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

If you think Lewis is 1-1 with Holyfield you simply must not watch boxing, that's about as obvious as it gets.

 

I think Lewis clearly won the first fight with Holyfield.
It wasn't quite the "beating" some of his fans make it out to be though. There was some very limited output from both fighters in several of the rounds. The second fight both fighters were busier.

As bad as the decision was, I think it was - and is - exaggerated as to how bad it really was.
I mean, a "draw" is not as complete a robbery as a LOSS, and I've seen fighters win fights just as clearly and more emphatically and then the judges say they've lost.

 

Well, Cintron got a 'draw' in a fight vs Martinez where he was knocked out and then lost like 10 rounds :nut

Robberies are the part of boxing, but the fights like Lewis - Holyfield 1 or Chavez - Whitaker are so often discussed because they were megafights with boxing superstars involved.

Lennox should be glad that Larry O'Connel decided not to give one of his 10-10 rounds to Holy:yep. Then it would've been even bigger robbery

 

Again, let me know how many heavies you would rank over Lewis… Louis, Ali… who else? Larry Holmes with his tepid resume? Marciano with his short career and larder full of old, light heavies? Protected Jack Dempsey? Jack Johnson and his uninspired reign as champ?

It's not difficult to nitpick the greats but keeping the level criticism equal, where does that put Lennox?

 

Top ten easily, maybe top 5?

 

I have Ken Norton above him. I don't like rating/ranking fighters anyway.

You great or you not. If I had my way , the top 10 would end at #6 or 7.

 

You'd also likely pick Chuck Wepner to beat Wlad, so I'll take what you say with a grain of salt.

 

Yes, those six are a good start. :good

Holyfield certainly.
I think Frazier and probably Foreman.
Schmeling. Perhaps Charles.
Wlad Klitschko edges him now imo.
Tyson maybe.

 

Lewis would spark Norton.

 

The Holyfield he beat? What, by virtue of the fact that Holy once beat, and was twice beaten by, a Bowe who was afraid to fight Lennox?

Frazier? Who are his #2-#7 best? Lewis has more depth and a much longer prime.

Schmeling and Charles? A joke, right?

Waldo? Again, compare me Waldo's top 7 best pelts to Lenny's. Hopefully you can do the math at that point.

Tyson... Close... a reign of terror pretty much unlike any other, but very short in duration and then the wheels fell off.

 

1) Tua was 12 lbs lighter vs Byrd, he was in better shape clearly for that fight. The fight wasn't close. Byrd was winning 8 rounds to Tua's 3 coming into the 12th round. That's not a close fight.

2) Holyfield was nowhere near his prime in 1999. He was at that moment a pro during 15 years (which is longer than the whole Lewis' career). Holyfield fought at highest level (world championship fights) since 1986, 13 years prior to Lewis fights. Lewis' 1st title fight came in 1993.

Holyfield had great opposition and lots of tough, very tough fights. He was shopworn. Many people considered him a 'shot' fighter as early as 1995. He wasn't close to prime when he beat Moorer in 97. He was clearly past-prime in 96 when he beat past-prime Tyson.

I've read an interview with former Lennox's and Holy's long-time sparring partner (who admires them both and names them a good friends), and he said that Evander was quickly fading and it was obvious during that camps for Lewis fights.

The only thing why their 2nd fight was so competitive was that Holyfield's team chose the best strategy (fighting in spurts, as Evander didn't have the speed and stamina anymore).

As mr. Magoo mentioned, Holyfield prime years at HW were 89-93.

 

His opposition, mainly.

 

1. I don't think Holyfield should be penalized for Bowe's "fear of" Lewis any more than if Bowe's scared of spiders.
2. Holyfield fought/beat other fighters apart from Bowe.
3. Holyfield was years past his best when he faced Lewis. Holyfield was actually #1 contender before Lewis turned professional, and world champion when Lewis was still a novice. He was a 15-round fighter two years before Lewis even won the 3-round Olympics !
It's a fallacy to make them direct contemporaries.
4. Holyfield was old and had been through many wars before facing Lewis, and still ran a peak (?) Lewis close in the rematch.

Yeah, it's nice to throw away the Ali win, I'm sure.

What's Lewis second-best scalp ? Third ?

Who's the WORST fighter Frazier lost to ? Compare that to Lewis.
Frazier had the best win BY FAR, Lewis has the worst losses BY FAR.
Somewhere in there, you go looking for your "depth". Good luck.

No joke.

I don't think either of them fought great opposition. So for me that's almost pointless. I think Wlad's stayed at it a bit longer, without defeat, that's all.
I've never heard a satisfactory exposition of the greatness of Lewis's opposition.
That's probably why people have to resort to the fights that DID NOT HAPPEN to inflate Lewis.

I've read your insistence that Lewis beat "the greatest cast of power punchers" or some such, several times.
On the other hand, you've often remarked that punching power is the single most overrated quality in fighters, and 'big punchers' the most overrated or over-glorified boxers.