Top 10 since 1990

Think that Kostya, Lennox, Pernell and Calzaghe all in there.

Cotto definitely out. Chavez out (best years in the late 80s). Toney probably out too. But to each, their own.

 

I think there's also the weight class thing to take into account. Heavyweights, IMO, are for the most part just less complete and skilled overall than welterweights.

Lennox Lewis did have a very good skillset. He had an excellent jab which he either used with power to bust up his opponents, or as a pawing jab. It set up his murderous right hand. Lewis also had a very good right uppercut, which he used with excellent results against fighters like Evander Holyfield (rematch), Tommy Morrison, Mike Tyson, Justin Fortune, Frank Bruno, and Michael Grant. His left hook doesn't get much mention, but it was the punch that turned everything around against Frank Bruno.

His defense wasn't the most technically sound. He often kept his left low and it's not like he had the best head movement. I think with Lewis, it was like a case of "the best defense is a good offense". Lewis's chin gets bashed a lot due to the losses to Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman. I personally say it was alright. When you take into account all the numerous guys he faced that were either big, or at least good, punchers, and realize he only was dropped twice, his defense must be very good.

I also thought Lewis had an underrated body attack. He didn't use it that much, he usually didn't need to, but it could be pretty effective. Holyfield was never more hurt in the 24 rounds with Lewis as he was in round 5 of the first fight. The punch that did the most damage was a left hook downstairs.

 

Lewis
Toney
Sweet Pea
JCC
Barrera
Morales
Money May
ODLH
B-Hop
RJJ

Haven't considered it much and I know I've left out the likes of Ricardo Lopez and Evander Holyfield who deserve mentions. Not in order either.

 

weres pbf , sweet pea n sugar shane

 

- Defence is part of a skillset, Lewis edges him in all areas here. Guard is tighter, better footwork to get out of range, and upper body movement is subtle and goes unnoticed. You don't see Lewis getting tagged half as much, which pretty much stands to reason considering the few times he really got hit with a power punch he got KO'd

- Jab. Cotto has developed a very good jab, much improved and underrated. Lewis has an ATG jab, he won fights with that alone. Cotto's is not at that level, he just uses it to setup stronger areas of his offence such as body attacks

- Variety of work. Of course they are completely different styles so it is tricky to compare, but Lewis had the ability to fight forward or backwards. He could apply pressure, as he did when he blasted Golota out. He can also counterpunch. Can Cotto? Cotto is more effective than Lewis applying pressure, but Lewis can also do this when he wants to, whereas Cotto's counterpunching and standup boxing isn't even in the same ballpark

Lewis excels him in most physical areas as well. They are both pretty quick, but Lewis is faster p4p I reckon. Lewis has one punch power, Cotto doesn't. Lewis was the master of going 12 and managing his stamina (at his peak anyway) whilst Cotto has some trouble

 

He was old, out of shape, and CLEARLY not as hit best. It's hard to judge him based on this fight.

Although I do agree that Lennox didn't have the best defence technically. Just sayin'.

 

Mercer hit him with more frequency than any other fighter.

 

1. Pernell Whitaker
2. Julio Cesar Chavez
3. Roy Jones
4. Floyd Mayweather
5. Bernard Hopkins
6. Lennox Lewis
7. Oscar De la Hoya
8. Manny Pacquiao
9. Marco Antonio Barrera
10. Erik Morales

Others:

Lopez
Mosley
Calzaghe
Toney
Tszyu


*I am counting Whitaker and Chavez' whole careers.

 

Klitschko fight should be void from discussion in skillset terms, because it had been eroded so much. It would be the equivelent of taking Cotto at 10-0 as a base for comparison

I don't remember the Bruno fight specifically, I havn't seen it in a long time, but over the course of his prime I don't remember Lennox being tagged with much. Even if they landed they were often partial blows. He used the jab to control the distance so well, and clinched a lot in close, it was all part of the defence mechanism making him difficult to tag. That probably should have been my initial point, because his guard isn't technically great, you are quite right.

I don't know what you were watching in the Mosley fight, I downloaded that today by coincidence, he got tagged with some heavy ass shots early on. The only positive I'd take from that would be his chin is looking more and more solid at the weight, defensively it certainly wasn't comparable with a prime Lewis. Whether its improved or not I'll take your word, I'd have to compare back to some older fights

The rest I agree with