Is Mike Tyson greater than Lennox Lewis on the all time greatest heavyweight ranking?

Lewis was underrated for years, particularly in the USA. Tyson was the exact opposite.

Lewis should be universally viewed as top ten all time heavyweight. His resume is deep, and he beat every man he fought.

What more could one ask? Maybe a re-match vs those who gave him a tough time, but outside of that which annoys his hard core fans, I think his work will stand the test of time.

 

For reasons I don't quite understand Unforgiven holds the heavyweights of the 1990s in contempt. IMO, it was on the top 3 best decades in heavyweight boxing. Great talents. Memorable fights.

 

I know. But, you didn't elaborate on what you meant by Lewis fans having "gone into over-drive", either.

My question still stands.

 

Still doesn't answer the question, really. It was a "yes" or "no" question. I'll guess at "no".

So, assuming your interpretation of Lewis fans excludes those that have delivered cold, hard facts (regardless of how unpalatable they might be to the perennial Lewis detractor), what does Lewis fans going "into over-drive" actually mean?

 

Thought so and I was also fairly confident you'd not want to elaborate on your sweeping generalization of posters, on one side of the debate.

 

I apologize for my haste.

 

You mean like certain Tyson fans have done in this thread and often do in others? Evidence of the same is seen in the last couple of pages, even in the face of facts and reasoning.

I can't say I've seen much evidence of 'brow beating' from those favoring Lewis over Tyson, in this thread.

 

Apropos my previous post, I'd suggest the the pro Lewis sentiment has been quite tempered in this thread.

I would add that, Lewis being considered above Holyfield and Tyson must be irksome for some. Particularly, since it seems that the case for Lewis has gained in strength, over time.

 

Any leaning away from the facts, replaced with a reliance on subjectivity, supposition and sentiment, tends to lead to absolutes, in my experience. I see out and out fandom for both, but in different ways.

As alluded to, Lewis struggled to gain recognition during his career - was thoroughly underrated and mocked within the sport for some time (some of this he brought on himself, mind), while Holyfield (Bowe, for a while, as well) and particularly Tyson were revered in comparison. The limelight fell on the other three, who could, more or less have things their own way.

This, I know, is a broad-brushed viewpoint, but it briefly speaks to one area of a potential reasoning for the rise of pro-Lewis attitudes, in retrospect - while Tyson's and Holyfield's laurels might well have been overcooked, in their time, and have been diminished in hindsight.

 

I don't think it's any secret Unforgiven is extremely harsh on Lewis and Tyson and much more accommodating of Holyfield among the heavyweights.

I do respect his opinions and enjoy him as a poster regardless. He balances out the numerous Tyson huggers at times. We need both ends of the spectrum and everything in between. He's a good lad at the end of the day even if a little misguided

 

How is this even possible?

As we gain distance from Holy's career, my estimation of him has fallen precipitously. He was a hot and cold overachiever who bent the rules both in and out of the ring. His greatest claim is a trilogy with a text book underachiever. In fact, both of their legacies lean so much on the other that I think they collectively collapse.

 

lol. you may say it's warped and ridiculous but you know it’s the absolute truth,son.

 

Was he shot stopping Golota early, Savarese early and Nielsen ? He wasn't. He wasn't the man he was in 88 but he'd managed to pretty much defeat almost everyone straight through. Many people thought he was going to beat Lewis going in. It was not Holmes fighting Ali, Johnson fighting Jeffries or Charles fighting Louis. An A- version of Lewis showed how easily he could dominate a B Tyson.

 

Who do you think you're calling son, son?

I've explained why you're wrong. If you can't accept the facts, gracefully or otherwise, it's not my problem.

 

Honestly, I've expected Lewis to stop Tyson in 3 rounds. I underestimated Tyson's chin. But I knew that that Mike would be destroyed by Lennox