Lennox Lewis vs Jack Dempsey

So who were the best pure heavyweight finishers of all time?

The human pole axes.

For my money-

Bob Fitzsimmons (admitedly it is hard to compare him to fighters of later eras)

Sam Langford (quite possibly the best of the bunch)

Jack Dempsey

Joe Louis

Ingemar Johansen (limited though he was)

Sonny Liston

Mike Tyson

None of these guys are particularly huge heavyweights. While their weight varies a lot they are prety uniformly under 6' 1'' and 210 lbs.

Is there anybody bigger who should be on this list and if so who?

 

I'd say:

1. Louis
2. Tyson
3. Liston
4. Foreman

 

I can see where you are coming from with 1-3 but I dont think Foreman has a case.

I think Dempsey has to receive serious consideration.

 

Dempsey by ko. Lewis was not great. Dempsey was. Lewis is popular, so some pick him for that or whatever reason. Dempsey had strong chin, hard head, recovered quickly if hurt. He was fast, agile. Lewis was good boxer, hard punch, but weak chin, and occasionly got lazy in ring.

 

I think he does. In terms of overall ranking I have Foreman outside my HW Top 10, but there's no doubt in my mind that he was a great finisher once he had his man hurt. One of the very best in that regard. I'm sure Frazier, Norton et al will concur. :yep

 

You know my overall thoughts on Dempsey (especially regarding head-to-head matchups). What I will say though is that he was a fine offensive fighter for a man his weight* and a good finisher. Behind Foreman, though IMO: I'm sure some will disagree.




*Ps: Cruiserweight.

 

Foreman was a great puncher but not a great finisher.

A great finisher dosnt club his oponent into submision he determines the exact moment when they go down. He is the puppet master who cuts the pupet strings. He dosnt just finish them when they are hurt he takes them from thinking they are doing alright to oblivion in a matter of seconds.

 

Cruiserweight or not he was knocking heavyweights dead.

Fred Fulton was the 220 lb leading contender going into the fight with Dempsey and he was gone in 23 seconds. He just bit on a feint and that was it.

Foreman could never do anything like that.

 

It wasn't pretty but it sure was effective much of the time, certainly against most swarmers, guys with average chins, slowstarters etc. Look at the Norton fight for example: I think that proves his finishing ability was underrated and that he didn't necessarily lunge in aimlessly all the time to be fair.

Obviously against the likes of a Lewis, Ali, Holmes, Walcott and Tunney for example who were highly skilled fighters with solid chins it may well be a whole different ballgame (and likely would be). Certainly his lack of polished finesse would be found wanting there. Foremans approach by and large worked, though against the guys he faced .

 

Foreman would blow Dempsey away IMO. :good

 

Ive seen mike gibbons compared to ray leonard :rofl :yikes :nono :nut and the analogy of a mountain lion being smaller than a heifer but still able to defeat it.....Well,the difference between dempsey and lewis is not that one is a cow and the other a puma,but that both are great boxers but one is far bigger than the other...
If 18 pounds between frazier and dempsey doesnt make any difference then either dempsey is p4p the greatest of all time or weight divisions dont matter...

 

yes he would. Foreman is too much for any swarmer including Tyson, Dempsey, Marciano and Frazier