ATG: Who Ranks Higher? Holyfield or Lewis?

as a heavyweight, Lewis.

but if you include Evander's cruiser weight run, Evander.

 

I think that it's a simple matter of Holyfield fighting EVERYONE. You can't fault a guy for losing a good bit of fights when he fought all of the best fighters in his own era... and still fights top fighters to this day. Lewis on the other hand didn't fight any of the best fighters in his own era while they were at the top of their game, and didn't really fight the best fighters in the division after he became recognized Champ either. So, while there is a lot to be said for "beating every man he ever faced".... the fact that he didn't face the best competition in the world at the top of their game says even more. While Holyfield was rolling through the 90's fighting Bowe 3x, Moorer 2x, Tyson 2x, Foreman, Holmes, ect.... Lewis was fighting guys who were all a level below. Lennox really never climbed to the top of the division until the best fighters of his own era had already beat the prime out of each other, and they weren't shining so bright anymore.

Then, Lewis' reign as Champ wasn't very spectacular either. Wins over Grant (who had just been exposed by Golota), Frans Botha (who had just been brutally knocked out by Mike Tyson), David Tua (very good win, however Lewis got the same criticism for that fight that Wlad did against Ibragimov). Then Lewis was knocked out by Rahman, won his titles back... beat an extremely washed up Tyson, and then we all know what happened with Vitali. In the end he dropped the IBF title to avoid fighting Byrd, dropped the WBA title to avoid fighting Ruiz, and ultimately vacated the WBC title and retired when forced by the WBC to rematch Vitali. He also failed to fight Wladimir Klitschko who was his #1 ranked Challenger by Ring Magazine for 2 years during this title reign. On top of all of that, he only defended his title twice in the last 27 months as Champ.

 

Holyfield and its not even close

 

I would go Holy in this one. He was never ko'd twice by two fighters who never made an impact in HW boxing except for the fact that they put Lennox on his ass. Holy never lost to those type fighters until he got old. It happened to Lewis twice in his prime. Also take note that a prime Lennox couldnt put away a old faded Holy in two fights. Lennox claims his biggest victory was Tyson. Too bad it was a complete shot Tyson so it holds no water with me. Holy beat Tyson who was still a force. Not the prime Mike we all knew but still a good one.

 

Lewis, especially considering he got the better of Holyfield twice and didn't need to use steroids.

 

Counting Cruiserweight--Holyfield easily

Just Heavy--Toss-up, would lean toward Holyfield as his losses weren't nearly as bad as Lewis' and he faced better fighters.

 

England's lennox lewis

 

Evander Holyfield is the higher ATG. God gave Holyfield a granite chin, and the heart of a lion, and he took all of that all the way to the top.

 

:-(Oh dear

 

Exactly for example the way I look at it Holyfield had two careers one as a cruiser no doubt the best I have ever saw.

However if you look at how long Holyfield was a heavyweight from start til he fought Lennox he accomplished more than Lewis did in a shorter period of time.

Holyfield takes the cake here.

 

Dude your talking a prime Lennox vs old shot Holy who still went the distance with Lennox and has a good case that the second fight should had went his way. It was that close.

 

What? Lewis' era is considered the same era in which Holyfield, Bowe, Tyson, Moorer, and Foreman were all at the top of the division. Lewis didn't fight a single one of them while they were at the top of their game. After he got the titles, he clearly dropped them to avoid fighting his #1 contenders... (the same thing that Lewis complained about Bowe doing).... so explain to me what was incorrect about what I posted?

 

Garbage.