Step back in time.........Lennox Lewis versus Razor Ruddock

I feel Holyfield was not that washed up in his fights vs Lewis. He was two years removed from beating Tyson actually and 36 years old. Lewis was older than that when he himself beat Tyson and Klitschko. I´m sure Lewis did not fight the best ever Holyfield, but do you necessarily think the versions of Holyfield that lost to Moorer, got dropped by Cooper or lost to Bowe (two times, once by KO) would have been that much better? And while it is true Holyfield looked like crap against Ruiz after the Lewis fights, he did look pretty sharp against Rahman later.

The Tyson win on the other hand was nothing so special. A good fight and a good win, but were more in the line of creating fame and money for Lewis than establishing him as a good fighter.

I really think it was the first fight with Holyfield that was Lewis´ defining fight that made him #1 in the division. It is just so shadowed by the robbery of making it a draw and by how close the second fight was.

 

Fair enough Moralman, I too agree, Lewis would of beaten both Ruddock and Golota, at anytime in there careers. Lewis was a great Heavyweight in his prime, though overrated by some on ESB, he just makes my list as a top 10 ATG Heavyweight.

 

To suggest that Ruddock was shot due to Tyson is simply speculation. No coincidentally it's usually initiated by those who don't like Lewis.

I guess that's a way to rationalize Lewis' achievements rather than give the guy his dues. It's funny, cause I don't really hate any boxer and whether it's Tyson, Holyfield, Lewis or anyone else, I give them huge kudo's when they win. It's a tough, tough sport and winning isn't easy. Sometime even the better fighter loses, if he gets caught, it happens. Maybe the fight between Ruddock and Lewis would have been different if Lewis didn't catch him with those overhand rights, on the other hand, he was out jabbing him and it didnt look like landing those rights was accidential.

 

Well, John I have to disagree with you on Lewis beating a prime Holyfield - heck, he had trouble beating a 37 year old Holyfield in their second fight. If a declining Evander could arguably, according to some ringside journalists, do enough to beat Lewis at that age, it stands to reason that a prime Holyfield would win rather clearly. And, in fact, that's exactly what I think would happen.

What is not debatable is that when Lewis faced Holyfield and Tyson (particularly), he was not facing versions who were even CLOSE to their best. And that, along with his getting starched by mediocre contenders, is why both those guys should rank higher than him on all-time lists.:yep

 

i thought ruddock would knock lewis out.....i lost $150 that nite....still prime tyson and bowe of 92 would have knocked lewis out.........no doubt about it......

 

tyson should rank hgher after getting battered by douglas, holyfield twice, brian mcbride, danny williams, lewis himself, you really can't give lewis much credit can you. I suspect if he was american you would have a different view but when it comes to lewis your not even worth debating with.

 

bowe wouln't knock lewis out for ****, bowe wwouldn't fight him as he knew lewis would beat him.

 

No kidding. If ham and eggers like McCall and Rahman could do it, Bowe and Tyson at their best would've destroyed Lewis. Once Lewis hit the canvas, the fight was OVER.:yep

 

It has nothing to do him not being american. He would give him more credit if he had chin of steel and wouldnt have beaten Holyfield. He discredits every fighter who has beaten Holyfield. :deal

 

He takes Tyson imo

Lennox has a great jab and the discipline to use it. Add to that he wasn't scared of Mike

 

Great clips. Brought back some happy memories. I was a big fan of Lewis from the beginning but thought Ruddock was going to beat him. Christ was I wrong! Great finishing from 'the man'.

 

While there is no question that Lewis had the better career when all was said and done, people forget what a formidable force Bowe was in the early 90s. At the time they were originally scheduled to fight, Bowe was at his peak, while Lewis was still rather flawed in the pro game. It wasn't until Steward got ahold of him that he really blossomed.

Unfortunately, Bowe - and his manager Rock Newman, particularly - greatly miscalculated. I believe that they thought they could make some good money taking an easy defense, fighting Ray Mercer, and then rematching Holyfield - all the while building Lewis and Bowe into a MAJOR financial bonanza, far more than it would have been had the met in '93. What they did not count on was Mercer doggin' it against Ferguson, and Holyfield beating Bowe in the rematch.

Imagine if Mercer had faced Bowe as planned, Bowe had beaten him, and then gone on to defeat Holyfield a second time. Imagine what a Lewis fight would've been then?? THAT'S what Newman and Bowe were counting on. Unfortunately for them, Mercer's ineptitude, and the greatness of Holyfield, spoiled their plans!:yep