Worst name on the resume of Lewis that is greater than any name on K2s resume?

I do not think it is unlikely. And it is boxing, there is no such thing as a lucky punch. Mason found a way to win against everyone but Lennox Lewis, which hindsight showed was not such a terrible crime.

Mason was a relative late starter, but was learning his trade well, to the point of being an unbeaten top 10 ranked fighter pre Lewis. It is futile to speculate what might of happened post Lewis without the eye injury. But Byrd was done over by a similar type fighter (Mr President), and although not as quick as Ike, I think Mason was more cunning and seasoned.

I think the fight is a geuine pick-em.

 

There is the possibility that Wlad ruined or diminished quite a few careers with his victories. Brock, Chambers, Peter, Thompson and Chagaev had two losses between the four of them (and one of those was Chambers' close loss to the best version of Povetkin). And all these guys got beatings from Wlad and completely fell off the shelf after fighting him.

 

Good thread.

I got:

Mason
Bruno
Mercer ('96 obviously)
Mavrovic
Briggs

How would Wlad have come through these fights as oppose to the one with a silky but feather-fisted Byrd.

Say what you want about Mason and Mavrovic but they came to fight and made you fight. Lews landed some serious leather on both, Mavrovic especially but he was still there in Lewis face.
I think any of the above fights Wlad would struggle in and have a far more problematic night than he had against Byrd.

 

Well I do, so lets just agree to disagree.

Care to tell me who "everyone" was on his record? These guys were either tomato cans, past prime veterans or journeyman... There is not ONE decent contender or prospect in their prime in his win column... Not one..... As for it not being a crime to lose to Lewis, well that depends.. Lennox had 14 pro fights when that bout came off, and was close to 5 years away from hooking up with Steward... he was green as grass and still handed mason his ass.

Alex Stewart was an unbeaten top 10 ranked contender at one point to, and probably no worse than Mason was.. Didn't mean that his record wasn't padded and that he'd beat byrd.

Perhaps... But nothing he did in his previous 35 fights projected that he would have done anything spectacular either..

Ike beat a 27-0 Tua in only his 17th fight and a 26-0 Byrd in his 19th fight... Take a look at what Mason was fighting at comparable stages..

That's your opinion.. But I think 50/50 odds are extremely generous.

 

Hey Jess Harding was the real deal! Well at least as good as Evander will be at 60! Mason beat everyone in front of him. Some of us figured Harding et al would test Gary. Martin and Wills were no mugs, they were top quality journeymen who at the time were good enough to be be at least pick-em to anyone outside the world's top 20 Heavyweights.

Lewis was very good even then. He got criticism for looking amateurish, but with hindsight, kudos to him, he was developing, despite only having only a glorified team leader training him in Pepe. I picked Mason to win, went to the fight and lost £50 of my first £89.80 pay packet. I lost not because Mason was that bad, but as mentioned, Lennox was that good.