This is the greatest heavyweight of all time

OK. Let's play that game. Jack Johnson got KO'd by Choynski and an amateur cowhand named Willard. Louis by a 190 pound has been Schmeling and KD'd by gooftroopers like Galento and Braddock. Dempsey by Gunboat Smith...

By the way, I've never heard anyone say that Rahman and McCall couldn't punch. And I've talked to more than a few who sparred with both.

 

The funny thing is Seamus doesn't realize his own arguments can be turned against Lewis by younger boxing fans. Heavyweights today are bigger than they were back in Lewis's day. Younger fans could simply dismiss him as fighting guys that are too small and say all his wins bar Vitali were over midgets or guys who weren't much good to begin with.

 

Jack Johnson wasn't prime against either Choynski or Willard so hardly good examples.

 

Let's discount Ali and Joe Louis as they are untouchable in these conversations for whatever reasons, you might call it a list starting from number 3 then. Steward had Foreman at 3 and Lewis at 4 but in all practicallity in a head to head Lewis would beat everyone 9 times out of 10.

 

Let's explain the chin myth,

This content is protected

 

Jesus, a very obvious omission.

 

Lewis was still champ at the age that Johnson was KO'd by Willard.

My point is that the claims of weak chins can be dished out in any direction among heavyweight champs.

Hell, Sonny Banks and Henry Cooper decked China Chinned Clay. See? Isn't it fun?

 

I don't see how suffering knockdowns is comparable to getting stopped. If Lewis had been felled and gotten back up to win there wouldn't be an issue.

 

Lewis beat the count against McCall but was waved off by the ref. Other past champs were hurt as bad or worse but allowed to continue by less protective refs.

 

Also the age argument is ridiculous. People age differently. Muhammad Ali was totally shot at age 38 whereas Vitali Klitschko was still at his peak.
Sugar Ray Leanard was past it at age 34 while at that age Mayweather was still considered the best fighter in the world.
Wladimir Klitschko looked great knocking out Pulev at age 38 whereas Joe Louis was past it years earlier.
I could go on and on.

You really think this is a sensible argument?

 

This. Lennox was an excellent fighter and a good champion, but he just doesn’t have the resume to even be in the running as the greatest all time heavyweight.

 

Plus Choynski was one of the hardest punchers, and Willard established himself as a top contender.

 

To take it more extreme, Wolgast was shot, and Ketchell was fading at a younger age than most modern guys peak.

 

Firstly, Vitali was not at his physical peak. He had had multiple knee and back operations. He was increasingly an arm puncher because his base had eroded. He had the ring smarts, good conditioning and an iron jaw to see him thru,

Secondly, and pertinent also to Vitali and Wlad and Mayweather, 21st century medicine is light years ahead of mid-century, both in preventive and corrective potentials. Look no further than Micky Mantle, a great physical specimen who was hobbled for a career by an injury modern surgery would correct in a manner of months. Even a guy like Walcott had accumulated 70 fights of damage up to that age. And let's not pretend he was peak. In his last 20 fights, he had a record barely above .500. And peak fighters don't retire when there is more money on the table.

 

21st century medicine is far beyond that in Jack Johnson's day which makes your Lewis-Johnson comparison even more ridiculous.

As far as Vitali not being at his peak I would love to hear evidence for his decline. He was absolutely dominating top contenders in 2008-2009 at age 37-38 in fights that were not even remotely competitive and stopping them as well. If he was past his peak there doesn't seem to have been a significant decline in performance.