Prime for prime, best heavyweight ever - head to head

H2H

1 ali
2 tyson
3 lewis
4 foreman
5 holmes

 

I have difficulties narrowing down the title "best" to 1-3 names. Too many have contributed to the sport to boil it down to one name.

Accomplishment for sport: Louis, Ali, Marciano
Reputation: Ali (the Greatest), Tyson (the Beast)
Dominance: Marciano, Louis, Ali, Lennox, Wladimir, Tyson
Honorable mentioning: Holyfield (heart), Louis (black fighter in a very racist time), Holmes and some other ATGs.
H2H: in no particular order Ali, Foreman, Lewis, Tyson, both Klitschkos

Tyson was a beast with tremendous KO power and a very solid dodge/duck defense. But many opponents he could not intimidate beat him. I doubt he could intimidate or KO Ali, Lennox, or Vitali.

I assume a prime Lewis beats every other fighter of the list 5+ out of 10 times, but he would have a hell night with each of them. He was a very complete giant.

I think Ali's skills & speed were superb, but a boxer of Wladimir's size with a "Hail Of Jabbombs"-defence would be a serious problem for him, too. Ali would need all his skill to pull off a victory, but probably would do it anyway.

Foreman had a punch to grind a brickwall to dust. He would need only 1-3 direct hits to KD every opponent.

The Klitschkos are both very skilled, use their size, have power & ring generalship, and always come well prepared. They are top10 (H2H), IMHO. Not "great" as Ali, or exciting as Tyson, but TKO machines.

 

Lennox Lewis imo... big and very skilled and his chin is not as bad as people suggest.

 

styles make fights. ali would go life & death with ken norton any day of the week.

 

Ali, Louis, Lewis, Tyson

 

lewis is not even top ten why you put him in the same sentence with ali and holmes

 

Bob Fitzimmons would kill them all and eat their livers and children.

 

all except Jim Jeffries:hey

 

Ali, Tyson, Liston

 

Why are people talking about the Klits? In my opinion they are not in this conversation.... H2h they are nowhere near as good all time as fighters like Holmes, Ali, Lewis...

Hell, Lewis made Vitali's face into hamburger, a nowhere near prime Lewis.

 

I agree his chin is not that bad, every now and then Lennox would come in unmotivated it seemed, I credit that more than anything, because he was a complete beast when he was motivated. Very smart fighter too.

 

You are entitled to your opinion mate, but I respectfully suggest that Lennox Lewis is most certainly "Top ten"!!

 

:good This is exactly how I saw Lewis!!

 

:good A good read and excellent analysis!

Good post!!