Lewis for real. I would say Wlad is but he has some losses to questionable characters and nobody will fight the dude. hard to build a legacy on the division we have now.
-Yep. I remember that Halloween night like it was yesterday. Though I was rooting for Razor! I didn't become a believer in Lewis until long after I joined this site. Like a stream and a stone, the formidable posters across the pond ultimately smoothed out my dissent and dislodged me. I got him around #5 all time.
I think Wlad is there already to be honest. I mean he cant even get the best available challengers to fight him with the Ring Title and two alphabet straps in the bargain.
Wlad and Vitali, both great dominant HWs, and deep down you need they'd beat some of your fave Great HWs
Yeah I think most unbiased Lennox detractors would admit he was great even if they arent that keen on him, I believe he was anyway.
Since Holyfield has fought on longer than Lewis did, i think it has to be him. Where you have Holyfield?
So, in order to be great heavyweights...they have to be top...five? I've never heard anything like that as a criteria for greatness. Wow. That's all I can say is wow. You can be in the top ten all time for an original eight division and still not be great! Wow! :shock:
I think that's still being great. Think how many heavyweight champions there's been. and there's 10 of them that you are deciding to rank the best. I think that's still great.
Lets have a look at Wladamir Klitschko's credentials on paper. He became the No1 heavyweight in the world in all but name when he won the IBF title from Chris Byrd. By that definition he will have been the top heavyweight in the world for a period of four and a half years by the time of his next fight. Even being the #1 contender for that long with an incumbant champion would get our atention if this was some fighter in the 1920s. I think this will be recognised by historians as a period over which he effectivley dominated the heavyweight division. If we recognise him as being on top of the division from the point where he won the IBF title and became the #1 ranked contender, then since then he has posted 8 title defences. I think that I am right in saying that 5 of these title defences have been against top ten ranked contenders, and he has beaten 3 curent belholders over this period including Byrd. It is also worth noting that two of his eight title defences were against fighters who held belts during this four and a half year period even if they were shot. Viewing this record through the lens of history we would have to rate its owner verry highly even if we did not think much of the era. Now it comes down to what you consider great. If you regard champions such as Schmeling or Walcott as great then there is little question that he is already there. Even if you based it on a definable period of dominence then it would be hard to argue against. Then there is the question of how long this period of dominance will continue to run for.
