Why didn't Lewis face Ruiz and Byrd?

It should be possible to demonstrate that the ranked 90s Heavyweights were more active against each other than those of the 21st century crops.

Lewis beat a ream of Ring-Rated opposition, as did Holyfield. I find it difficult to accept the "top fighters didn't face each other" argument. On it's face it doesn't scan.

Yeah - another good shout and, getting back to the main thread topic, it should be highlighted (again ) that Ruiz didn't even have a Ring-rating when King used him as the wedge to take the WBA belt from Lewis. I don't think Ruiz cracked the Top-10 until he registered an official win against Holyfield in 2001.

 

So, is this now your entire argument for why Lewis should be outside the Top-10?

 

Nobody cares about your hindsight opinion. You weren’t spouting that off in 99 and the question back then was whether he had a chance against Lewis, not whether he deserved to be a top ranked heavyweight.

He mentally lost it between Lewis beating his ass, hiring Teddy Atlas to destroy his confidence, and breaking his foot against McCline.

Im sure you also slated Douglas and Holyfield to beat Tyson.

 

If you took it that way, I'm sorry, but maybe I worded it wrong. my English sucks and there's nothing I can do about it. But what the hell does that matter in the context of the topic we're talking about? Should I draw it for you so you can understand? or maybe just watch the fights we discuss.
Holy's last elite fight is Moorer. against Lewis he was still good, just like against Ruiz, but defeating him after an equal fight was not a feat comparable to defeating him a few years earlier. Did you understand or still not really? if so, then - Neither Lewis nor Ruiz won against an elite fighter, only with a famous name, they did not win in an elite style, just watch these fights. However, if you insist that Holy was still elite, it is sad that Lewis ignored Ruiz when he showed the same success. agree or not?

 

Moorer, the chinless wonder, just stood in front of Holyfield bracing to get hit. It’s easy for someone on Holyfield’s level to look elite against someone like that, but look like trash against Ruiz.

 

So one early in his career and that's it. Still not a lot for 40+ fights.

 

Think McCall went on til about 2010 and still gave everyone a hard fight.

 

Good Southpaws weren’t too prevalent in the division until the 90s. You’ll find a few good heavies that never fought any of note. But yes in the late 90s early 00s you had Moorer, Byrd and Sanders. 3 quality lefties.

 

He was irrelevant in the late 90s through 2000. In 2001, he knocked out Akinwande and went back to basically doing nothing after. He took a bunch of fights, a lot of them in Europe, years later

Nobody cared about him 2000. His potential was basically wasted during that period.

 

Well theres not exactly been alot of notable Southpaw Heavyweights has there ?

Moorer wasn't interested in fighting Lewis, Sanders could've got his shot vs Lewis but he lost to Rahman hence he fell of the radar after that.

Realistically Byrd is the only one Lewis could've fought but as it's been mentioned throughout the thread there was no interest in Lewis vs Byrd.

For example if someone like Usyk was around in Lewis's era I don't think Lewis would have any trouble making a fight vs him Southpaw or not.

Lewis took on dangerous opponents and wasn't known to shy away from a challenge.

 

In 2000 McCall was fighting to a SD over Sedrick Fields and in 2001 lost every round to Akiwande before scoring a miracle KO in last round.

McCall was not a prominent name anymore and fell off the radar completely by that time.

So I don't think rating McCall over Grant at that time is very logical IMO.

 

And from the benefit of the hindsight, we know how that fight would go. Styles make fights. Byrd was tailor made for a guy like Lewis. Wladimir Klitschko was basically a white carbon copy of Lennox with a harder punch, weaker chin and no inside game except for his clinches. He dominated Byrd twice, once knocking him out. Add Lewis' uppercut to the mix, and you're in for a very tough night for Byrd.

 

Vitali for example may of the size but he doesn't possess Wladimir's technical skills or have a potent jab like him, hence that's why he wasn't as successful as Wladimir was vs Byrd.

But yeah as I've always said if you haven't atleast got the power to have a punchers chance vs Lewis. Byrd who for a Heavyweight hits like a feather duster he wouldn't have a hope in hell of beating Lewis.

It would be a repeat of Wladimir vs Byrd as you said with Lewis winning a wide decision although a late stoppage wouldn't be out of the question.

 

Vitali was a very strange fighter, tough, but technically lacking and too fragile to stay on top for long. Byrd basically made him tear his rotator cuff by swinging at air.

 

Byrd had a charmed career.

His being turned into a serious dribbler against Ibeabuchi should have given him pause as to whether Heavyweight was the right division for him. But being called in as a late replacement to fight Vitali K and being let off the hook suddenly made Byrd credible again.

However, the drubbing he took from Wlad was bordering on the obscene, in my opinion, and the fight should have been stopped. He should have been pulled out during round 9, or any time thereafter. It definitely didn't need to go the distance.

The period from his outsmarting of Tua, to his winning the vacant IBF title from a, by then, well-and-truly creaking Holyfield was his best year to 18-months. These were good but not outstanding wins.

After this period, I would say Oquendo beat Byrd clearly but didn't get the decision. Golota was very unlucky not to get the nod in Byrd's next fight. The McCline bout stunk. Billed under the 'Struggle for Supremacy', Byrd and McCline struggled for credibility and Byrd/Williamson was even worse (if one can believe that).

Cue Wlad/Byrd II and another drubbing, which at least didn't go the distance.

People can think Byrd presented some kind of a challenge to Lewis, but there's no real basis for that kind of forecast and, quite oppositely, it's more likely that Byrd would have been seriously hurt.