Lennox Lewis; Greatest Heavyweight of all time?

Larry Holmes, Gene Tunney or Jack Johnson don't cut the Mustard?

 

Lewis is the No 1 greatest heavyweight in my opinion.

 

Oh ****, that's who I forgot LOL

I was wondering why I was scratching my head so long and why the list was taking forever to fill up......

Here's the revision

1. Ali
2. Louis
3. Marciano
4. Holmes
5. Lewis
6. Tyson
7. Foreman
8. Frazier
9. Holyfield
10. Liston
11. Charles
12. Patterson
13. Bowe
14. Johnoson
15 Jeffries

 

Next week Johnson could be on top.. Sort of like alternating positions between you and your significant other. Know what I mean?

 

He's top 5.
Louis and Ali occupy the top 2, that's a given.

 

It wasn't that great of an era. Lewis is nowhere near the best. Foreman sells himself short. A prime Foreman would have knocked him out. Holmes would have outboxed him. I don't know where to put him, but certainly not in the top half of the best heavyweights.

 

We have different opinions on walcott, but i think walcott rates over charles and patterson. walcott beat better heavyweight competition than both, cleaned out his era better, and head to head at his best he rates over both of them against the rest of the heavyweight field IMO.


I dont see how charles can be top 10. Instead of defending his title against young hungry bombers like bob baker, rocky marciano, clarence henry, rex layne, roland lastarza......he instead chose to give shots to 5 very undeserving fighters who were either washed up/or mediocre in the first place.

 

1. Louis
2. Ali
3. Holmes
4. Lewis
5. Liston
6. Johnson
7. Marciano
8. Frazier
9. Tyson
10. Holyfield


The main movers Liston (up a place) and Johnson (was 9th at one stage). Marciano down two place, legacy-wise I have to have him mid way down the list, but Liston and Johnson surpass him as a fighter. I'm pretty much content with this latest tweak to the order.

 

If someone thinks Lewis would beat Ali and Louis, I can live with that. But he just wasn't as dominant as they were and he has worse defeats, so I don't see how he can rank alongside, let alone above, them.

Would a somewhat green and a bit unproven Lewis beat Liston? Probably not. Would he dominate an era containing Frazier, Foreman, Quarry, Shavers, Lyle and Young after losing his best 3,5 years and gradually getting old? Probably not. Would he rack up 25 consecutive defenses? I think we have enough to answer a firm NO there.

 

Floyd was an underappreciated fighter/champ and top guy by all accounts, but yeah Johnson below him on any list is madness. :nut

 

... 11-20:

11. Harry Wills
12. Jim Jeffries
13. George Foreman
14. Jack Dempsey
15. Riddick Bowe
16. Joe Walcott
17. Max Schmeling
18. Peter Jackson
19. Gene Tunney
20. Floyd Patterson

 

Oops. :-(

 

Agree totally. Prime George? Lights out Lennox. Holmes outboxes him.
And yes, those two prime KO's DO hurt his legacy.
I see a handful of other champs being bad matchups for him.

I may be stretching a tad but I see a few 70's boys causing him trouble.
Norton? Lennox may have taken him out at some point but that big Norton overhand right may have found its mark.
If Quarry didn't cut (perhaps a big if) I can see him stealing a lot of rounds with his counterpunching.

Best case Lewis? A big, strong boxer that could bang and be top drawer in ANY era. And does deserve an ATG ranking somewhere.

My $0.02