Who beat better competition? Lewis or Holmes?

Holmes had a torn left bicep when he fought Norton.

 

He gassed against Mercer and was wide open.

 

Which round did he tear his bicep? He was pumping that jab sharply in the early rounds.

 

Mercer threw more shots at Lewis and the Maddison Square Garden ring was smaller than the ring Larry fought Mercer in.

 

He tore it before the fight.He injured it in sparring with Luis Rodriguez.Holmes went for secret treatment by Dr Keith Kleven.at Desert Pines Hospital this was just 5 days before the fight.
Kleven used a high galvanic stimulator which reduced the swelling and restored blood flow.Onthe monrning of the fight 20 minutes before the weigh in Kleven told Holmes," we did all we can do.You can fight if you protect yourself.You can jab,but you have to take your time with what you do,if you get hit on that bicpes,I can guarantee nothing!"
For 6 rds Larry pumped the jab . In the 7th Norton threw a looping right hand ,Holmes instinctively blocked it with his left arm.The punch landed flush on his torn bicep .Later in the round Holmes also re-injured his right hand .
"I knew I had the style to beat Norton because the jab would back him up."
"But after he hit my left arm I had to use it carefully and less often."
"But when we got deep into the fight,I said to hell with it.I had come too far-pain or no pain"
"It hurt but I felt Keith had given me a way in,and I was going to take it".
15th rd" I wasn't going to get another chance unless I got it done right there."
"I remember thinking,I can't let my body betray me now,I remember thinking ,hell with it,and I started to throw the jab the way I needed to throw it".
Larry Holmes interview with Jerry Izenberg.

 

It was a tiny ring Lennox talked about it in a recent Ring interview.

 

Which made Norton more effective, and look better, than he normally would be.

 

Yes I think so.

 

This post is solid as iron.

 

Mercer was getting punched all over the place because of Morrison's offensive output. He was still sharp physically and mentally he was very confident. But he liked to live the fast life and he didn't take care of his body. He aged pretty fast.

Lewis beat a shopworn Morrison. Even using the eye test its clear that Morrison lost his speed and was pretty much a shell of himself when faced Lewis. Good win but taken in context it was a faded Morrison.

 

Interesting the Mercer wins are vastly overrated considering the shot Ferguson proved this who beat the overrated Mercer also.

 

Lewis by a country mile.

 

I think Lewis beat more ' live ' opponents .
To qualify that , I mean guys given a real chance of beating him.
Ruddock and Mason were both betting favourite to beat him.
He took on some real names far early in his career and never ducked anybody whereas there are claims that Holmes did.
Ducking rematches is a different thing, if an ageing champ beats somebody narrowly then why should he rematch them ? ...I wouldn't .
I always see Lennox as a more powerful version of Larry.
Lennox could probably do everything Larry did but the same isn't quite true in reverse.
I don't see Holmes blasting out Ruddock Grant Golota Botha etc , in quite the same way.
Lewis just lacked a peak v peak fight ( Bowe) to ice his career.
When you look at your Bruno's , Morrisons, Tua, Tucker, Mercer, Ruddock, Mason, Grant, Botha, Tyson , Holyfield, Klitschko etc I just think.Lewis fought more live fights than just about anyone and certainly more than Holmes.

 

If both men beat average competition then no HW in history ever beat great ones.

I suspect you're trolling though.

 

I can name quite a few that had better competition, actually