Quote Originally Posted by amat
That's pretty much a bullshit quote though because past 1994 and the Toney and Hopkins wins, the only fighters to emerge and do pretty good were Clinton Woods and Antonio Tarver.

Holmes' competition was weak, there is no doubt about it. He pretty much had an extended Floyd Patterson like run going there. Not saying he isn't talented because there is an argument that he is one of the more talented heavyweights ever, but BEST and GREATEST are two completely separate things in my eyes. Holmes could be the BEST, but doesn't make the boat as the GREATEST.

This is pretty much a two horse race in my eyes. Lewis and Holyfield are right up in the same echelon as far as heavyweights go. I think both are on the doorstep or just inside as two of the 10 greatest heavyweights of all time. Lewis was simply dominant in a good era, came back from being written off as pretty much a bust, was slammed by his own trainer and then comes back to become a great fighter. Not many people acknowledge it, but Lennox had to have heart to come back from all that.

But Holyfield, he's been consistently at the top for a very long time now and now he's back yet again. If he wins a title, which is not by any means out of the question, then I would say he has to be the greatest heavyweight of the last 30 years. It was 20 years ago he beat Qawi the second time, and 18 years since he became a contender with the win over Dokes.

With the exception of the last 4 years, he's been at the top of the division the whole way through. I think he's definitely earned the crown of greatest heavyweight of the last 30 years.

I have disliked everything he's done past the Toney fight, I saw him working the heavybag for his comeback and it was just depressing. But he's doing good, and while a win over Savarese doesn't mean anything in the overall scope of things as far as the title picture goes, it's a good win. I'm rooting for him to get a title shot against anyone not named Wladimir or Samuel.
Good posting my man although I have absolutely no idea what the relevance of mentioning Tarver and Clinton Woods was to this debate