Who was the best Heavyweight of the 90s?

The consensus is with Lewis, by a significant margin, going by the poll??

 

Its within the margin of error + the British factor and i got Bowe safely ahead.

 

Bowe himself certainly appeared to agree.

 

50 votes, Lennox gets 56% to Riddick's 14%. Are there that many Brits posting here to warrant a British factor?

No wonder it's such a good forum. Although I think you overestimate the British love affair with Lennox. He never really inspired that kind of blind loyalty among us. If Frank Bruno's name had been on the list - as the man who beat the man who beat the man - you might have seen a British factor and a Brit winner by a landslide.

 

With a 44% margin or error... ...what could go wrong?

 

I suspect, with very little doubt, that Bowe knew Lewis was too high a risk to take, without him and his TV producer/handler Newman having made any easy money first.

 

Turns out it was a financial cluster****. Newman messed everything up by offering Lewis a ridiculously low amount of money, which could be seen as fear. Thing is, Lewis turned down a really good offer to fight Bowe shortly after.

To be perfectly blunt, it's hard to believe Bowe was afraid when, after one of the hardest-fought battles in history (Bowe-Holyfield I) he got right in Lewis' face after the fight and challenged him to a fist fight.

Newman screwed Bowe over, and Lewis then mysteriously turned down a great offer. That's what happened.

And I dare anyone to go watch that fight in the Olympics and tell me Bowe was "stopped". He was dancing on his toes, hands up..perfectly fine. He just got caught by a couple of right hands that looked more powerful than they really were (notice how Lewis wasn't bending much at the waist when he threw the right).

All that said, both were great fighters, though of course I give a big edge to Lennox from a career, ATG perspective. I have Lewis at #5 (after Holy) as ATG, Bowe at #15...though I like Bowe more as a fighter, Lewis totally dogged him in term of career accomplishments (especially in this century imo).

 

Which is absolutely fair enough. I only wish he could have kept some of it. Riddick seemed a nice man. Shame he isn't better provided for given how much of himself he gave.

 

You can make a strong case for Holyfield or Lewis.

Tyson would be in the argument, except that most of his best work was pre 1990.

 

Lewis

 

Overall I have Tyson.

The 80's have Tyson, Holmes and Witherspoon.

The 90's have Holyfield, Lewis and Bowe.

I might actually pick the 80's trio over the 90's in a round robin tournament.

 

Alright I guess you Brits got me cornered. I know when I'm defeated. You'll never get my belt though cause I'm gona dump it in the crapper first. Have fun fishing it out.

 

I don’t begrudge him the money and it’s kind of sad he has ended up less well off and less celebrated. But, it was his opportunity to prove that he was the best heavyweight in the division, at that point.

If he and his team had been confident of a win, they would have signed up for the 75/25 split.

 

I don’t think it’s true that Lewis turned down a really good offer, but I’ll take another look at that history.

Either way, I’d agree with the take you have on Newman. What a dislikable putz he was.

I don’t place too much stock in amateur results, but I have come to believe the loss to Lewis in the Olympics had an adverse impact on Bowe.

I think both Lewis and Bowe were terrific fighters. But one of them fulfilled his potential. The other did not.