similarities between wlad and lewis

They really are very comparable, with the exception that Lewis had a more complete arsenal and got himself a British passport wich gets you a lot more fans and a lot less haters obviously.

I'm a big fan of both of them.

 

very true

people will be crying after Wlad's gone when they realise that the next HW era will be like the 80's without Larry Holmes

 

differences are mway more pronounced - no way does lewis get roasted by a retired near 40something. man,. lewis wouldn't even get in the ring with a retiree, its shameful to do so for a title, nevermind lose horribly to him.

 

How many lefties did Lewis fight? Oh right, zero. Never mind one of the fastest hardest hitting boxers ever.

 

Wlad being the more athletically gifted; Lewis had the better variety in his arsenal.

If you're making this comparison for the sake of matching them up H2H, then it's a tossup.

 

Lewis was all around better and fought better opponents. Wlad's reputation will likely improve over time, but not by much. He simply lacked the competition, so there will be little to look back on.

 

:deal

 

There are definite similarities in some ways as you have mentioned. Though Lewis learned from his first loss to McCall and made the changes he needed to. It took Wlad another 2 losses before he started making the changes he needed to.

Both are very rough inside with the clinching and mauling but Wlad relies on it more due to his lack of any kind of inside game.

While Lewis wasn't embraced by the US fans they still paid to see him fight, Wlad's even more overly cautious style and the lack of any US heavies of note has seen him fight in complete obscurity to the casual US sports fan.

I'd disagree about their resume's Lewis is head and shoulders above Wlad's. How many ATG's or guaranteed hall of famers has Wlad fought? He didn't get much or any criticism for not fighting Byrd, nobody then wanted that fight even Byrd's promoter didn't want that fight paying Lewis $ 1 million and a car to drop the title.

Their approaches when threatened is very different. When Lewis was up against a dangerous opponent he raised his game and became more aggressive and beat them down as in the Golota and Tucker fights. Even in the Vitali fight when he stated to struggle he went into seek and destroy mode rather than try and box his way to victory. When Wlad faces a threat he becomes even more cautious as in the Haye fight.

On the plus side for Wlad, he's much more consistent and professional as a champion. He's never lost due to being out of shape or being over confident and under prepared like Lewis.

 

lewis is a bum compared to wlad.........

 

And years later when Byrd was well past his prime Wlad fought and beat him to kick-start his reign where he racked up defenses against endless weak bodies and bottom feeders.

Byrd in his prime wasn't considered worthy enough to fight for the title. Wlad fought him twice and Vitali lost to him

 

I was meant to write Ruddock not Tucker, not sure what happened there my brain no longer functioning properly due to the heat. :huh

Wlad showed heart against Peter but he didn't stand toe to toe and trade with Peter like Lewis did at times against Mercer. Lewis had a much more naturally aggressive response when pushed or threatened. Only time Lewis really ever went fully defensive like Wlad does was against Tua and even then that was because he hit Tua with some bombs early and realised he couldn't hurt him and so went for the decision.

 

Pretty much this. It's splitting hairs a solid case can be made for both men. Although Lewis has a bigger fan base and would garner more support.

Lewis never got off the canvas to win a fight like Wlad has, and he only fought one lefty in his entire career who was a club fighter. Long been stated he didn't perform well vs lefties and was steered clear of them at championship level.
Lewis has the better names but many of the name victories were in fast decline (Holyfield) or shot (tyson)
Lewis did respond better to adversity and had more of a killer instinct in the ring. Wlad is technically more sound and has 20 more wins and counting.
As time passes I think they will be ranked very closely to one another. As of now Lewis has an edge because most fighters who are active don't receive favorable comparisons to the fighters of the past.