I rank Lennox in my Top5 heavyweights. He had a long reign (1998-2001 and 2001-2004), unified and dominated. Actually, Lewis beat 17 ranked contenders in his career: Razor Ruddock, Tony Tucker, Frank Bruno, Phil Jackson, Tommy Morrison, Ray Mercer, Oliver McCall, Henry Akinwande, Andrew Golota, Shannon Briggs, Evander Holyfield, Michael Grant, Frans Botha, David Tua, Hasim Rahman, Mike Tyson, Vitali Klitschko. Wlad, until the moment, has only beat 10: Axel Schulz, Monte Barrett, Chris Byrd, Frans Botha, Jameel McCline, DaVarryll Williamson, Samuel Peter, Chris Byrd, Calvin Brock, Lamon Brewster. Wlad is 31 years old. Can he beat 7 more contenders (which would take probably 3 or 4 years) and maybe unify??
Take a look at those lists again - it's not just numbers - but the differential in quality of Lewis' opponents is of a far higher magnitude. And you picked Chris Byrd twice, so that makes nine! In fact, I'd find it hard to pick anyone in Wlad's list that would beat Ruddock, Tucker, Bruno, McCall, Holyfield, Tua, Tyson or Vitali Klitschko in their primes.
No, I am counting the wins over contenders. Wlad has two wins over Byrd. If Lennox had beaten Mike Tyson twice, I'd have put Mike Tyson twice there. By the way, I agree with what you said about quality.
It's a pitty Lennox retired without beating Ibeabuchi, Wlad and Riddick Bowe, those victories would have been epic, putting Lennox right there with Ali, Marciano and Joe Louis. Wlad can be as great as Lennox if he manages not to lose anymore and dominates the HW division for the next five years or so, beating the likes of Chagaev/Valuev/Virchis/Thompson/Povetkin/Peter/Ibragimov/and other contenders still to come.
All of the following are better than anyone Wlads beat: Razor Ruddock, Tony Tucker, Frank Bruno, Tommy Morrison, Ray Mercer, Andrew Golota, Evander Holyfield, David Tua, Hasim Rahman, Mike Tyson, Vitali Klitschko
Lewis' only noticable wins were Golota, Tyson and Klitschko. The Golota debacle was a total jerk-off and the Klitschko bout also ended poorly. Nevertheless, they were wins. Tyson even in his prime couldn't beat Lewis unless he got the lucky punch in there. Overall, Lewis was a top level fighter in his time.
Wlads oppenents he defeated pale in comparison to Lewis', Wlad has a ton of work to do if he wants to finish his career as a top 10 ATG, I personally cant see him doing it.
and what's so great about Bruno ,Morrison etc.? They come from an era when the US still had some HW-Stars. Where is the prove that guys like morrison would beat Peter etc. There is no shot Tyson that Wlad can beat! no argument against Lewis,just an argument against the lame name game! to the masses names may matter,but to me individual performance counts more!
Bert Sugar has Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, Jack Dempsey, Jack Johnson, Gene Tunney, Rocky Marciano, Ezzard Charles, George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Larry Holmes, Evander Holyfield ( nº11), Mike Tyson (nº14) and Lennox Lewis ( nº19) and I say he is the best boxing historian in history of the sweet science. Wladimir Klitschko is still active and history can always be re-written. Lewis win over Bruno equals Klitschko's win over Botha, but Lewis stopped Botha in 2. Lewis win over Briggs equals Klitschko's win over McCline. Klitschko's win over Mercer has more significance than Lewis win. Lewis win over Morrison equals Klitschko's win over Barrett. Lewis win over Tua equals Klitschko's win over Peter. Lewis win over Akinwande equals Klitschko's win over DaVarryl Williamson. Lewis win over Hasim Rahman equals Klitschko's win over Chris Byrd (IBF). Lewis win over Mike Tyson equals Klitschko's win over Shultz. Lewis win over McCall equals Klitschko's win over Brewster. Lewis win over Razor Ruddock is more impressive than Klitschko's win over Ray Austin and David Bostice. Lewis win over Phil Jackson is comparable to Klitschko's win over Charles Shufford, but Klitschko beat Jackson too in LV ( KO2). Klitschko' win over Jackson is comparable to Lewis win over Butler. Klitschko's win over Byrd (WBO) is comparable to Lewis win over Tony Tucker or over Mavrovic. Klitchko's win over Eliseo Castillo is comparable to Lewis win against Tyrell Biggs or over Mike Dixon. Lewis wins over Holyfield, Grant, Golota and Vitaly Klitschko have no paralell with Klitschko's wins thus far. Lewis losses to McCall and Rahman would make paralells with Klitschko's losses to Sanders and to Brester. Still Klitschko lost early to Ross Purity whereas Lewis wins over Chanet ( European Title), Mason ( British Title) and Williams ( Commonwealth Title), Weaver, McCrory, Ocasio cannot be descredited... Vitaly is more comparable to Lewis, I believe.
those comparisons can be made ,but they always stink! And most boxing historians have a tendency to preach the good old (american) times. Joe Frazier wouldn't go many rounds with Lennox,that's for sure!:smoke
How is Vitali more comparable to Lewis? Vitali lost to the only two real top-heavyweights he's ever faced: Byrd and Lewis.