Is Lennox Lewis the most skilled "giant" in boxing history?

Being "handled" isn't one of mine, so this is basically it.

"Coming out of the ropes dipping off centre in a high guard before throwing a right hand" would have helped. He didn't need to learn peekaboo to do that, though, since there are lots of other ways to get it done.

I doubt Lennox was unaware of how to do it. He got caught because he got careless, not because he was ignorant of how to "come out of the ropes dipping off centre in a high guard before throwing a right hand." And he didn't need to learn peekaboo to do any of that.

If he chose to learn the specific peekaboo variant for years with D'Amato, for some reason, then that would have been more effective than getting hit by a right hand, obviously. I doubt it would be more effective than the other ways of replying that he already knew, though.

 

Yeah except Byrd straight up couldn’t move around Wlad the way he did against Vitali. Wlad matched his footwork and picked him off at range.

Guess we’ll have to agree to disagree, even when they were coming up Wlad was always the prodigy kid, Vitali was the less skilled boxer that effectively used what he had.

 

He developed a little quicker than Lewis; he didn't start to unravel until after he won the title. Lewis finished much better.

 

Let me be clear, when I said more rounded, I was trying to describe your idea that having lots of different techniques makes a fighter more skilled. I understand you prefer to say having more skills simply means counting up the skills they have compared to someone else.

My point is this: Wladimir, even with fewer types of skills, was so incredibly good at his main strengths (his jab, right hand, clinching, and controlling the fight from far away) that his weaknesses didn't matter in most fights because he mastered his chosen style. This is where we see things differently, you think skill is about how many techniques a fighter has I think it's about how well and effectively they use the techniques they have, even if it's just a few key ones

This is exactly the heart of our disagreement and it's why I don't fully agree with your "if all else is equal" idea. In your example, the fighter who is excellent at infighting, mid-range, and long-range would certainly have more types of skills.

However, if the fighter who is 14lbs heavier and excellent only at infighting is so incredibly dominant and smart about forcing the fight to be an inside battle that they consistently beat the more versatile fighter (by never letting them use their other skills), then in a real fight, I would say the specialized infighter is showing a higher level of effective skill for winning. They are showing mastery that leads directly to victory.

So, my definition of skill is more about how effectively a fighter uses their strengths to win and control the fight, even if they only have a few super-strong skills. Your definition seems to be more about counting how many different techniques a fighter has mastered, regardless of how well those techniques help them win against different opponents in the real world. This is our main difference.

 

I've spoken to some sparring partners of Riddick Bowe.

King Ipitan who was one of Bowe's sparring partners who also sparred Lennox told me in regards to Bowe enjoying taking his punches in sparring, Bowe would boast to his sparring partners "Your shots can't hurt me, I can take them!". This was sadly what Muhammad Ali also did and a lot of boxers wanted to be like Ali, and this was the case with Riddick Bowe.

Whereas this wasn't the case with Lennox Lewis.

Bowe went into the first Golota fight with a concussion equilibrium infection.

 

You can say what you want about Riddick Bowe but the truth is that he was a special fighter.

 

Special Ed, maybe.

 

I mean your boy Lennox doesn't have a better win than Bowe's two wins against prime Holyfield.

 

I don't rate Holy as high as some. He meshed well with Bowe stylistically. He was an upgraded heavyweight Gatti.

I take the depth of Lewis' resume over anything Ridiculous Bowe achieved. And Lenny didn't get his career destroyed by the Foul Pole. He just made dude's heart stop.

 

He was very good. I didn’t mention anything about him though

 

Thank you.