The guys Lewis didn't beat

I don’t think it would put Ali’s resume to shame:

Frazier x 2, Norton x 2, Liston x 2, Patterson x 2, Foreman, Terrell, Ellis, Lyle, Bonavena, Moore, Young, Williams, Shavers, Spinks, Bob Foster, Quarry x 2, Chuvalo x 2, Bugner x2, Folley, Mathis, Cooper, Jones

That’s 28 wins against 22 names including wins against 10 reigning, former or future world champions (at least two of whom would make most lists of all-time top 10 heavyweights), plus a number of very good contenders.

 

It would not put Ali's resume to shame.

 

Agreed - see my post above yours.

 

On the flip side since we are talking hypotheicals you could argue Ali lost his exile years as well and could have added more names.

 

Beating Wladimir Klitschko and Riddick Bowe 100% passes up Ali's resume.

 

I have Lewis at #3 and if he had both those guys on the roster I'd have no problem in saying he was #1. Two fights where there was a real chance of Lewis getting a loss, but also two fights that were within his reach to win.

 

Actually, after Ali came back from his exile, he fought 4 best guys that emerged during his break going 3-1. He stopped Quarry, Bonavena and Ellis and lost to Frazier. I don't think adding Thad Spencer, Manuel Ramos or Mac Foster would change that much in his resume.

 

Ali doesn't lose to either McCall or Rahman, and if he did get knocked down, he most certainly gets back up and wins, unlike Lewis.

 

I don't think Ruiz, Maskaev, Hide, add much to Lewis's resume.

The issue with hypothethicals aswell is this....

Say if Lewis beats Sanders well Sanders probably don't get a shot at Wladimir which Is Sanders only real relevant win in his career.

Sanders without the Wladimir win looks alot less impressive.

Also the issue is Lewis realistically probably wouldn't fit all these fights anyway in real time so it's not a very realistic scenario.

 

I suppose since he fought most the guys later on in the 70s anyway. But maybe could have added some extra quantity as in more defenses.

 

I'm always respectful of a fun debate but have a question : did you leave the out all circumstances for that purpose ?

 

Lewis would easily beat
Riddick Bowe, Michael Moorer, Corrie Sanders, Oleg Maskaev, Chris Byrd, Herbie Hide, Larry Donald, John Ruiz, Wladimir Klitschko,
Ibeabuchi would hardest fight of them all.
Hide would not last a round, most overrated boxer ever to me. Went down without being hit.

 

Looking at how Lewis was slept twice by right hands, I wouldn't say he would easily beat Wlad. He also wouldn't easily beat Bowe in 1992. Riddick would actually be a favorite.

 

It's kind of a list of people that he didn't fight for very well known reasons.