Who's HW resume is better Liston, Holyfield, Holmes or Lewis

I agree. Holyfield should be 1-4 vs. Lewis and Bowe. He might have received a long count vs. Bert Cooper.

In terms of resumes I would say:

1. Lewis
2. Holmes
3. Holyfield
4. Liston

 

No, he didn't receive a long count.

 

holyfield holmes lewis liston .

 

:deal

Evander Holyfield has fought one opponent with a losing record his entire career and bested HOFer and reigning 190lbs champion Dwight Muhammad Qawi (26-2) in his 12th fight. Then again for good measure 17 months later. Upon moving up to Heavyweight, beat James Tillis followed by top rated opposition such as Pinklon Thomas (29-2), Michael Dokes (37-1) and Adilson Rodrigues (35-2). Notable wins: George Foreman (69-2) [who would recapture the title three years later], Larry Holmes (54-3) [coming off a UD over Mercer], Riddick Bowe (34-0) [avenged defeat against one of the most talented and skilled SHWs EVER], Mike Tyson (45-1) X2 [A 15-1 underdog], Michael Moorer (39-1) [avenged defeat; Moorer was top ten rated 1991-98]. That's through 1997.

Holyfield looked terrible against Vaughn Bean prior to his fights with Lewis. Despite being in the middle of his primary title reign and boasting a 20+ lbs weight advantage in addition to all of his glorious skills and heavy handed power, couldnt stop 36-37 Holy in two tries. :deal

I'd love for somebody to dismiss the Holmes and Foreman wins as relatively meaningless. How many rate Rocky a Top 10 or Top 5 even ATG? Would it not be fair to conclude Holmes was no more (and probably significantly less) washed up than 1951 Louis (who never fought again), Walcott (ditto), Charles (best at LHW, faded into obscurity afterwards) or Moore (best at LHW, some 175 odd fights into his career) and a complete outrage to suggest otherwise in the case of Foreman.

 

Lewis

Holyfeild
Holmes

Liston

 

I'll contribute this: Liston=Least. The other guys held their titles much longer.

 

I don´t know. Holyfield has the most names but also the most losses and was the least dominant. But yeah, purely on resume he´s still number one. Lewis and Holmes are interchangable. Liston is distant from them.

 

Holy
Lewis
Holmes
Liston

If someone switched Holmes and Lewis around, I'd be okay with that. Spots 1) and 4) are a lock for me.

 

At the time, neither win was seen as anything to talk about. Many saw Holyfield's inability to put either away as something of a failure, especially the Holmes fight, where Evander did not look good.
In hindsight, both wins were more meaningful than they appeared at the time.

 

Certainly not Liston.......

 

No doubt, although most of the postings on classic are dominated by hindsight. It's hard to beat the added perspective. :good

Works both ways too and not just in Evander's favor. His win over Tyson in 1996 was viewed as far more significant than people give him credit for today. Hard to say they'd be wrong, although I consider it a great win regardless. It would certainly top Tyson's resume had he won. Personally, not even the case for Holyfield: 1993 25-yr old, 34-0 Riddick Bowe.

 

Holyfield has to be top really, the more you think about it the better it seems. Even just his wins in 96 and 97 against tyson and mm are great enough.

Lewis or holmes though could be tied. Holyfield, vitali, tyson and golota against norton, shavers, cooney and berbick. At the top end it's close anyways. Lewis destroyed golota to become number 1 contender to holy, holmes shut out shavers to become number contender to norton. Splitting hairs there in terms of resume.

Liston clearly bottom by a long way.

 

Well put. I consider it a great victory for Evander; Mike was still a beast in '96. Great fight.

 

I'm kinda with Bodhi in one sense - circumstance matters not just names (otherwise uou'd have to consider Ali for Holmes' resume - which would be beyond ridiculous) - Douglas took a glorified dive, Foreman and Holmes were ancient has-beens who gave Holy fits at times, Holy lost twice to Bowe anyway (once when both were in their peak hour, Tyson? That Tyson would probably lose to any good champion anyway I think but good stuff based on Holyfield by then being not the prime 92 version - but I think Holy fouled his way to victory in both IMO, he would also use his head to good advantage versus Rahman aswell, he lost total to Moorer, he LOST TWICE to Lennox Lewis - anyone who says otherwise is on another planet, he lost to Ruiz and looked an old in doing so - Ruiz remember would go on to lose to Jones Jnr/Toney/Haye, Pinky & Dokes were as shot as its possible to be - and Dokes gave him hell, and James Toney schooled him and stopped him?? What to do what to do??

 

Lennox Lewis' result for me were at least more conclusive - he actually 'proved' his dominance over both the men that beat him - he inihilated Razor Ruddock when many were tipping him to lose, he made pretty short work of Gary Mason when Mason was KOing most and being touted as the new Bruno pretty much, he beat Mike Weaver in pretty devastating fashion, he stopped Bruno who for my money was putting in his career best performance, he decisively beat the dangerous Tommy Morrison, he beat a Mercer who was putting in possibly his toughest performance, he absolutely blew away Golota who was coming off (in reality) giving Bowe two drubbings, he twice beat Holy himself, he blew away 'next-big-thing Michael Grant and also blew away a younger Botha than the one Holy beat in quicker and more decisive fashion and he thoroughly dominated Tyson which Holy did not do - Lewis also on his very last night in the worst shape of his career defeated Vitali Klitschko who has gone on to dominate the division ever since - no one has had a fight with Vit like that since - generally on his finest nights Lewis didn't beat guys as Holyfield did (or even upset then as admittedly Holy did) - he absolutely murdered them