Starting To Think Lennox Lewis Is The Most Complete and Best Heavyweight H2H

My point was, those longer fights didn't show Lennox Lewis as the most complete fighter, not by a long shot.
And that was Lewis in his prime.

It's in the longer fights that we must judge fighter's complete skills and attributes.
Flaws and holes in his armour were too evident for my liking, but I realise we are in a temple of LL worship here so i wont labour the point.

Lewis was a bloody good fighter, I admit.

 

McGrain, that was funny!

 

Lewis is a big man that could move and punch, plus he had the knockout power. This is what makes him a great matchup against any heavyweight in history. When Lennox is on his game, and he's focused, he's one of the toughest of all time and wins a lot of heavyweight head to head matches.

His downside? His lazy streak and overconfidence can get the better of him and it has. He had no business losing to McCall and Rahman if he prepared properly. Sure, Lennox came back and beat them both, but how he prepared initially for those fights is not championship worthy.

 

Largely agree with PetethePrince, Lennox gets massively underrated on the Classic. Head to head he's a monster who I'd pick without a shadow of a doubt over prime versions of Holyfield, Johnson, Liston, Frazier, Bowe, Marciano, Dempsey. I'd call 50-50 against Ali, Tyson, Holmes but his size/strength/power combined with P4P level ability will give all of those men problems

 

i agree he's No.1 head to head.its either him or ali for me.

 

Most complete Heavyweight ever is 1988 Mike Tyson or 1966 Muhammad Ali or the Joe Louis of the 2nd Schmeling fight.


Lewis has a bad chin.
Wasn't always in shape.
Footwork wasn't the greatest.


MANY Heavyweights would beat him H2H.

Here is a list:

Muhammad Ali
Jack Dempsey
Sonny Liston
Evander Holyfield (in his prime)
Mike Tyson (in his prime)
Riddick Bowe
George Foreman
Joe Frazier
Rocky Marciano
Larry Holmes
Joe Louis (from the 2nd Schmeling fight)
and more

 

You can not say "lewis wasnt always in shape" as an argument then give an individual year or fight to prove other fighters are better.

 

Just noticed your list too , all those not followed by (In his prime) or a specific fight would beat Lewis at any point of their carer span?

 

Lewis is so highly rated here on ESB classic, I don't know how anyone can say he's "underrated" head-to-head.

The best fighter Lewis beat in his prime was Holyfield, who was several years past his own prime. Lewis was still a fairly fresh 33/34 years old, Holyfield 3 years older and had been in many wars.
For my money, I don't think Lewis was suitably impressive enough to the point where he has to be rated so highly head-to-head among the greats.
Holyfield, for one, in his prime, should be picked over LL.

Most of the men Lewis beat lacked well-rounded skills and adequate speed.
Sure, Lewis was good at clubbing those big mooses to the floor, but I don't see him having the same success against guys with speed and skills and savvy.
Even when an old Holyfield elected to fight smart (fight 2, as opposed to fight 1 where he fought DUMB) he ran Lewis very close.

 

Lewis's record and reputation is built largely on beating BIG PUNCHERS or big strong guys - Ruddock, Tua, Golota, Grant, Morrison, McCall, Bruno

It's wins over BOXERS and fast heavyweights near their primes that he lacks somewhat.

 

in fairness...not too many guys who meet that discription fighting at his time....byrd and larry donald would have been the closest....

 

The same Larry Donald that was whipped something rotten by Bowe!

 

im not saying Larry would would have beaten him..it would have looked like bowe or what VK did to him....im just saying he was one of the best movers of the time (which is to say...not that many good movers/boxers around in the 90's)