Lewis beat a lot of the same guys Tyson did, the only outstanding names on his resume are Holyfield, Vitali and Tyson himself. Other than that, they're resumes are similar. But you always hear how Lewis resume is one of the best at heavyweight, while Tyson fought nothing but 'bums'.
The same Frazier who was over ten years past his prime? The same Frazier who was returning after 5 years? The same Frazier in his last fight? The same Frazier who was 37 years old? The same age Tyson was getting knocked out by Danny Williams?
Disagree. Beating Holyfield is probably the best win between the two by a small margin followed by the controversial bloodbath with Klitschko, but the rest of the opposition he beat doesn't separate itself at all from Tyson's and in a lot of ways is worse. Outside of those two, he's got Tua, Briggs, Mercer, and Rahman, none of whom would've fared well against Tyson's 80s lineup imo. Tyson also got to Botha, Tucker, Biggs, Bruno, and Ruddock first, and beat Golota in fairly similar fashion. I think Lewis needed the Vitali fight to be in the same class of resume.
Tyson's most notable victories were against an ancient Larry Holmes and blown up LHW Michael Spinks. Holmes hadn't fought in 2 years and hadn't won in 3 years. He only had like 3 weeks to train for the fight. Spinks hadn't won a fight against a quality opponent in nearly 3 years (which were both robberies imo) and his knees were very bad. The knees were heavily bandaged up when he fought Tyson. Course this doesn't get mentioned at all.
How so? Lewis beat every man he faced. Tyson did not avenge one loss. Not one. Ruddock: Tyson stopped him in controversial fashion late in their first fight, was taken the distance in the second. Lewis knocked him out in ONE ROUND. Lewis drew with Holyfield once and beat him another time. Tyson never even beat the man. He knocked out Tyrell Biggs more than twice as quick. He dropped Tony Tucker twice. Botha was knocked the **** out by Lewis in two, and was ahead of Tyson when Tyson got him in five. Tyson didn't even beat Golata. A man who Lewis knocked out in one round. How exactly did Tyson beat his competition in better style again?
A shot holyfield, tyson and a very controversial victory over Vitali where he clearly ran away from a justified re match. Also a lot of the common opponents that Tyson and Lewis beat, Tyson beat fresher and primer versions. My.
Well, I wasn't referring specifically to common opponents. Also, you're mostly using fighters who were depleted/declined in between facing Tyson and facing Lewis. For example, Tony Tucker and Tyrell Biggs. Also, you have to accept that Tyson who faced Botha and Golota was kind of shot. And what about Bruno ? Lewis struggled more against him than Tyson did. etc. etc. Tyson was WBC champion 2 1/2 years before Lewis even turned professional. Tyson had won, unified, multiple defended and lost the titles and was aready in prison by the time Lewis picked a WBC belt out of Rid**** Bowe's 'trash can'.
You know what's unique about that argument? He manages to discredit Spinks' wins over Holmes in a sentence putting down Spinks, but makes no mention of those fights as possible wins/decent performances for Holmes in a sentence putting down Holmes right before it. Good stuff.
3 months is sufficient time to prepare. Secondly Holmes was not exactly inactive, he was fighting in the odd boxing exhibition here and there and had kept himself fit. Holmes only whinned about not having enough time to prepare after the humiliating beating Tyson gave him. Before the fight he was raving on and on about how his body needed rest after so many years of fighting and how he felt fresh as ever.
Holmes is almost always full of **** in instances where he's made to look bad. It's par for the course. He also managed to claim that Tyson didn't hit that hard. The logic there, of course, is to discredit anything remotely resembling Holmes entering the ring as an older but capable fighter who got steamrolled by someone who was younger and better at the time.
Didn't his then trainer Richie giachetti claim that the Tyson fight was the only time he ever saw Holmes scared before a fight.