I have to add something however. Lewis is only in my top 10 as the last guy because I feel he defeats Ali stylistically. The rest of those guys KTFO Lewis prime/prime, no problem, Holmes probably the latest.
You are correct Lewis would get knocked out by all those guys. However, you are incorrect in your assertion that sylistically Ali would be defeated by Lewis. Ali would most likely win a UD against Lewis, his advantage in speed would be the telling factor. Ali would have some fun playing with Lewis and with a chin like Ali's he would have nothing to fear.
Yeah, Lewis looked like a rank amateur against Rahman too. Emanuel Steward deserves to take a huge chunk of blame for that.
I just can't get the image of Folley landing those timed right hands out of my head. Ali's vulnerable to Lewis' offense in my opinion, it's a styles thing. Ali has better speed, but Lewis was quick with superior fundamentals, I don't feel he has the power to make the difference in Lewis' chin either.
Time for bed my friend... I agree. He can be outboxed by the greatest boxers (Ali, possiby Johnson) out punched by the greatest punchers (Liston, possibly Lewis) and out gamed by the gamest of fighters (Hollyfield, possibly Jeffries). ANY fighter than does only one thing very very very very well is in danger against other fighters of the same class. Given that Lewis has more ways to beat top men than Tyson, I don't agree. You see, Tyson was best at blowing guys up, dominating them and getting them out of there. When you're talking about the top .1% of fighters from any given weight class that is just not going to happen very much. Bottom line.
I can accept that of course, it IS Ali. But I do always laugh when Ali is mentioned as a 'defensive fighter'... He was tagged quite a bit even at his best.
From a stylistic viewpoint Lewis has the tools to give Ali a hell-ish fight (ala Norton). He has a live chance in this matchup. That said I think Pre-Vietnam Ali wins by UD (perhaps by a margin of four-five points). 70's Ali- I'd still favour, though this time it may well be wafer thin split decision, amid some controversy. :good I think the final stretch of Championship rounds would be the difference, Ali would come on strong here.
If that's the case, why didn't Bruno, Tyson, Tua et all crack his chin as they all hit him with full blooded shots. Or maybe it's because Bruno, Tyson, Tua et all just can't punch hard enough right? Another thing, are you saying that the likes of Ali, Johnson and even Holyfield are harder punchers than McCall and Rahman? You're going to have a difficult job in convincing me of that.
I'll give you that JT but IMO had Lewis turned up focused on McCall in the first fight he wouldn't have been caught with that counter right. I won't even go into the fact that as Heavyweight Champion of the World Lewis should have been given a chance to continue, just like Holmes had not once, but twice before. Just like Bowe was against Holyfield in their 3rd fight.
I'd have something like: 1. Louis 2. Ali 3. Lewis 4. Holmes 5. Tyson 6. Marciano 7. Foreman 8. Frazier 9. Holyfield 10. Dempsey
Given that his legacy is based entirely on the Holyfield trilogy and the odd impressive win here and there outside of that, I'm baffled as to how Bowe makes it in peoples Top 10 Head-to-head HW's. :huh If that's the case you may as well stick Douglas or McCall in there, I agree that Bowe wasted away his 'potential' but that's not the point here. Almost any fighter who packed great punching power in their right hand would be Bowe's biggest nightmare (Tyson, Lewis, Foreman and Liston etc)
1. Lennox Lewis: Best combo of size and skils. People question his chin because of loses to Oliver McCall (who came into the fight with5 stright ko wins) and Hasim Rahman (Who had ko'd his past 2 oponents). Lewis at his best is my pick to beat anyother heveyweight at his best 2. Mike Tyson: He ws elusive on defence and he hit with power. His abillity to slip punches and his agression makes Tyson a potentional winner in any head to head match up. (excipition to the bigger is beter rule) 3. Muhammad Ali (pre exile): At 6'3" he is not that small. Posibily the fastest heaveyweight of all time. A master in the art of hiting and not geting hit, but could get over cofdent which would cost him head to head. 4. Wladimir Klitschko: Like Lewis there are questions about his chin. His ko loses are to Corrie Sanders (who had won his last two fights by ko) and Lamon Brewster (who came in to the fight with five stright ko wins). Curently trained by Emanual Steward who ws Lewis's trainer at his peek. I can see Wladimir Klitschko at the top of my list in a few years. 5. Riddick Bowe: Overshowed by Lewis and his own personal problems. He had size and skils. 6. Vitali Klitschko: Older brother of Wladimir Klitschko. Vitali could hit 34 ko's in 35 wins but he could also be hit The Lewis fight is a prime example of this. 7. Larry Holmes: Like Ali Holmes is 6'3". His jab is one of the best in the history of boxing. 8. Nikolay Valuev: ( You can stop laughing now). His bigest advantage is his size 7'0". Combined with decent skils he would be truble for any heaveyweight head to head. 9. Joe Louis: at 6'2" he was not a small man but he fought around 200 lbs at his peek sometimes less. He has exlent power and fundementles which puts him on the list. 10. Muhammad Ali (post exile) : I'm sure I could have put some one who was not already on my list hear. Rocky Marciano, Jack Dempsey, Jack Johnson and Joe Frazier are all worthy of this list. I went with this version of Ali because he used experance and gile to defet his opoents. To be honest I don't put that much stock in head to head match ups or actule fights in making top 10 lists. Styles make fights and sometimes espicily at heaveyweight one boxer would have such a psycial advantage that there is no way despite the other boxer having a better resumie that I can not pick the biger man to win.