Lennox Lewis. Does he have some holes in his legacy?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Mendoza, Feb 17, 2015.


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  1. Mendoza

    Mendoza Hrgovic = Next Heavyweight champion of the world. banned Full Member

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    OUCH. Everyone can have a resume picked apart. You picked Lewis to the bone.

    As I pointed out never gave anyone a re-match that gave him a tough fight in Mercer, Bruno, and Klitschko and also never risked a match vs punchers with some skill in Sanders, Moorer, or Ike.

    Dropping belts to avoid Ruiz and Byrd do not look good either.
     
    Mendoza, Feb 23, 2015
    Mendoza, Feb 23, 2015
    #196
  2. Frankel

    Frankel Active Member Full Member

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    How can so many rate him as high as No3 All Time?..He never faced a single fighter who was "At the Top of his Game"..and got polaxed by two mediocre journeymen..with those two journeymen never before or after beating Lewis was they able to KO another opponent in similar fashion... Lewis is the most overrated fighter ever.
     
    Frankel, Feb 23, 2015
    Frankel, Feb 23, 2015
    #197
  3. Unforgiven

    Unforgiven VIP Member banned Full Member

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    I think Tyson wanted the fight even LESS in 2002 than he did in 1996.
    Tyson was the last person in the world who wanted Lewis-Tyson in 2002.
    He tried pretty hard to sabotage the match.
    Alas, everyone else saw the dollar signs in sending him in the ring again, the media built him up, Jose Sulaiman and Lennox Lewis rubbing their greedy hands.

    It was a sad episode really. But normal practice in boxing, I guess.
     
    Unforgiven, Feb 23, 2015
    Unforgiven, Feb 23, 2015
    #198
  4. Mendoza

    Mendoza Hrgovic = Next Heavyweight champion of the world. banned Full Member

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    Lewis is tricky to rate. He's in my top 7. Offensively he's a good as anyone. But he was also starched by two guys based on one punch, which means he's more upset prone than most greats.

    Pre Manny Steward, Lewis had bad balance. But Steward was a master trainer and masked Lewis's deficiencies.

    In one of the Holyfield fights, Lewis had his cup guard embarrassingly high. This to me suggests he was worried about taking body shots.

    Lewis could be dirty at times too. Hitting and holding. Back fits which film shows might have created the bad cut over Klitschko's eye.

    I also think he astutely picked his opponents, and for good reason.
     
    Mendoza, Feb 23, 2015
    Mendoza, Feb 23, 2015
    #199
  5. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    I think Lewis has to be ranked above both Klitschko brothers, other than that I have no real argument with his ranking as long as he's outside the top 2 and inside the top 15.
     
    McGrain, Feb 23, 2015
    McGrain, Feb 23, 2015
    #200
  6. BCS8

    BCS8 VIP Member

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    I know that Corrie Sanders would have given his left nut to fight Lewis. He was convinced that he could have beaten him.
     
    BCS8, Feb 23, 2015
    BCS8, Feb 23, 2015
    #201
  7. Frankel

    Frankel Active Member Full Member

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    Your correct.. Corrie Sanders fought on the Lewis vs McCall (1) undercard against Garing Lane. Sanders called out Lewis throughout the 1990s
     
    Frankel, Feb 23, 2015
    Frankel, Feb 23, 2015
    #202
  8. dinovelvet

    dinovelvet Antifanboi Full Member

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    Why was Lewis so eager to rematch the ghost of Mike Tyson. Why did he threaten Mike with a law suit if he didn't accept?

    He was happy to walk away in 1996 when Mike actually had something left in the tank. Why didn't he do everything in his power to make the fight happen then?
    Because he wanted no part of it thats why.

    This Lewis flat out ducked Tyson, Ruiz, Byrd and Vitali yet popular belief says he shared ZERO responsibility for the Bowe fight never happening?
    Get outta here.

    There's irrefutable proof Lewis ducked these guys and made no effort to get them in the ring. There's also irrefutable proof he dumped two of his belts and got stripped of another.

    Tell me who did Bowe ever duck? The WBC made the decision to strip him before he dumped the belt. His camp made many offers to Lewis after.
    Lewsis was the ducker and avoider of fights. Not Bowe.

    Bowe fought peak, prime Holyfield 3 times and looked much better than Lewis against a faded weak version of Evander.

    Lewis got holes the size of hoops in that legacy. One of the most overrated HWs ever. He wanted no part of Bowe.
     
    dinovelvet, Feb 23, 2015
    dinovelvet, Feb 23, 2015
    #203
  9. Mendoza

    Mendoza Hrgovic = Next Heavyweight champion of the world. banned Full Member

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    Let's wait and see. Lewis has fought better opposition, but he has some holes in his legacy. Wlad will fight anyone, and did not make his rep by beating up past their prime champions. Wlad might break Joe Louis record for consecutive tittle wins. If he does, then its a real debate.
     
    Mendoza, Feb 23, 2015
    Mendoza, Feb 23, 2015
    #204
  10. Mendoza

    Mendoza Hrgovic = Next Heavyweight champion of the world. banned Full Member

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    Yep. Team Tyson used to use Sanders name as a possible opponent too. IMO, too big of a risk, too little of a reward. Sanders was highly avoided in the 1990's.
     
    Mendoza, Feb 23, 2015
    Mendoza, Feb 23, 2015
    #205
  11. Frankel

    Frankel Active Member Full Member

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    i totally agree.. Lewis priced himself out of fighting Bowe in 93 then ducked Bowe again in 95, he never fancied his chances against Tyson or Holyfield in 96.. But as soon as he heard Tyson was on prescription Anti-Depressants and addicted to Alcohol, Cocaine & Cannabis he done everything in his power to set up a fight. Lewis never in his career fought a Class A fighter who was "At the Top of his Game"
     
    Frankel, Feb 23, 2015
    Frankel, Feb 23, 2015
    #206
  12. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Everyone does.

    Lewis beat better competition than Wlad.

    Only if he boxes another twenty defences.

    I think he can create that debate without breaking any records. The longer he goes the more impressive his legacy becomes. I don't think he's that far behind Lewis right now tbh.
     
    McGrain, Feb 23, 2015
    McGrain, Feb 23, 2015
    #207
  13. Mendoza

    Mendoza Hrgovic = Next Heavyweight champion of the world. banned Full Member

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    I agree with this. If Wlad wants to build his legacy from here, he should fight Fury and/or Wilder in 2015, and Joshua in 2016.

    All three are young enough to win a title post Wlad which could boost Wlad's legacy a bit. Wlad by the way is now #2 in Ring Magazine's and Box's rec pound for pound list.

    Lewis was never this high. In fact Wlad can be the #1 P4P guy once the winner of Pa vs Mayweather retires.

    Back to Lewis...
     
    Mendoza, Feb 23, 2015
    Mendoza, Feb 23, 2015
    #208
  14. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Wlad is behind Gonzalez, clearly, p4p, and will not be p4p #1 unless Gonzalez also loses. Whatever Ring says.


    I think Lewis is inarguably ATG material. After that, I don't really have much to say about it. Yes, there are "holes" in his legacy, same as every other fighter that's ever lived.

    Suggesting there should have been a Bruno rematch, for example, is preposterous.
     
    McGrain, Feb 23, 2015
    McGrain, Feb 23, 2015
    #209
  15. dinovelvet

    dinovelvet Antifanboi Full Member

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    Arthur Abraham is p4p a better Champion than Wladimir. A true Champ and a real ambassador to the sport of boxing.

    Klitschko runs from and refuses rematch's. Williamson, Sanders, Povektin, Pulev , Brewster (immediate )

    Arthur gets his jaw shattered by Miranda. Fights him again

    Gets his face torn apart by Stig . Fights him again.

    Has a close one with Smith. Fights him again.
    And performs much better in the rematchs.

    He wants to prove the first time was no fluke. Wlad promised Williamson a rematch in the ring , then filed a law suit to get out of the fight.

    Aruther uses a tight guard as defense against evenly matched guys. Wlad could do the same but opts to foul and cheat under sized guys instead.
    Top 10 ATG yeah?. He not even top 10 German.

    Abraham put this phooney to shame.
     
    dinovelvet, Feb 23, 2015
    dinovelvet, Feb 23, 2015
    #210
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