Lennox Lewis vs Evander Holyfield. Who was greater?

Seems strange that I think of holyfield as the greater yet Lewis would beat him more times than not.

Mind you I think of Ali as the greatest yet reckon both Lewis and holyfield would beat him so work that out.

 

So champions can just duck the best challengers with no consequences? Give me a break. Bowe stopped being the champion the second he threw that belt in the trash can. A champion doesn't run scared like that.

 

Lewis easily at Heavywight. Holyfields career was patchy at best and he spent the better part of it making excuses for why he lost. Lewis was more dominant, has 2x wins over Evander and has better overall wins. Lewis' career is also decidedly clean, I simply can't ignore the controversy surrounding Evans career.

 

Agreed. Just too many losses by Evander. Win the title, lose soon after. But that certainly does not mean he was not a terrific fighter. And I like both guys over Tyson and Holmes.

 

two of my favourites, rooted for Holyfield, i (biased?) gave him the second, I like both dogs in the fight but thing posters should name their base (USA/UK) as they vote!

 

I picked Lewis but am US born and bred! Does this really impact how people would vote? I might gravitate towards picking Philly guys h2h but don’t think i overrate any based on that bias. And I frequently pick UK guys (and other nations) over US based fighters and vice versa Oh well

 

Lennox Lewis and Holyfield were overrated to a degree. Holyfield beat old Foreman and old Larry Holmes. The beat Bowe one out of the 3 times they fought. Lewis beat Morrison who had HIV and his body was broke down. Beat old Holyfield, old Tyson, Ray Mercer (Who it overrated himself) in a fight I gave Mercer and he beat Vitali Klitschko. At least old Holyfield beat Tyson and Mercer beat Lewis fought then. Foreman was old but still dangerous. A in shape Bowe was really good fighter. So Holyfield was the greater fighter of the two.

 

A very tough comparison. As a fighter I rate Evander higher. As a heavyweight Lennox. He could turn a fight and change it with a right hand and beat more guys than Evander at the weight because of this, but Evander being able to compete when he was sort of a smaller heavyweight was impressive. Not many guys could do that. He beat Foreman just a year and a half after he moved up in weight if I remember correctly. But as a heavyweight, he was beatable at that top level because the bigger heavyweights could hurt him at times and have that edge.

 

Lewis is a rank above Evander

 

And I'm from the UK and I picked Holyfield!

 

The one thing I'll say in Lennox's defense is that while his two biggest wins were against faded versions of great heavyweights, he was ducked horribly twice in the 90s when he was the legit top contender in the division - first by Bowe and then by Tyson. And Holyfield was the beneficiary both times...so Evander's two best moments that in my mind elevate him above Lewis could have been Lewis's had he been given the opportunities he deserved.

 

Holyfields a warrior man,but Lewis was greater

 

Holyfield has "way too many losses" just doesn't add up.

Yes, he had 10 losses on his record, but 7 of those losses occurred after he turned 37 !
And he wasn't a young 37, he had plenty of mileage on him before he even turned 30, which was how old he was when he first lost.

 

Yeah you test and challenge yourself like Holyfield did throughout his career and losses are inevitable (especially when pitting yourself against giants). The fact he was as successful as he was, after the wars he had, with the quality of opposition he faced to the age he was and you get a picture of how great he was.

I still wonder how a Holyfield-Lewis fight goes circa 1994-95 would have went if Mcall and Moorer didn't interupt things. It would've been fascinating.

I rank Lewis higher at heavyweight but p4p no contest and h2h who knows? They never met at their mutual absolute best at heavyweight unfortunately but they were the best two heavies of their generation no sweat.

 

I rate Holyfield higher overall and H2H feel that the Holyfield of Bowe I and II would beat Lewis. Holy didn’t meet Lewis (a prime Lewis) until six/seven years past his peak and still gave him more than enough trouble.