Rank these 3 Heavyweights: Tyson, Lewis, Holyfield?

McCall was basically the same fighter. Yes, he was perhaps better for experience but he was never much different. He was really just a big strong guy with a decent punch and a solid chin. Strong, well-conditioned.
He looked very ordinary in '95 against Holmes and Bruno.
I think '89 Douglas outboxes any version of McCall.
I think '89 McCall is more or less the same as the one who beat Lennox Lewis.

Tyson was a better puncher than Rahman.

 

They're out there. The fight was close, a draw or a close win either way wouldn't be argued by me.

Holyfield needed a knockout to get the win in the rematch because of all the B.S. over their first meeting. The first fight was scored even though, not a loss for Lewis. It coud have been worse... at least Lewis left as Champion. I've seen worse decisions (DeLaHoya actually lost his Title to Trinidad).

 

This.

 

Holyfield
Lewis
Tyson

 

Pretty much how I see it. I'm always changing my mind about these three in my heavyweight list,but they're always grouped together on it. From 7 - 9.

 

I'll always stick by Lefthook, he knows his stuff and he's been around longer than most of us....


Ive got


Lewis

Tyson

Holyfield



And for ****s sake Foreman Hook, stop saying TEH........ITS "THE".........."THE".............."THE............YOU IDIOT learn English

atschatschatsch

 

Thanks for that, but there are a couple guys on here that have been around as long as me. They see it differently, and I respect their opinions. The majority are blinded by some deep rooted hate for Tyson. Foremans Hook should never be acknowledged on this forum, his points count for nothing and hes a waste of thread space.

 

They are all pretty close and its not always a case of who beat who; Lewis and Tyson have two of the greatest title runs in history (9 consecutive defenses!), while Holyfield faced, beat or drew with almost every top 5 regular of the 90s. Even his ugly past-prime wins over Ruiz and Rahman are pretty significant. Lewis probably has the prettiest resume of the three, and it is deceptively easy to overlook Holyfield and Tyson's achievements in contrast. Its all in the eye of the beholder and with my preference for consistency I would have to pick Lewis as the top guy of the three.

 

You say you agree with him and then list the diametrical opposite to what he says

 

What i was trying to get at was, when you have an opponent who is really fired up (as Douglas was mentally due to losing his mother), u do not take it easy by staying up late and undertraining. Bereavment obviosly did fire Douglas up because he came with a will to win, he came with desire and Tyson came for a quick payday.
At the end of the day one guy came to takle the titles and in the end he won. On that night in Tokyo James Buster Douglas was willing to go through hell fire and brimstone and it showed in the fight he fought
Douglas himself admitted he did it for his mother, so who are you to say its an excuse made up by Tyson fans?

 

I rate them

Holyfield
Lewis
Tyson

Though I rate Lewis higher than Tyson, prime for prime I believe Tyson beats Lewis....Lewis' chin does'nt stand up to an early prime Tyson onslaught.

Tyson is still 3rd on my list as I think Lewis is just a better fighter and beats more styles than does Tyson.


As far as caliber of competition is concerned.

Of the top 4 Heavyweights of the Era, Holyfield, Bowe, Lewis, Tyson..........Holyfield is the only fighter that faced the prime or near prime versions of the others.

Bowe 3X
Tyson 2X
Lewis 2X

Holyfield could just as easily have been 2-1 vs Bowe had he not gone into that 3rd fight battling Hepatitis which weakens the body.

.....and a case can be made that Holyfield won the 2nd Lewis fight.
I dont give a **** if anyone does'nt think Holyfield beat Lewis in that rematch, I'm saying a case can be made that a past it Holyfield beat a prime Lennox Lewis.
.....that alone imo puts Holyfield over the top in a ranking against Lewis.

What prime version of any of the other top 3 did Lennox Lewis ever face???

Thats right, none!

 

1. Holyfield


2. Tyson
3. Lewis

Holyfield is, imo, clearly the greatest, as he beat two of the other four most talented HW boxers of the era, Bowe and Tyson, when both were formidable opponents, unlike Lewis, who fought an old version of Holyfield himself, and a washed up version of Tyson. Holyfield also was never taken out early by second-rate fighters like McCall and Rahman. In fact, he was never taken out early at all.

Tyson and Lewis are closer, imo, but Tyson's dominance over his opponents and lack of getting starched early by one punch tips the scales.

 

Lewis
Holyfield/Tyson

You all for get Bowe ran away from lewis and tyson had 14 million dollars to give to lewis not to fight him way before they fought. Nobody in Tyson team fancied their chances or they would have fought rather than offer him money to step aside. You might think Tyson wins his team did not.

As for Holyfield a big jab on a big fight was his achillies. Lewis is far better than Bowe hence why Bowe would not fight him. The best version of holyfield lost to Bowe. Enough said on that.

Lewis problem was not getting up for fights. He never look like losing to me when focussed. Ray Mercer nearly beat him and bruno gave him a shock as did Vitial. Raham and McCall were so easily aveneged there is no doubt who was the better fighter.
An unfocussed cocky Lewis I think would easily have lost to Holyfield or Tyson.

 

Sorry miss the main point of my post.
Look up the betting when each of Holyfield, Lewis and Tyson had close fights or lost.
Every time Lewis was poor he was red hot favourite both in the betting and with boxing pundits.

Lewis problem was not seeing the challenge

 

Oh perlease. James Toney?

No way in a month of sundays would Lewis have lost to James Toney, Toney would have no way of getting inside that jab and to my knowledge Toney has never fought anyone the size of Lewis.

Lewis actually did beat Mercer

Valuev? Your taking the **** now.