Which heavyweight had the greatest resume since Ali retired?

Good thread

I think Ali should be taken off holmes list since he was so washed up he was not even good enough to be a top 20 contender anymore. I also think tony tubbs a very good fighter should replace berbick on tysons list.





My opinion is here is ranking their resume as follows

1. Larry Holmes- beat some of the top 1970s heavyweights, top 1980s heavyweights.
2. Evander Holyfield- Very impressed with the Riddick Bowe win, beat a respectable list of contenders
3. Mike Tyson- The 1980s crop of heavweights he beat very impressive
4. Lennox Lewis- He certainly had great Quantity, but Quality was not tops




* My biggest thing is I think Tyson was further washed up and rusted by 1996 than many people think, so I dont count it as a win over a great fighter despite the pre fight hype.


* I also do not think very highly of Vitali Klitschko


* I think in terms of dominance over their top opponents, mike tyson would clearly rank # 1, with holyfield being last in that department.

 

Holyfield

 

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Good thread...

I'd go with Lewis. Holmes was unfortunate that the best around at the time were either washed up or not good enough. Holyfield's record consists of a washed up Holmes, Tyson and Foreman. Lewis beat a prime Holyfield and a prime Klitschko.

Think Tyson could be a victim of his own success making his early wins look so easy means people often overlook the quality of opposition.

I still fancy Lewis though

 

Are you on PCP?. :verysad

 

Well Red, it appears you havnt read enough because I happen to be a big fan of lennox lewis. I cannot stand riddick bowe and evander holyfield, but I always cheered for lennox lewis, my 2nd favorite heavyweight in the 1990s only to mike tyson.


I dont think Lennoxs resume is better than tysons. I am very impressed with the crop of 1980s heavyweights pinklon thomas, tony tubbs, michael spinx, tony tucker, trevor berbick, carl williams, frank bruno, razor ruddock, larry holmes etc etc that tyson demolished. All highly skilled big men.

 

Since it's just not about who you beat, but also how you beat them it would be interesting to compare dominating perfomances against top 10 opposition. I'll just put together a provisional list, so feel free to help me with it.

Holmes: (Need help here, not too good at Holmes) Cooney?, L. Spinks

Tyson: Berbick, Biggs, Spinks, Tillman?, Williams, Stewart, Bruno, Seldon, Golota

Holyfield: Douglas

Lewis: Ruddock, Golota, McCall, Rahman, Briggs?, Tua, Tyson

This makes Tyson look a whole lot better and it also pin-points the problem I have with Holyfields resumé. While he was very hard to beat, he also seldom really dominated opponents. I would like to see someone fill out Holmes's list for me, because I really lack in knowledge of his fights.

 

Holmes had a lot of dominating performances. Against better opposition he was never that dominant, but he did get the wins. Any win outside of Witherspoon, Norton, Williams and Weaver was pretty dominant. Even the Shavers rematch was a shutout with the exception of the knockdown.

Tillman was a first round knockout: they both hit each other simultaniously. Tyson was fine, Tillman thought he was dancing on the roof. Even if they were boring fights, the Smith and Tucker fights were pretty one-sided too. Tucker booked a few rounds early, but lost just about every round after the 5th. Smith was holding all night long.

I'd add Foreman (he won 3 rounds at best) and Thomas. Holyfield was not often that dominant, although he also fought the best opponents of these four greats.

Add Rahman II, McCall II, Mavrovic, Butler, Morrison, Holyfield I, Tucker and Botha.

 

I agree, tyson really dominated his top opposition guys like thomas, tubbs, holmes, Spinx had all never been stopped before......and tyson demolished them.

 

Holmes had a long reign and was undefeated up until he lost the title. The others had good runs, but getting kayoed while still relativly in thier prime's can't help but put them down on the list. Would Holmes have been knocked out by McCall or Rahman? Very,Very Doubtful. Or knocked out by Buster Douglas? By the end, Holmes dominated the Heavyweights & was making a run at Marciano's record.

 

If you get floored it's hard to say that you were that dominant, if it's not solely a flash KD.


[/quote] Tillman was a first round knockout: they both hit each other simultaniously. Tyson was fine, Tillman thought he was dancing on the roof. Even if they were boring fights, the Smith and Tucker fights were pretty one-sided too. Tucker booked a few rounds early, but lost just about every round after the 5th. Smith was holding all night long. [/quote]

Tyson won comfortably against Tucker in the end, but Tucker was better in the opening 3 rounds and landed some great shots. After that he went into survival mode and Tyson won just about all remaing rounds, but Tucker didn't seem to be in that much danger. I'd call it a comfortable win, not a really dominating one.

[/quote] I'd add Foreman (he won 3 rounds at best) and Thomas. Holyfield was not often that dominant, although he also fought the best opponents of these four greats. [/quote]

Yeah, but Foreman did rock Holyfield now and then and hurt him with powerful jabs. Both looked like falling down of fatigue in the final round. It doesn't meet my criteria for a dominating win.


[/quote] Add Rahman II, McCall II, Mavrovic, Butler, Morrison, Holyfield I, Tucker and Botha. [/quote]

I thought it went without saying that I meant the rematches with McCall and Rahman. Give me some credit, will you!!!

The Holyfield fights were clear wins, but not dominating ones in my defintion. Botha, of course. I forgot about that one. Now, that was dominating!

 

hoylfield fought a shot version of pinklon thomas, who had not fought in over a year since taking a horrible beating from mike tyson and hardcore drugs were taking its effect on him