Lennox Lewis is a lock for top 5 heavyweight of all time

Agreed.

However, another point I note is that Garcia was not a particularly experienced referee and I think he played it safe, which is his right to do so. A more experienced ref might have had the confidence to let Lewis, as the Champion, continue for while; quickly assess the situation and take action, as necessary.

It matters not, of course. The decision was made. We, as observers, in the context of this debate, can only give a view on how badly this loss impacts Lewis' rating.

I don't mark Lewis down all that much for this loss - mainly because the stoppage raises these types of questions.