Lewis career/legacy - one of the best ever

Lewis was definitely an all time great among the heavyweights. The two KO losses certainly hurt his legacy - but he still accomplished great things and defeated everyone he had to - whether in the amateurs or the pros.

 

He beat Klit.. Watch the tape.

Vitali was ahead by only one clear round, and Lennox won the final round on all 3 cards. Vitali only clearly won one round - the 2nd. The others he won by a small margin.

Those 2 "bums" were long-time top-10 rated fighters and both former champions who would almost certainly hold titles today if they were in their prime.

Tunney?

How many fights did he have AT HEAVYWEIGHT?
You wouldn't be one of those guys who shoe-horns the names of old-timers into their lists simply because you had heard of the name rather than seeing them fight by any chance would you? :think :yep

Norton? Based on only his fights against Ali by any chance? :yep

Patterson? Very good fighter... but that high? It seems like another name you have shoe-horned in simply to get 10 names in front of Lennox... :yep

 

:rofl :rofl :rofl

 

You are an idiot :yep

Patterson above liston the man that starched him in less a round twice :rofl :rofl :rofl :rofl :rofl :rofl

You think lewis ko losses were embarrasing, well patterson put on a disguise after leaving the arena . Yet you have him above liston ????let alone lennox lewis patterson lost 8 times in his career and five times by KO so 3 times on points and lewis never lost on points.

Tunney p4p all time you could have above lewis everyday of the week but not at ****ing heavyweight are you insane ??? or on drugs ? He hardly campaigned at heavy at all and only made 2 title defences.:deal

Lennox lewis is at least number 3 top 10 all time heavyweight

 

To be fair he did say

 

Lennox Lewis was not appreciated for his complete acheivements whle he was still active, it sometimes takes until someone retires before good established boxing people start to miss him, to realise how great he was. In 20 years almost everyone who is anyone in boxing will look back and say.. Hey remember Lennox Lewis , He was one of the best heavyweights ever.. and in hindsight start to appreciate what he accomplished. He was staggeringly good, he was a brave kid at the 84 Olympics who came within an ace of beating Biggs , then 4 years later came back a more mature boxer to blaze away with a gold medal.. Then as a pro he came along gradually beating everyone they placed in front of him, winning al of the domestic titles, British , European and commonwealth titles before conquereing the best heavyweights in the world .. Then when adversity came along he returned and beat Oliver after a devestating loss, the same happened when Rahman stunned him , he regrouped and faced his fears the returned the compliment on Hasim, beating every man he ever faced as a pro says something.. Great fighter. Lovely man, well groomed, well spoken .. Retired at the top , no long term damage, well respected and likes to give back to the game that made him what he was.. A true CHAMPION , in every respect.. An ATG.. You all decide..

God bless..

 

Lewis repeatedly punching VK in the face had nothing to do with those cuts then?

Klit was a very good heavy in his prime but an old LL still beat him. Try to remember that monster upercut in the final round that jerked VK's head back. Imo it's probable that Lewis would've finished of VK in the next round, both looked knackered but Vitaly looked worse.

Also, Rahman and Mccall were not bums, not exactly shining lights in the division, but its foolish to call them bums. Unless of course that suits your argument in downplaying LL's legacy.

 

Its not necessarily that he didnt beat any prime greats, its the fact that he hardly beat any "good" prime of peak fighters period. I dont hold it against Lewis that he never beat any prime ATG's because that is a rarity, although it would boost any fighters ranking.
Going by this rational, Lewis doesnt have many significant wins outside of Klit and Tua. Galota, Briggs and Grant were not very good, and highly overrated.
Ruddock, Morrison, Bruno, Tucker, Biggs, Mercer, Evander, and Tyson were on the downside of their careers. Ruddock was pretty much ruined by Tyson, and never regained any foothold in the divison after those two bruising fights. Morrison was never the same after losing to Mercer, and AGAIN never had a significant win other than a shaky victory over Ruddock. Lewis's two biggest wins wind up being the least significant because Tyson and Evander were at the end of their careers, and both have losing records since facing Lewis. Klit and Tua, not ATG's, but damn good contenders, and in their prime, are significant wins for Lewis.

1. Ali
2. Louis
3. Marciano
4. Holmes
5. Foreman
6. Dempsey
7. Holyfield
8. Tyson
9. Frazier
10. Liston/Johnson/Lewis/Patterson

 

Beating an old Tyson & Holyfield (losing the 2nd match) then stringing Vitali along for a year before retiring do not a legacy make.

 

If your description of things was actually true to life it would still be more impressive than anything Calzaghe has ever done

Lewis won both Holyfield matches, if you think he didnt id love to see how you scored each round, even if you give as many of the close rds as you can to Holyfield its impossible to get Holyfield any more than a loss by 3 rounds, certainly he doesnt win.
Lewis was 33 and Holyfield 36, Holyfield held the WBA, IBF titles and didnt want to fight Lewis before. Holyfield was on his best run as defending champion.

Tyson was 35, Lewis 36, Tyson was the mandatory number 1 contender. Tyson never wanted the fight in 1996 when they should have fought.

Lewis at almost 38 while in his worst condition, oldest and rustiness after a year out of the ring still beat prime 31 year old Vitali.
If your going to diminish Lewis`s wins over Tyson and Holyfield because of age then you must give credit to Lewis for doing what those giuys failed to do and that is beat a prime younger man whilst out of your own prime.
Lewis didnt keep vitali hangiing, Lewis had no obligation to fight for a whole year since beating his mandatory contender Vitali.
Lewis talked about retirement since the 2nd Holyfield fight and had every right to retire. Vitali was certainly a sore loser and proceeded to keep Rahman hanging for over a year then last year caused the WBC title to hang endlessly by trying to force himself into a title fight then at the last minute deciding he didnt want to fight for it and would wait until after a tune up which he then also cancelled.

 

Age is irrelevant, both men were shot ie old when they fought lewis and were shells of their former glory. Evander even beat Lewis in their rematch. Plus aside from a cut stoppage Viatli outboxed Lewis and if you say Lewis didn't train for Vitali then remember Joe would never be that out of shape for a fight.

Doesn't really matter anyway P4P Joe dismantles Lewis.

 

I guess that's when you started watching boxing, huh? :yep

Are you aware that he had a career before those fights?

 

definitely a top 10 hvy. weight ATG.

but h2h i think tyson would have KO'ed him.