GF is eventually rated too high to put him for a vote against LL. A poll against Larry Holmes would be perfect imho.
So he won a "title" which didn't exist back in the 1930s, which makes him better? This is absurd. Carnera and Sharkey were legitimate HW champions. I'm sure Conn, Pastor, Nova and Buddy would have won a belt had it existed.
How were sharkey and carnera more legit champions than Bruno? McCall was better than anyone they beat and I would even pick McCall to beat Sharkey and Carnera
No, Bruno wasn't better than Wills, Schmeling or Loughran. You can argue Godfrey and Carnera as well. Sharkey was much better, more accomplished fighter than Bruno.
While George Foreman is my personal favorite between the two, I rank Lennox Lewis higher. More time spent at the top and more wins over ranked opposition
This sounds like something I might say. 15-2-1 vs Ring top ten rated fighters. On Foreman he was a force but one with a limited gas tank and defense. Both Ron Lyle and Jimmy Young, top contenders showed Foreman's limitations and he looked really bad vs Ali.
I have them reversed, but I change my mind regularly. The big thing for me is that Foreman beat the crap out of Frazier and Norton (two ATGs) and won the title as an old man (for a fighter). I'm not sure a way-past-it Mike Tyson or cut-while-he-was-winning Vitali was anywhere near a prime Joe or Ken. Plus, two victories over a past it Holyfield (one not convincing and the other not consummate) don't make it for me, and the one shot kos by third raters drag the great accomplishments he DID have down some. Still, LL won that title three times and was certainly very great.
I rate Foreman highly for pretty much the same reasons you outline above. However, Lewis pips him, due to a consistency of performance against generally more dangerous opposition and having defeated every man he ever faced. Add to that, he put his would-be heir apparent in his place, before retiring with the Title, as the recognized Champ.
This is a strong argument. I guess the only problem I have with this idea is that I thought Vitali was beating him when the fight got stopped on the cut. I probably need to watch that fight again.
I don't have a problem with it. Causing facial damage is a perfectly legitimate means of obtaining a stoppage - and a stoppage win is a legitimate win, regardless of what the scorecards say. On top of that, Vitali was taking a shoeing by the end of round 6. Lewis won the bout fair and square - with his fists.
Foreman has the better best win. I will gladly take Frazier over a faded Holyfield and a completely shot Tyson. Foreman's utter destruction of Frazier is a better win than any win Lewis has over a top 10 ATG. However, Lewis has more depth. Norton, Lyle, and Moorer are excellent wins for Foreman. But Lewis has Vitali, Tua, Ruddock, Mercer, Golota, Morrison, Bruno, McCall etc. Lewis just has more "very good" wins but Foreman has the better best win. Still, i rank Foreman higher. because i rank him higher h2h.