein: "Lennox Lewis Is The Greatest Heavyweight Of All Time"

[Simurgh]

You thought he won clearly but only won by 2 rounds? So if only one of those close rounds went to Holyfield it would have been a draw on your card. Sounds reasonably close to me.

The second fight was quite obviously a close fight. It could have easily been scored for Holyfield and like I said, plenty had Holyfield winning. More thought Lewis won and that's understanable but it absolutely was a close fight.

No doubt it was a close fight, but nevertheless lennox won it fair and square IMO.

He was better for that 2 rounds and that's it.

[yoz]

its just that his best form is in some way determined by who he is fighting. Its almost like if Lennox fought Ali (after he beat foreman or frazier) Lennox beats him but if he fought Cassius clay (before he beat Liston) well he wouldn't take it seriously and probably lose.

In that sense he's not as consistent as the other great HWT's in their prime-which suggests he isn't the best and maybe wouldn't beat them.

But some of those 'greats' padded their record with bums/fought no serious opposition.

[Simurgh]

Fighters have off nights sometimes, sometimes thy have great nights, there's no one that Lewis couldn't beat on his night and there's several fighters that could beat him on there night.

When I compare the fighters in fantasy H2Hs I always assume they are both in their nights.

So I say Ali on his night beats Lennox on his night.
Lennox on his night beats Holmes on his night.

[yoz]

No doubt it was a close fight, but nevertheless lennox won it fair and square IMO.

He was better for that 2 rounds and that's it.

Apparently winning both fights with Evander = a defeat...

[yoz]

When I compare the fighters in fantasy H2Hs I always assume they are both in their nights.

So I say Ali on his night beats Lennox on his night.
Lennox on his night beats Holmes on his night.

Lennox gets the same treatment from US fans as the Klitschkos'.

'Prime' Tyson beats them (); 'Prime' Bowe beats them; 'Prime' Holmes beats them (et al).

[Dirk Diggler UK]

its just that his best form is in some way determined by who he is fighting. Its almost like if Lennox fought Ali (after he beat foreman or frazier) Lennox beats him but if he fought Cassius clay (before he beat Liston) well he wouldn't take it seriously and probably lose.

In that sense he's not as consistent as the other great HWT's in their prime-which suggests he isn't the best and maybe wouldn't beat them.

The Cassius Clay that almost got knocked out by Henry Cooper? Every fighter isn't 100% consistent.

[The Big Dunn]

The Cassius Clay that almost got knocked out by Henry Cooper? Every fighter isn't 100% consistent.

ALMOST vs DID. Judging whole fight rather than 1 piece of it.

[The Big Dunn]

But some of those 'greats' padded their record with bums/fought no serious opposition.

I think if you read the whole debate you'd understand the context of the statement.

The difference is those guys beat those bums -hence their record is "padded" as you say. if you don't win the record can't be "padded".

[Dirk Diggler UK]

ALMOST vs DID. Judging whole fight rather than 1 piece of it.

Yeah he almost got knocked out by a British/Euro level fighter so I wouldn't say that was a great performance. They needed extra time and shady tactics in the corner for him to recover. Ali also lost to a guy with 7 fights and it's widely accepted that he didn't take him seriously. So it's not an exclusive phenomenon to Lennox Lewis.

[The Big Dunn]

Yeah he almost got knocked out by a British/Euro level fighter so I wouldn't say that was a great performance. They needed extra time and shady tactics in the corner for him to recover. Ali also lost to a guy with 7 fights and it's widely accepted that he didn't take him seriously. So it's not an exclusive phenomenon to Lennox Lewis.

I thought we were only talking about when each were prime. I didn't think ali was prime against SPinks but he did lose a fight he wasnt expected to.