What was Lennox Lewis's best performance?

Holyfield & Mercer were Lennox best efforts. The Tua fight was a terribly boring, horrible fight, but to give Lennox credit he did what he had to win as Tua could of taken off his head at any moment.

 

I'd think Holyfield was Lewis' best performance if either of two things were true:

1. If he stopped Holyfield, an ex-Cruiserweight who was at a sizable weight, height and punching power disadvantage.
2. If Holyfield, after losing to Lewis, went on to an illustrious career with a series of notable title defenses.

Therefore IMO it is very tough to make Holyfield (or Mercer, or Ruddock, or Rahman II etc. etc.) an example of Lewis' best performance. Note we're not talking about 'peak physical condition'. We're talking about his best performance, regardless of his physical condition.

 

Wlad didnt stop Haye who is level or two bellow Holyfield plus doesnt have a 10% of Holyfields heart or chin!
Lewis was robbed against Holyfield in i fight he boxed great looking at who was in front of him it is his best performance its not like Evander wasnt trying like today challengers...

 

Holyfield was the best Cruiserweight ever, a successful jump to Heavyweight & a damn good one at that. The Holyfield which fought Riddick Bowe would have defeated Lennox without much hardship. Holyfield had a brilliant career at Heavyweight, he had nothing to prove after the Lennox Lewis fight.

Another good fight to watch is Mercer vs Holyfield, now that
is a Heavyweight war. [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA_BWf3Gnbg[/ame]

 

No version of Holyfield would ever defeat a focused, prime Lewis. Deal with the facts. Holyfield is a league below Lewis and we all know that. Holyfield had a great career considering his limited abilities and physical problems (injuries, heart problems) but you guys are overreaching.

Let me ask you something else: If the Holyfield who Lewis won against was so bad, then what's the reasoning of arguing it's Lewis' best performance? I don't get the logic.

IMO, Holyfield at HW was never great to begin with and the version Lewis fought was already in decline. Hardly the hallmarks of a 'great performance', especially if it amounted to not one but two 12 round hugfests.

 

If two fighters are in a notable 'war' it doesn't necessarily mean they're formidable elite opponents. It just means they have a decent chin and a ton of heart. Ward vs. Gatti were wars but both never amounted to much on the elite level of the sport.

Brewster vs. Liakovich also comes to mind. Amazing war, but that doesn't elevate the value of their scalps IMO.

 

You said the Lewis who fought Holyfield was so bad, not i.
If Lewis was so superior to Holyfield, how come there was a controversial Draw in 'Holyfields favor' between them?

 

Holyfield is/was elite. I posted the fight to share a exciting match with those interested, the intent was never to campare them to others. Some of us enjoy the fights, not the nuthugging.

Certainly not as good as the Klitschkos three ring circus of fomidable opponents. (just in case ...that was a joke).

 

1. ruddock
2.golota
3.rahman
...mercer = showed sum balls

 

Let's we have basically a choice out of 8-9 fights those being

Ruddock
Golota
Grant
Briggs
Holyfield I
Rahman II
Tua
Mercer
VK

For me I think it was Ruddock, because (a) he gave Tyson all he could handle in two fights, and (b) his performance may have caused Bowe to drop the belt.

Rahman II could be another pick considering he was KO'd be Rahman and went back in the ring and demolished him. I've always admired the bravery involved in that, cause it's not easy getting in the ring with a guy who KO'd you last time you fought him.

The problem with Golota is he's been blown out by other fighters (Tyson) as well as Lewis, so it's not as impressive.

Most exciting of these fights were V.k. and Briggs

 

I agree with the list above.

I don't mind the Morrison fight either. Lewis just dismantles him. Even out left hooks him.

Showed he was in a different class to Morrison, and was the time he was just starting to get into his prime.