Lennox Lewis has the better amateur and pro record. * Lennox Lewis beat every man he faced as a pro ... Larry Holmes did not and never avenged his lossses to Michael Spinks (twice), Tyson, Holyfield, McCall, Nielsen. * Lennox Lewis won the Olympic Gold Medal against a future Hall of Fame World Champion Rididck Bowe ... Larry Holmes didn't make the Olympic team, losing to Duane Bobick. * Lennox Lewis unified three Heavyweight belts ... Larry Holmes never fought in a unification and was given the IBF belt when the company was formed. * Lennox Lewis retired as the Ring/World Heavyweight Champion after stopping Hall of Famer and future World Champ Vitali Klitschko ... Larry Holmes retired after outpointing Butterbean. * Against common opponents - Ocasio, Weaver, Tyson, Mercer, Holyfield, McCall - Lennox's record is 6-1-1 ... Larry's record is 4-3. * Lennox Lewis fought 16 times against reigning, lineal, future or former heavyweight champs. Lennox's record (against Weaver, Tucker, Bruno, McCall twice, Morrison, Mercer, Akinwande, Briggs, Holyfield twice, Botha, Rahman twice, Tyson and Klitchko) is 13-2-1 ... Larry Holmes fought 15 times against reigning, lineal, future or former heavyweight champs. His record (against Norton, Weaver twice, Ali, Berbick, Leon, Spoon, Bonecrusher twice, Michael Spinks twice, Tyson, Mercer, Holyfield, McCall) is 10-5. (Two of those wins came in 'old-timers' bouts against Smith and Weaver. More like 8-5.) Lennox has a winning record against Hall of Fame heavyweight champions - 3-0-1 (arguably 4-0, given the draw with Evander) ... Larry does not having a winning record against Hall of Fame heavyweight champions. His record against them is 2-4. If you remove Michael Spinks (who was primarily a light heavy), it is 2-2. Two greats. Lewis was better.
Third. There was a fifty page thread on Duran's best performance which wound up being deleted due to the flame war it became. And then there's this masterpiece: https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/ggg-vs-james-toney-at-160.655356/ And I don't think having the second 'most popular' thread in the last year is much of a brag when it contained one of the most unpopular opinions which was toredown relentlessly for pages on end.
F Hammer meet nail. This really says it all. Larry is so overrated lately on classic. Not that he wasn’t great just that he normally wasn’t considered top five ten years ago now he’s top three in many eyes. I have him in the 7-10 range personally.
I'm probably the oldest poster here and I favor Lennox Lewis over Larry Holmes, in a head to head sense. In general, I don't think Larry can hurt him, so that frees up Lennox to fight any way he wants to. But the opposite is not true, because Lennox can and would hurt Larry, thereby taking many of Larry's weapons away from him.
In my personal opinion Lennox is the best HW champ since Ali. his worst mistake was under estimating both McCall & Rahman. With Rahman Lennox was partying with Clooney & Pitt instead of training & was late getting to S Africa & was not acclimatized to the thin air. He certainly showed Rahman who was best in the rematch. He positioned Rahman on the canvas perfectly LOL
Lennox, Canadian born as we know, before moving to England, fought under our flag etc. was never really taken into our hearts for some reason. Frank Bruno was totally different, we loved him despite his limitations ! Maybe Lewis was always seen as Canadian (he never lost his accent).
Give me a break... Holmes, who was born in 49, boxed until he was a living memorial. Lewis, who was born in 65, could have been Larrys son Good ol´Larry beat Michael Spinks in the rematch, and everybody knows it. He did this at a age when Lennox Lewis retired, suspending his career at a 49-1, never stopped until this point Which is, let me guess, one place behind of Mike Tyson?
