The Top 100 Greatest Boxers Pound per Pound of All-Time

[elmersalsa]

Other notable wins:

WTKO7 Allie Stolz
W10 Lulu Constantino
W10 Maxie Berger
W10 Juan Zurita
W10 Al "Bummy" Davis
W10 Willie Joyce
WTKO8 Johnny Bratton
W10 Tony Janiro
W10 Livio Minelli
WTKO5 Lew Jenkins

Boy! He surely was one hell of a fighter at lightweight!

[oogiebe]

He raised a great athlete, who played both pro football and baseball. The Great Beau Jack’s son.

Bo knows.

[elmersalsa]

It's a shame that there's only one fight video footage of Beau Jack. Are there anymore fight films of this great and exciting fighter? Just by looking at his record, I can see why the city of New York, especially Madison Square Garden loved him.

[elmersalsa]

Beau Jack beat a lot of great and good opponents. But, the one great opponent he couldn't beat was the great Ike Williams. Another incredible fighter. Williams beat Jack 3 times. THEY also fought to a draw. It might be very frustrating that you cannot beat a certain opponent.

[elmersalsa]

Now at position #84, is the LION from England, the great Lennox Lewis!

[elmersalsa]

#84. Lennox Lewis
Record: 41-2-1 with 32KOs
KO Pct is 78%
Career: 1989-2003
World Titles Held: Three-time Heavyweight World Champion (WBC World 1992-94, 1997-2001, 2001-2004) WBA World (1999-2000), and IBF World (1999-2001, 2001-2002)
Highlights: Olympic Gold Medalist in 1988 of Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Won first 25 bouts. Three-time World Heavyweight Champion. In his second reign as Heavyweight king made 10 title defenses. Avenged his only 2 losses of his professional career, both in title bouts and by knockout, making him the 2nd champ after the great Rocky Marciano that beat every Heavyweight opponent in his career. Third fighter in Heavyweight boxing history to retire undefeated champ. The others were Marciano and the great Gene Tunney. Fought in 18 world championship fights. (Record in title bouts was 15-2-1 with 10KOs). Beat 10 world champions. (Record versus world champions is 10-2-1 with 8KOs). Also beat 3 hall of famers (Record is 3-0-1 with 2KOs). Was also British Empire and European Heavyweight Champion.
Historical Impact: First British-born boxer to win the Heavyweight World Championship in the 20th century. First British to win the heavyweight crown since the great Bob Fitzsimmons in 1897. Arguably, the best heavyweight of the late 1990s and early 2000s decade. One of three heavyweight champions that retired undefeated. The others were the greats Gene Tunney and Rocky Marciano. One of the most dominating heavyweight champions of all-time, is also one of The Ring Magazine's 100 Greatest Punchers Ever List.

Defining Fight: WKO8 Mike Tyson.... June 8, 2002..... "Dominated and slayed the monster to enhance his legacy"
Other Defining Fights: WTKO2 Razor Ruddock, WTKO6 Tommy Morrison, D12 Evander Holyfield, W12 Evander Holyfield (II), WKO4 Hasim Rahman (II), and WTKO6 Vitaly Klitschko.

GOOD resume on his part. How great was he in your view?

[Seamus]

The big question mark on Lewis will always be the fact that he was twice a one punch knockout victim at the hands of guys who weren't Hall of Famers.

[elmersalsa]

The big question mark on Lewis will always be the fact that he was twice a one punch knockout victim at the hands of guys who weren't Hall of Famers.

I think losing to those two guys in title fights and by knockout, puts him away from the real top 50 greatest fighters and 5 best heavyweights ever.

[Jaywheel]

Also takes away the retired undefeated bit don't you think?

[oogiebe]

The big question mark on Lewis will always be the fact that he was twice a one punch knockout victim at the hands of guys who weren't Hall of Famers.

Doesn't his comeback from both losses also add to his greatness?

[elmersalsa]

Also takes away the retired undefeated bit don't you think?

HE retired undefeated, but those two losses that should've not happened in in his prime, cost him his legacy a bit.

[watsupdoc87]

How did he retire undefeated if he lost twice

[oogiebe]

How did he retire undefeated if he lost twice

I think he meant undefeated champion. ...or not...

[elmersalsa]

How did he retire undefeated if he lost twice

HE retired undefeated champion.

[elmersalsa]

Watching and studying the great Lennox Lewis's fights, I started with his gold medal win over Riddick Bowe.

I can't believe that stoppage. But, it seems that Bowe didn't mind to protest. He received two straight rights in both standing 8 counts. It was a rare ending.

Then I saw Lewis demolishing top contender Razor Ruddock. It was a wicked right hand that put Ruddock down. That overhand right by Lewis was very lethal and quick. What is it with boxers when they go to fight to London, England? Do they get overwhelmed by the moment? ONLY a few fighters have survived like Muhammad Ali versus Henry Cooper, Marvelous vs Alan Minter, Vicente Saldivar vs Howard Winstone and Joe Brown vs Dave Charnley.
BUT, guys like Sugar Ray Robinson, Eusebio Pedroza and Razor Ruddock lose in England in dramatic fashion. Let us have that as food for thought for a minute.

Still, at only 22-0, I couldn't see Lewis beating the likes of Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe and Mike Tyson just yet. I don't think he was quite ready, even with that devastating KO win over Ruddock. Was Ruddock overrated?

[elmersalsa]

The following fights that I saw of Lennox Lewis:

AT the beginning of his career, around his 14th fight, he became the European Heavyweight Champion when he defeated Jean Mark Chanet. Lewis showed a great jab and lateral movement. He covered himself well in-close when guys rushed into him. His telling punches are a wicked right cross, an overhand right with authority and a right uppercut. Those were his punches for the rest of his career besides the great jab. He knocked out the Frenchman in 6 on cuts.

Then, I saw his fight with British champion Gary Mason. Mason was undefeated in 35 bouts, but The Lion dominated him with that long ass jab of his. The fight was stopped on cuts and Lewis adds another crown in his collection. He is the British and European champion. Lewis became champion in all levels of competition.

With former heavyweight champion Mike Weaver, there was nothing to brag nor smile about against Weaver. Weaver was already 41 years old and over the hill. Weaver was used as a ladder for Lewis to be in the top ten rankings. A wicked right cross sent Weaver down and out. Weaver was never in the fight. He even looked gun shy.

Glenn McCrory, a former cruiserweight world champion, challenged Lewis. He was quickly dispatched by Lewis in 2 rounds. Lewis went into the attack from the opening bell. It was too much pressure for McCrory.

[elmersalsa]

Lennox Lewis quickly dispatched former 1984 Olympic gold medalist Tyrell Biggs. It was a mismatch right from the opening bell. Biggs looked washed up and beaten up. Every top guy of the heavyweight rankings were kicking his ass. And Lewis was not different. From the beginning, he went on top of Biggs. Biggs' punches were not hurting Lewis. Lewis dropped him on the floor 3 times and the referee saw enough. Lewis was the victor by a third round TKO in a fight between two Olympic gold medal winners. The last time 2 Olympic gold medalists fought each other for the first time before that was when the great George Foreman destroyed Smokin' Joe Frazier in 1973 in Kingston, Jamaica.

Lewis was going up through the heavyweight rankings.

[elmersalsa]

Lennox Lewis vs Tony Tucker
Tucker was game and tried the best he could. You can see that he was in great shape, but in reality, Lewis was the better man. HE dropped Tucker with wicked rights in the 3rd and 9th rounds. Tucker bounced back courageously in the 10th and 11th rounds, but it was kind of too late. The 2 knockdowns given to him by the British man was enough for the scorecards to be in his favor. Lewis fought and intelligent fight. From then on, I started watching him as a scientific boxer.

Lennox Lewis vs Frank Bruno:
It was the first time that in the 20th century two British born fighters ever fought for a piece of the Heavyweight Crown. Bruno started off well, using his jab and pressing Lewis to the ropes. Lewis didn't win a round until the 6th, when he started to work behind the jab and throwing those wicked overhand rights. In round 7, being on the ropes, Lewis caught Bruno with a left hook and that's all she wrote! Bruno, in bad shape, was rocked by Lewis with wicked right hands and uppercuts. When Lewis got his man in trouble, forget it. The referee had to intervene to the onslaught and Lewis is still the WBC World Heavyweight Champion. It was The Lion's second defense of his title.

[elmersalsa]

AFTER watching his fights so far, I noticed about Lewis:
A. He has poise and confidence
B. A good left jab
C. He uses well his physical advantages of height and reach
D. He moves well around the ring
E. Has great stamina and a vicious right hand.

Up to this point, I see that Lewis hasn't weighed in more than 235lbs. That's the maximum amount of weight that he had when he fought Tony Tucker.

[elmersalsa]

What do you think about the stoppage of the fight of Lewis vs Oliver McCall?

Was the stoppage premature?
Was Lewis able to continue?
Was this a raw deal made by American promoter Don King so that he could have strictly complete dominion of the heavyweight sweepstakes? Remember, King and WBC president Jose Sulaiman were buddies and were known for corruption. A Mexican referee, with only 12 title bouts in his resume was refereeing this fight.

MY take is that LEWIS didn't get a fair chance to recover from that shot. It was a good shot, but, Lewis got up at the count of six and I think he should have had a chance to continue fighting even though he was hurt.

AFTER this fight, Lewis fired American trainer Pepe Correa. The hire of Emmanuel Steward of Detroit, MI is next.

R

[elmersalsa]

Lennox Lewis vs Lionel Butler:
It seemed like legendary trainer Emmanuel Steward was the best choice that Lewis made in his professional career as choosing him as his next trainer. Steward is going to make you work hard, like he always does with all his fighters. Lewis for this fight bulked up to 248lbs, the heaviest of his career so far. BUT it is not 248lbs of fat like the great James Toney when he was a heavyweight. It was 248lbs of pure muscle. He looked chiseled and with a new dreadlocks look.

He was using his jab well, and moved great as a big heavyweight. He was fighting a contender that had a 17-fight winning streak. At 6'1" and 261lbs, Butler looked fat and chubby, not chiseled. Butler didn't offer much anyway. He was controlled by the Lewis' jab. And when Butler wanted to get inside, Lewis smartly tied him up with no problem. The fight ended with a vicious right hand by Lewis to Butler's face. He had enough.

Pepe Correa, Lewis former trainer, was in Butler's corner this time. He seemed as he wasn't a good trainer after all.

[elmersalsa]

Lennox Lewis vs Tommy Morrison:
Lewis at 30 years of age weigh in at 241lbs! Morrison weighed in at 227. It was a total mismatch. Lewis dropped Morrison, 26, four times in the bout. Lewis used well of the jab and also had a left hook on his arsenal. It was over in the 6th round.

Lennox Lewis vs Ray Mercer: Mercer was a former conqueror of Tommy Morrison 5 years earlier. He stopped brutally Morrison in 5 rounds. Lewis weighed in at 246lbs. He used his jab very well. He hit Merciless on the chin often. But, Mercer had one of the best chins out there. Pound per pound, Mercer's chin gotta be one of the all time best. It was a great scrap. Mercer weighed in at 237lbs. Lewis won by majority decision. Is he ready for Riddick Bowe, Mike Tyson or Evander Holyfield? I scored the fight 98-95 in favor of Lewis.

At the time, it was reported that the great Mike Tyson, who just regained his WBC World Crown, did not wanted to fight Lewis then. Promoter Don King paid Lewis $5 million to step aside. Tyson later relinquished the WBC belt after winning the WBA World Crown from Bruce Seldon in an unification match.

[elmersalsa]

Lennox Lewis vs Oliver McCall:
Lewis' redemption took a little bizarre ending from this fight when McCall refused to fight in the 5th round. McCall was crying. And until this day, we don't know why he did cry.

Lewis came in at 251lbs. He was very prepared mentally and physically to avenge his only loss to date. McCall entered the ring like a mad man. Like if he was going to kill the British lion. He couldn't get inside. He couldn't catch Lewis with a good shot like last fight. He got frustrated and then quits in the middle of the 5th round. Lewis hit him with some shots in the head, and he refused to go down. At least he had a great chin. But, McCall's career as a top fighter at heavyweight was over.

[elmersalsa]

Lennox Lewis seemed to improve by each fight ever since Emanuel Steward became his trainer in 1995. He started defending his WBC World Heavyweight Championship against:

Henry Akinwande: He was a 6'7" and weighed in 237lbs. He looked too skinny for Lennox. Lennox came in around 243lbs. This fight was a hug-a-thon in part of the Nigerian Akinwande. He hugged, hugged and hugged so cowardly that referee Mills Lane had to stop the fight by DQ in 5.

Andrew Golota: The 6'4" and 244lbs boxer from Poland via Chicago, IL was considered a dangerous but troubled opponent when he gave former Heavyweight World Champion Riddick Bowe of Brooklyn, NY all he could handle. But lost to Bowe twice via disqualification by hitting Bowe low in the groin in both fights. Golota was winning both fights against Bowe until his mental breakdown. Well, Lewis seemed like he was ready for all kinds of foul plays and decided to eliminate the Pole as far as you can read this. In one of his greatest performances of his career, Lewis ahniliated Golota in one round. A thing of beauty! Lewis also weighed in 244lbs.

Shannon Briggs: Briggs like the great Mike Tyson, come from the same neighborhood section of Brooklyn named Brownsville. He came in out of a major win against 48 year old great George Foreman. He beat Foreman by decision. Well, he rocked Lewis in round 1 and win round 2. But, after round 3 it was all Lewis. Lewis displayed again that brilliant right cross. But let's not forget his left hook and right uppercut, either. They were thrown in timely fashion. Briggs used boxing and speed with lateral movement. But at 226lbs was kind of weak for a 243lbs specimen on Lewis. Briggs showed heart and will when he got dropped 4 times in the last two rounds 4 and 5. The fight ended in 5 rounds and Lewis is starting to call on the great Evander Holyfield, the IBF and WBA World Heavyweight Champion.

[Ambling Alp II]

What years was Lewis in his prime, and what years was he sensational?