holyfield vs lewis prime vs prime

[boxerbob]

who wins???

id go with holyfield by late stoppage , eg: 9 rounds

lewis wins 2 of first 3 rounds but cant keep up with holyfield pace , lewis was never good fighting at a pace , this is where holyfield out works him , hitting him at will until ref steps in.

if they would have fought in the early 90s...91-94 i think the result above would have happened

[Robinson]

I think had it happened aroudn 1992, say after the Bowe fight
or there abouts. It would have been fun.

I certainly favour Holyfield. To me Lewis really matured and
evolved nicely as a fighter around the time the two actually
did meet.

I see it going to decision, but Holyfields work rate and inside
work is enough to get him the nod.

Lewis is still in it and pretty game.

Contray to his KO loss to McCall and his close battle with Mercer
I see Lewis being pretty game. I would have also liked to have
seen Holyfield-Ruddock around the same time.

[boxerbob]

holyfield vs ruddock would have been a great fight....holyfield on points


ive alwys thought that if lewis fought bowe , unless lewis knocks out bowe early , then bowe wins by ko late

[BroughtonRulesRefuge]

lewis wins 2 of first 3 rounds but cant keep up with holyfield pace

- When was the Mr. E. H. Field prime? I thought, like Mr. Popkins, he jumped fully formed out of the womb and headbutted his dear ol' mammy.

Mr. Field's pace? Is this the same Mr. Field hanging on to Foreman for dear life to survive that bout, and being left defenseless too many times to count after running out of steam?

Is this thread designed to finally give Mr. Field a win over Lewis? Is he now the 5x heavy champ, or is it the 6x champ now? I guess it depends on which church you belong to.

[dempseyfire]

I don't even read the above anymore, it's boring and repetitive.

As to the fight, I think a peak Holyfield would score a late TKO or points victory. Too much activity and counter-punching skills for Lennox, although the Briton would certainly have his moments. In 99 Holyfield was a shell whose activity rate was next to nothing but he still bothered Lewis greatly with his movement and handspeed.

[Ezzard]

I think these two are both genuinely great heavyweights who are put down because they are for some reason not popular. Either man could beat any HW who ever lived. For the most part the Tyson sycophants try to formulate obscure and myopic arguments on why Tyson should be seen as the better HW... There are a lot of these fantasists around. They move among us...

This fight would always be close but I think that I'd probably pick Holyfield in a prime for prime battle. Over 15 I would definitely give him the edge.

[hhaehre]

I have to go against the grain here. To me Lewis had a much better career at heavy than Holyfield. These days I find Holyfields exploits at hw to be a bit overrated. Whenever Holyfield fought a live body at heavy weight he had to go through fire. Lewis had a better chin than he gets credit for and I believe he would take Holyfields punches and use his size strength and reach to good advantage. Holyfiels never did well against a stiff jab and if Lewis kept his long jab in Holys face, sprinkled in a few hard right to keep Evander honest and tied the much smaller man up on the inside I see Lewis winning this.

[boxerbob]

lewis had better chin???

lewis had a better career???

go watch another sport mate as you dont have a clue about boxing

[hhaehre]

lewis had better chin???

lewis had a better career???

go watch another sport mate as you dont have a clue about boxing

And maybe you should work on your reading comprehension skills before you go off.

Better chin THAN GIVEN CREDIT FOR, I did not compare him with your beloved Holyfield, who btw was knocked out twice himself and once by a middleweight.

A better career AT HEAVYWEIGHT, a big difference from better career period.

[boxerbob]

lewis had a better career at heavyweight than holyfield

he was knocked out by 2 of the worst heavyweight champions ever

holyfield was shot when toney beat him

[BroughtonRulesRefuge]

lewis had a better career at heavyweight than holyfield

- Yeah, not even close really, but you have to be able to understand the numerical system, add and subtract:

Lewis, 41-2-1, 32 KO, 16-2-1 title record and 3x champ.
Field, 24-10-2, 13 KO, 10-7-2 title record and 4x champ.

[BoxBuzz]

....so if..... Henry Armstrong would have beaten let's say for argument sake, only a half dozen top HW's including a trio of champions, in his career, his HW career would be defined by the numerical system?

[Collins2000]

I wonder if those friends of granberry who the great man used to claim were always checking out our ridiculous ramblings and chortling amongst themselves are still watching over us?

I know the immortal gran is.

And little DaveV(John Galt) too.

God bless em all.

[BoxBuzz]

Not to worry,

Eddie, Al and Henry will have BRR singin' a different tune in no time!

[BroughtonRulesRefuge]

....so if..... Henry Armstrong would have beaten let's say for argument sake, only a half dozen top HW's including a trio of champions, in his career, his HW career would be defined by the numerical system?

- Not if Jimmy Wilde made a comeback and starched him inside of one, just for argument's sake.

[NazNaci1]

Tough pick'em, but Holyfield would probably just get a decision due to his speed and ability to work both on the inside and at range - just a little too busy for Lennox imo.

[jezzamundo]

I actually think this one is tougher than some make it out to be.

To my eyes, Lewis clearly won the first fight, and narrowly the second, although it could easily have been a (nother) draw or a narrow win to Holy. Seeing as Lewis was in his prime years, Holyfield a few years past his prime, and their second contest was so competitive, logic suggests that prime-for-prime, Holyfield would be the winner.

I think had they faced in say, 1994, Holyfield would have likely knocked Lewis out in the mid to late rounds, or perhaps taken a close decision. However, Lewis was yet to reach the peak of his powers, so this isn't a fair prime for prime comparison either.

I honestly can't make a call either way that I feel confident about, but my gut feeling is that if the best versions of each fighter faced off over 12 rounds, Lewis would emerge the victor by a close but clear decision. Lewis, who usually steps up against the best of opposition, was too tentative against Holyfield in both fights.

[Goodnight, Irene]

It'd look rather like their second fight, but I had Lewis narrowly winning that one. It'd be reversed, prime-to-prime. Lewis is always an extremely difficult match for any Holyfield, though. In the end, it would be about activity --- Holyfield shades it.

[yiddle]

lewis just gets sd win

[BroughtonRulesRefuge]

I think had they faced in say, 1994, Holyfield would have likely knocked Lewis out in the mid to late rounds, or perhaps taken a close decision.

- In 94 Mr. Field ushered himself and his "hardened" heart into retirement after being caned by Moorer.

Sweet Mother of Mars Bars, he can't even touch Moorer, and now you got him KOing Lewis? Lewis wasn't setting the division on fire with a KO of Phil Jackson then the controversial KO by Don King fighter McCall that sees Lewis on his feet by the count of 5-6. It's safe to say with Mr. Field's 20% post Foreman KO ratio, he ain't knocking out anyone but the infirmed and he sure ain't got the goods to outbox a Lewis.

Mr. Field was too busy going life and death with the Big Dummy Lewis KOed, or have you all forgotten your lessons already? The only time Mr. Field has a ghost of a chance to beat Lennox is his brief period of primacy, 88-91, until he meets Foreman who first exposed the limitations of Mr. Field. He was 7-0, 7 KOs going into to that fight against a pretty fair line up of heavies.

89-91 are the debut years of Lewis, and in 91 he comes of age as a legit fringe contender with KOs of Weaver, McCrory, undefeated Gary Mason and Biggs. 91 Lewis Vs Field is a pickem fight. 88-89 obviously favors Field. Anytime after 91, Lewis wins 98 out of 100x, it's that simple.

Mr. Field's record is just way too spotty and reeling from Foreman forward no matter how long you soak his hardened heart in softener.

[Syntax Error]

Lennox Lewis ALWAYS delivered in BIG fights, where he thought the opponent represented danger.

I think Lennox would have won on points, by close, but unanimous decision.

[hhaehre]

lewis had a better career at heavyweight than holyfield

he was knocked out by 2 of the worst heavyweight champions ever

holyfield was shot when toney beat him

Yes, when assessing Holyfields career lets consider only the fights he won shall we.

[jezzamundo]

I think had they faced in say, 1994, Holyfield would have likely knocked Lewis out in the mid to late rounds, or perhaps taken a close decision.

- In 94 Mr. Field ushered himself and his "hardened" heart into retirement after being caned by Moorer.

Sweet Mother of Mars Bars, he can't even touch Moorer, and now you got him KOing Lewis? Lewis wasn't setting the division on fire with a KO of Phil Jackson then the controversial KO by Don King fighter McCall that sees Lewis on his feet by the count of 5-6. It's safe to say with Mr. Field's 20% post Foreman KO ratio, he ain't knocking out anyone but the infirmed and he sure ain't got the goods to outbox a Lewis.

Mr. Field was too busy going life and death with the Big Dummy Lewis KOed, or have you all forgotten your lessons already? The only time Mr. Field has a ghost of a chance to beat Lennox is his brief period of primacy, 88-91, until he meets Foreman who first exposed the limitations of Mr. Field. He was 7-0, 7 KOs going into to that fight against a pretty fair line up of heavies.

89-91 are the debut years of Lewis, and in 91 he comes of age as a legit fringe contender with KOs of Weaver, McCrory, undefeated Gary Mason and Biggs. 91 Lewis Vs Field is a pickem fight. 88-89 obviously favors Field. Anytime after 91, Lewis wins 98 out of 100x, it's that simple.

Mr. Field's record is just way too spotty and reeling from Foreman forward no matter how long you soak his hardened heart in softener.

Sigh. I am actually a big Lewis fan, but I respect Holyfield as a great heavyweight also. I am going against perhaps 60% of the posters in saying that I believe Lewis would win a prime-for-prime matchup. How much do you hate Holyfield?

I agree that his record as a heavyweight is patchy, but that is largely due to his fighting on into his 40s and well past his best. He was beaten in his prime by an impressive Bowe, and was clearly not 100% healthy for the 3rd Bowe fight. The first Moorer fight was a poor performance by Holyfield, but is it any more poor than Lewis's losses to McCall and Rahman? A past prime Holyfield in 1999 was able to clearly hurt (prime) Lewis in the middle rounds of their second contest, so why couldn't he stop him in 1994? I'd give Lewis a real chance, and if Holyfield performs the way he did against Moorer, Lewis wins. It would really depend on which version of Holyfield turned up on the day.

Oh, and please do yourself a favour and watch the Lewis-Bowe gold medal fight. Lewis deserved the win, but Bowe was never knocked down and won the first round. A KO in amateur boxing and a KO in the pros is something entirely different. Also the 1992 version of Bowe was far superior to the one in the '88 olympics.

[BroughtonRulesRefuge]

Sigh. I am actually a big Lewis fan, but I respect Holyfield as a great heavyweight also. I am going against perhaps 60% of the posters in saying that I believe Lewis would win a prime-for-prime matchup. How much do you hate Holyfield?

I agree that his record as a heavyweight is patchy, but that is largely due to his fighting on into his 40s and well past his best. He was beaten in his prime by an impressive Bowe, and was clearly not 100% healthy for the 3rd Bowe fight. The first Moorer fight was a poor performance by Holyfield, but is it any more poor than Lewis's losses to McCall and Rahman? A past prime Holyfield in 1999 was able to clearly hurt (prime) Lewis in the middle rounds of their second contest, so why couldn't he stop him in 1994? I'd give Lewis a real chance, and if Holyfield performs the way he did against Moorer, Lewis wins. It would really depend on which version of Holyfield turned up on the day.

Oh, and please do yourself a favour and watch the Lewis-Bowe gold medal fight. Lewis deserved the win, but Bowe was never knocked down and won the first round. A KO in amateur boxing and a KO in the pros is something entirely different. Also the 1992 version of Bowe was far superior to the one in the '88 olympics.

- Hate is pointing out inconsistencies in the record, the dirty tactics adopted as skills and reflexes faded and the role of PEDs in his career?

The man has been unable to obtain a boxing license in home country for many years now, yet the dribbling on about how he's being robbed and still fighting at a high level keeps the puddle refreshed daily.

He's no Mr. Popkins who at least has a veneer of reflexes left and is a cunning ring strategist. He is no George Foreman knocking big strong prime heavies around like bowling pins. He's a mummy propped up by an ex mobster for shameless exhibition in support of his decade long WBA racket.

The only legit loss Lewis has on his record is to Rahman who kept him down for the full count. The McCall fight was a typical King fiasco, and I'd have thought Bowe was long exposed as the big dummy he was. He was considered lazy and damaged goods coming out of the Olympics and only managed to hold title briefly.

Lewis is superior in every measure to the both of them and I say that as someone not caring much for the Lewis style. At one time Mr. Field was a hero who became a legend to kids kicked around by bullies with his dramatic Tyson upset. I don't see anything heroic by keeping him propped up and cheering him on to a bad end and I mean to say so.

I gave him his due at his best between 89-91. The first Tyson fight a classic, but also that fight stands out in stark contrast to previous poor performances, leaving a door ajar to a roomful of questions about his career, but apparently it's heresy to suggest Mr. Field is anything but superhuman.

[chiricahua]

Draw,coz they are in the same level..