Lennox Lewis's Losses

Highly? Not in this context. I rate Lewis above him, I probably rate Calzaghe 90-100 on my all-time list which is hardly epic.

They are poor losses for a great fighter, no two ways about it. He got knocked out badly. And avenging them doesn't completely make up for what shouldn't have happened in the first place.

 

I think the Rahman loss is quite damaging. He was on a roll then, approaching the end of his career and then lost like that. Whenever I watch Ocean's Eleven and see Lennox make his appereance I think "Why Lennox, why?"

If he'd just had the McCall loss it could just be put down to a freak occurrence but losing badly like that TWICE does put a dent in his legacy. The McCall loss did have a silver lining though. It made Lennox bring in Manny Steward who made him a much more effective fighter IMO.

 

I agree. If he'd finished his career; Rahman, Tyson, Byrd, Klitschko, it would have looked a lot better.

 

Losing to Rahman is not good. I hate to bring up Calzaghe, but since somebody else already has he's quite useful in this topic. It would sort of be like Calzaghe losing to Jeff Lacy or Byron Mitchell. It's not supposed to happen, but it did in the case of Lewis. Yet Calzaghe gets little praise for showing that consistency.

Losing to great fighters shouldn't go against another great fighter as long as the rest of his record is good, but losing to run of the mill fighters in such a bad fashion is damaging, its not like having an off night and losing a close one he got brutally KO'd!

Luckily Lewis did avenge them which limits the damage a little, and his overall record is a fine one so he's still a great heavyweight.

 

That's probably why Lewis was such a bitter pill to swallow for US fans.

He had all the ability in the world, yet often looked disinterested and still beat very good fighters pretty easily...... same as the Rahman fight really, he was winning clearly before dropping his hands, then BOOM. Out.

Compare that to someone like Holyfield, up until 2002 the only really bad loss was to Moorer. There was no shame in losing to Bowe twice, though he should have stopped him in the 3rd fight - whilst all three Ruiz fights were snoozers and could probably have gone either way.

It is a case of one guy wringing absolutely everything out of himself during his career, whilst the other only showed maybe 80% of himself other than in brief periods, because he was more physically gifted and skilful enough to dispose of what was in front of him.

As daft as it sounds, fighting Tyson at the time he did doesn't do him any favours...... I know a lot of people were buying into the ''It's a different Tyson this time'' (especially Nigel Benn atsch) but a win over a leading contender rather than a Euro level banger - essentially what Tyson had faded into.

 

Its an old adage but sometimes you have to lose a fight to become a better boxer ... those two losses gave him the hunger to push harder and become the legacy that is Lennox Lewis ...

 

Tyson above Holmes and Lewis..? Are you ****ing mental..?

No Evander Holyfield..?

**** off lad..!

 

Whats the big deal (excuse the pun) with Holyfield? Hes certainly not got a top ten spot nailed down in my book.

 

Don't understand this comment. People criticise Calzaghe because his opposition was **** poor.

 

I'm a big Tyson fan (prime Tyson ofc) but I still pull my hair out everytime I see Tyson ahead of Lewis on someones top 10.

You guys are bias beyond argument.
Lewis pisses on Tyson in almost every factor compiling a top 10 ATG HW list.

To the TS, Lewis's training for Rahman is well documented, he thought it was easy money and paid the price. When he did train properly, i.e the rematch, we saw what the REAL Lennox Lewis was about.

For the McCall fight Pepe Correa was heard, and reported in the press if I'm not mistaken, telling Lewis after a good first round 'just go out there and knock this bum out', thats right, try and knock out the immovable object, can you imagine Manny giving him that advice? No. Oh and that punch McCall hit him with would spark 99% of HW's but still, he was mature enough at that point imo and should have maybe known better.

Top 5 HW for me.

 

The McCall loss you can forgive..he had one of the all time best chins and decent power. And the way Lennox fought back then (wild and very right hand happy)..he was doomed vs such an opponent. The defeat made Lewis hire manny and vastly improve.

The Rahman loss however.....that should not have happened and dents his legacy imo.

 

The fact he tapped them comprehensively in the rematches, means he has beaten all of his opponents, and that is better than alot of the fighters who will be rated above him the list.

His legacy is untarnished.

One fight that sticks out in my mind is the Mercer fight which he won by just one round on my card, and that was the making of him as a fighter.

A definate top 10, although as the years go by I see him moving up the list.

 

I agree, Holmes is definately above Tyson. There is a slight argument for Tyson to be above Lewis, that I do not agree with.

Evander is definately in any top 10. His heart and chin were unbelievable.

 

Don't really agree to be honest, do you really think Lewis would be rated higher today if Lewis-Rahman I didnt happen, I dont.

He got caught cold, which happens at HW....the rematch was so dominant from Lewis as well that it became clear that the first fight was just an off night.

The only ways Lewis' legacy could have been greater IMO was if Bowe didnt duck him or if he beat Tyson or Holyfield at further stages of his career.

Hes well placed inside the Top 10 HW of all time so its clear the losses didnt do much harm. :good

 

He was ill prepared not caught cold. You don't get caught cold in the fifth round.