BoxRec

Lewis is defo top 5, maybe 3.

As an all time heavywieght, i'd have Lewis just outside the top 5, but definately inside the top 15

no particular order but heavyweights i think are better than lewis

Ali
frazier
foreman
louis
J Johnson
holmes

so minimum for me is lewis is number 7

Aden wrote:Lennox is second on my all time list, right behind Larry Holmes.

Yep, you make a point Aden.

Mike Tyson, during a very small window in his career when he was breathing fire, could have beat them at their respective best's. But legacy wise he is not even close and Holmes operated through the 70 / 80 / 90 / 00's too, from the fifteen round days. I'd have them the other way around as Lennox defeated everyone he faced.

Adamj1987 wrote:no particular order but heavyweights i think are better than lewis

Ali
frazier
foreman
louis
J Johnson
holmes

so minimum for me is lewis is number 7

I can never work out if Frazier is overrated or underrated. Problem is, he never beat another great heavyweight outside of Ali, whose style was in some ways made for him, Ali lacked the power to stop Joe in his tracks. When he did face another great in Foreman - he was destroyed, Frazier never fought Norton, Lyle, or Shavers, which are big omissions on his list too.

Of course, that win over Ali is some achievement, better than any single win on Lewis' list, but how much kudos can you give Frazier for that win. He was a solid heavyweight champ, who at his peak was one hell of a fighter, but his peak really didn't last that long, and the annihilation by Foreman for me has a major impact in assessing his overall greatness.

I'd argue Lewis over Frazier, especially as I believe Lewis would have dominated him if they fought, Frazier would just have been too short and small against a big hitting giant like Lewis.

I do think the length of time that they were at or very near the top of the division is important, that's why Lewis, Holmes, Holyfield, and Ali deserve to be ranked higher than the likes of Tyson and Frazier.

Ali is the greatest he never got ko'd or u'deed by no man!!

hurlock wrote:Ali is the greatest he never got ko'd or u'deed by no man!!

I never really got into him, i enjoyed some of his slang but Cooper almost wiped him out if not for some stitching on his glove and smelling salts.

columbo wrote:

jamesmcdonnell wrote:

NorthEastBoxingFan wrote:that's what I read in these pages over my coffee this morning. So, do you put Lewis in the top 5 ever, or not?

personally, I don't think you can include somebody at that level who gets KO'd twice and I also think sure Lewis was very good, but he often came in looking huge and a lot of his success was down to his sheer size. I wouldn't put him in my top 10 or even 15.

A lot of Ali's success was due to size too - he was 6'4 1/2 - with an 86 inch reach -so should we disregard him too.

His success was down to having great technical skills, and a great jab, and a thunderous right hand, and a calm temperament. He also had a better chin than his two losses suggest. His one weakness was complacency, he took both Rahman and McCall far too lightly, and paid the price. He also avenged both those losses in emphatic style.

Name 15 heavyweights who were better - and explain why.

Ali was 6'3.

Ali had an 80" reach too.

In answer to the OPs question; no.

Lewis is a great HW: he is the last great HW in fairness, but he's not a top 5 guy; top 10 maybe, but not top 5.

I say yes. he had those 2 KO losses and his legacy wins against tyson and to a lesser degree holy was against old fighters but he was extremely dominant and beat a lot of good but not great fighters.

his best win was probably against vitali which was a huge win considering vitali was in his prime and this was retirement fight. with beating vitali he finally got that win against a hall of famer in his prime. I think that win pushes him over the top.

also he certainly is one that is favored head to head against almost everyone. certain types would have a punchers chance against him (although his chin is certainly solid as he was unfairly called glass jaw by american fans) I would see him as the favorite to win against almost anyone.

That's the thing. At his focused 248 lb best I don't see anyone in history beating him. Too big, too strong, too powerful, too skillful, too clever.

G0mez wrote:

hurlock wrote:Ali is the greatest he never got ko'd or u'deed by no man!!

I never really got into him, i enjoyed some of his slang but Cooper almost wiped him out if not for some stitching on his glove and smelling salts.

His hand speed & accuracy were spot on,not to mention his reflexes& he could go to the trenches & show extreme heart & durability. Watching him yesterday taking Ron Lyle apart who was pretty awesome