Lennox Lewis, Greatest Heavyweight of all time

This is a reasonable answer although I do think if he were to have fought a prime Tyson, Ali, Holmes or Foreman these would have have been pickem fights (i.e. 50-50% odds or close to it) but I don't think anyone would be favoured to beat him. I would expect him to win 2 maybe 3 of these fights.

 

Agree,

Though I don't know if I could ever make any heavyweight a clear favorite over Lewis. The closest I'd come is making it even money, and the vast majority I'd have as underdogs.

 

What a stupid thread, this a guy who could barely master the basics until steward got hold of him right?

 

One of the more idiotic posts on the board.

Lewis went to Steward for adjustments on his natural ability, and those adjustments improved him considerably, and he is the first person to give Manny Steward credit for that.

Lewis's problem was his own arrogance. You only need to read his bio, Mama's Boy to understand his mentality. If he decided a fighter was a bum ( as in Rahman 1 ) he didn't bother training properly, and RIGHTLY paid the price.

Conversely if he thought it could be suicidal to stand and trade with a Holyfield, or a Tua, he didn't give a **** about the crowd, or Steward screaming at him, he simply wouldn't deviate from HIS OWN game plan, and would box his way to often ( boring ) decisions.

It's all there for anyone to read. The funniest part is Lewis used to employ guys in training camps to do nothing other than play chess with him after training sessions, and this used to drive Steward to distraction, because he wanted Lennox to be fired up and angry, not laid back and contemplative.

Personally I don't see how a guy can decide he will just go out and destroy, Golota, Grant, Botha, and Rudduck, yet play it safe with Holy, and Tua, but there you go.

 

I don't think you could make a very strong argument for GOAT, but I happen to believe he is the head to head best heavyweight of all time. I can't think of a single heavyweight who would have more than a puncher's chance at beating a fully motivated, prime Lewis.

The 1990s was probably one of the two most talent rich heavyweight eras in history, and Lewis managed yo defeat every top contender willing to fight him, and avenged his only losses. On top of that, he flipped the script and managed to stop the next era's dominant fighter when it was supposed to be his time to bow out.

When Lewis comes in focused and ready, there isn't a boxer in history who can beat him.

 

That is exactly correct. I still believe his problem was only " he " could decide to be focused and ready or not. I'd bet money this caused problems within his camp.

 

Top 5, maybe #3 all time considering head to head & record. I agree he would win some fights & be roughly even money against the best 4-5 as named. MAYBE a favorite if focused & ready, but would he be? Often enough.

Then there are times like vs. Mercer in his late prime. Saw the last several rounds where he barely squeeked out a victory when Mercer tired more in 10 rounds. Who was worse re: putting in variable efforts, should have done more against Holmes, trying to throw the Ferguson fight by negotiating a dive in the clinches for a later pay day...

But Lennox did not look like a GOAT candidate against Mercer.

 

Lewis exposed his technical inadequacies that were always there when he had to come forward on Vitali in a desperate attempt to win.
Its undeniable he looked like an utter baffoon in that fight.

Say what you want about motivation or whatever but fact is skills don't just disappear over night. He was never a highly skilled operator in the first place. Just a big bruta with a size advantage who refused to face the complex style of a southpaw.

Holmes, Ali, Tyson , Holy, would of all clowned him in their primes.

 

I can't think of any heavyweight in history who effortlessly walked through every opponent he ever faced. Not Holmes, not Marciano, not Lewis, not even Ali. Even in their respective primes there were times they were out on their feet, barely squeaked by with a SD, or under-performed against an opponent they were expected to manhandle. What makes them great is that even when bringing their B or C game they managed to find a way to rise to the occasion. Most people like to latch on to under performances like Holmes-Norton or Ali-Cooper or Lewis-Mercer as "proof" that the fighter is overrated. I see it exactly the opposite. Those fights show how these fighters could dig deep to prove themselves when nothing is going to plan. The a mark of greatness.

 

Well if nothing else was apparent when Lewis fought Vitali it's that he was willing to throw boxing out the door and actually fight even though he threw some of the hardest jabs I think I've ever seen anyone throw.

And a guy that big and strong and experienced who's willing to mix it up is a dangerous dude as Vitali found out.

But picking that fight to disparage his boxing abilities would be the same as slamming Tyson's boxing abilities against Lewis. Neither represented their best efforts.