My top 10 Heavyweight list

That collapse had more to do with Lewis `s punches. The commission investigation found no circumstances or mental instability to be of concern. George Benton even told merchant during the fight that training had gone well and that there was no indication of any problems in the run up to the fight. It was only after he took some hellish shots early that he lost heart, he said it was because he could see it going the way the bruno fight went.

 

Well, I would certainly quarrel with Lewis being in the top five, being that he was the only top level HW champ knocked out TWICE in the early rounds by mediocre contenders when he held the title, but that's another matter. Frankly, I think Lewis being in the top ten is a debatable proposition.

As far as the Marciano and Holmes, who I have at #6 and #5 respectively, I can't quarrel with making arguments that those guys belong higher than the Manassa Mauler. Lewis, no way. Lewis isn't even the best HW of his own era, that's Holyfield.

 

Oh, come on!! McCall was just out of REHAB, and he had recently thrown a Christmas tree in a hotel lobby. Then he starts CRYING in the ring. CLEARLY, he was not mentally perpared to fight, and of course his handlers would try to cover this up.

People try to pump up Lewis' victory over this mental cripple, when it's so obvious he should never have been allowed in the ring in the first place. Lewis did what he should have, but he was in there with a SEVERELY mentally incapacitated opponent.

 

I've read otherwise.

http://www.thering-online.com/ringpages/readastory5.html

• What happened to former WBC heavyweight titleholder Oliver McCall in his February 7, 1997, Las Vegas, bout with Lennox Lewis is an example of how boxing has repeatedly let a fighter down. Most people recall how McCall had an emotional breakdown in the fifth round when he stopped fighting and began to cry. But how many are aware of the huge pressure brought upon the commission from the sanctioning organization and promoter to go ahead with the bout, even though McCall had just gotten out of drug rehab? Medical arguments proving that McCall was not ready to fight were ignored, but when he broke down in the middle of the fight, those same people who had ignored the warnings pretended they had no idea it would happen.

 

Hi John

Marciano at #5 seems way too high. Some nice wins but he won close fights against older men (still good fighters) and probably loses to everyone else on the list.

Tyson at #7 is too high. Mentally fragile, career over so soon and beat mostly the unmotivated 80s guys on their way down. Great to watch but once solved never the same.

Lewis at #3 might be too high but I can at least understand his high rating. He was a skilled giant. He didn't like fighting at a fast pace though and IMO would have lost to a younger version of Holyfield.

Frazier at #9 seems harsh beings as he beat your #1 quite clearly. Frazier had weaknesses but should be higher.

 

Bowe ???

Aside from winning the Holyfield trilogy barely he did nothing.

 

Holmes is notorious for never giving someone who beat him any credit and can be a surly ******* and i say this as a Holmes fan.

 

Tucker and Smith got their asses kicked as the fight went on.

Because they survived the distance does'nt mean that they did good.

 

Well, I think Holyfield got beaten up pretty good in the 1st and 3rd fights. That's what I meant by "severe".

Yes, they were wars.
And I would never suggest that Bowe "owned" Holyfield in the series.
And, I dont know about hepatitis, but I thought Holyfield was over-the-hill by 1995.

I do think Holyfield should have outboxed Bowe first time though, but was strategically stupid.

I see Bowe as a minor blemish on Holyfield's standing, but a blemish nonetheless. 1992 Holyfield was still in his prime.

It seperates him from other greats on the list who may have blemishes that are even more minor, but puts him above those with more blemishes.
It puts him close to Lennox Lewis, IMO, but not necessarily in front of him.

 

Interesting reading some of the comments about Oliver McCall.

I seem to remember the fight was in doubt only a few weeks before when McCall was brawling with security or police, and acting psychotically. He was a known cocaine-addict, and had spent time in rehab.

Then again, he wont get the same leeway or alibis that the "great" fighters get, esp. not when up against one.

 

I don't see what's so special about the christmas-tree incident. Sorry to break this to you, but a lot of the professional boxers are crazy. Sonny Liston was constantly in trouble. Does that mean he shouldn't be allowed in the ring? Ali gets full credit for beating Liston, while it's clear that Liston quit in the first and whether it was a fix or not, didn't even try in the 2nd.

Just about all of the 80's heavyweights spent half their days sniffing coke. Ali was allowed to fight Holmes under much, much worse conditions when he was basically a drugged down corpse. The same goes for so many other fights. Now i don't think Ali should've been allowed in the ring that night, but i do sense a double standard here. Holyfield is still allowed to fight today.

And McCall also cried on the entrance to his first fight with Lewis when he was already hooked up on drugs. Of course, since he won by second round knockout, you won't hear anyone complaining. Had he knocked out Lewis in the rematch, you would never hear anyone complaining, either. Fact is that Lewis gave him no chance at all which made a big dent in him mentally, seeing patterns with the Bruno fight. But this is what every boxer needs to deal with. McCall couldn't; that's his problem. Besides, McCall just came OUT of rehab, which means he was supposedly cured.