Is Lennox Lewis overrated?

[Legends456]

I like him, great fighter and seems to be a classy guy as well.

But I had a friend who said he was the best heavyweight of all time, and I know he is often mentioned in the top 5 or at least top 10 heavyweights of all time.

Once again, I think he was great, but I just hesitate a bit to rank him that high.

Prime Lewis got dropped and stopped by two good-average heavyweights in McCall and Rahman. But they weren’t elites or anything.

On the other hand, some heavyweights in their primes, whether those primes were long or short, seemed virtually invincible. So I sometimes have a hard time with Lewis being ranked above, say, Mike or Ali or Holyfield, Marciano, or even Furry. Those guys all had an “invincible” stage to their career, whereas Lewis seemingly did not.

[GhostofDempsey]

He is the real deal. Fought everyone and redeemed himself of his two losses. Bowe ducked him. Great HW champion.

[Thebrownbear]

After both McCall fights I started calling him Lummox Lewis. In the first one McCall knocked him out cold. In the second fight McCall suffered a nervous breakdown. I remember how extremely cautious Lewis was, he was more apprehensive than he should have been for an alleged pro fighter.

[Nash out]

Great fighter, but I'd strongly back Fury to beat him.

[N!Ck F.]

Great fighter, but I'd strongly back Fury to beat him.

Fury has failed drug tests and is suspected of using altered gloves in multiple fights and sparring. Prime Lewis absolutely smashed Fury.
Lewis is better in every way.

[JAB5239]

Nah, Lennox is a top 10 all time great heavyweight any way you cut it. His close fights were wins and his loses avenged. Hard to fault a man for that. Any way you slice it, he beat every man he ever faced professionally and did it with skill and smoothness. There were chunks in his armor, but that is a given for any fighter.

[Laligalaliga]

Lewis is the real deal.
He fought everyone available and willing. He left the show on a high and is the last undisputed HW.
You can't take it away from the champ. Hez top 10 HW of all time at worst.

[BodyBagz]

If he is overrated, then every MFer not named Ali is overrated.

[JakeTheBoxer]

He revenged both losses. Losing is not a crime in boxing. Great fighter.

[Earl-Hickey]

He's difficult to rank because on a bad day anyone can bea him and on a good day he can beat anyone.

People do tend to use the absoloute best version of a fighter when doing historical ratings which I find frustrating, I think you have to look at the balance of their whole career.