Interested to hear any criticisms of Lennox Lewis here

[tysonesque]

Overrated and the luckiest heavyweight in history.

He basically has two noteworthy names on his record: Holyfield and Tyson. Both Holyfield and Tyson were well past their best when he fought them. Tyson in particular was completely and utterly shot and a shell of the fighter he once was. I have no doubt that a peak Holyfield would have out worked him and won a points decision while prime Tyson would have turned Lewis into soup. I also believe Vitali would have beaten him in a rematch.

Lewis was the guy who always seemed to fight the right opponents at precisely the right time and has a very flattering record as a result. He did no better against a fighter like Ray Mercer than an ancient Larry Holmes did and this was the Larry Holmes completely destroyed by a peak Tyson several years earlier. He also struggled like hell against Bruno - a very limited fighter who was, again, completely outclassed and demolished by Tyson on two occasions. I don't suppose Holyfield or Bowe would have had any difficulty in beating Bruno either.

Had he fought peak Bowe he'd have been knocked out.

All in all, a pretty fortunate champion who always seemed to be in the right place at the right time throughout his career.

[Beanz]

There are plenty of over rated Heavyweights but Lewis is not one of them. Seriously this thread is developing a higher Bullshit quota than the Rose gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show. He is the Last undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and because he happens to be tall, many of you are lumping him in with fighters not fit to do up his laces. Serious case of Butthurt form many Americans and irrationality from the others. Anyone would think he was some timid safety first pug who dwarfed everybody he fought. Revisionist krap.

[ryanman]

There are plenty of over rated Heavyweights but Lewis is not one of them. Seriously this thread is developing a higher Bullshit quota than the Rose gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show. He is the Last undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and because he happens to be tall, many of you are lumping him in with fighters not fit to do up his laces. Serious case of Butthurt form many Americans and irrationality from the others. Anyone would think he was some timid safety first pug who dwarfed everybody he fought. Revisionist krap.

Thank fuck for that.
This thread is embarrassing.
Just on the height thing -

Lennox Lewis 6'4 3/4" vs

V Klitschko 6'7
M Grant 6'7
A Golota 6'5
H Akinwande 6'7
T Tucker 6'5
T Biggs 6'5

These are some of the guys (the ones I could think of) that were taller than Lewis. His record against them - 6(5) & 0.

[Mr140]

Well look who has a better resume then Lewis in top ten list Ali, Holyfeild has a case but he beat him although he was a tad older, then we have Foreman. Those are the only guys that could try to go against or bit better in resume. As for tittle reign there are few that come to mind a head of him but it is a few and i mean a few. Lewis no doubt breaks the top ten in the higher part i say in atg heavyweights and people saying he was lucky well missed him getting hit with not lucky but pretty rare well landed punches he showed were kinda flukes to beat him in rematch.

[brocktonblockbust]

There are plenty of over rated Heavyweights but Lewis is not one of them. Seriously this thread is developing a higher Bullshit quota than the Rose gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show. He is the Last undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and because he happens to be tall, many of you are lumping him in with fighters not fit to do up his laces. Serious case of Butthurt form many Americans and irrationality from the others. Anyone would think he was some timid safety first pug who dwarfed everybody he fought. Revisionist krap.

oh come on Beanz. I couldnt give a shit about American vs English fighters vs Russian fighters, fuck them all and their flags. My faves were Duran of Panama, Tszyu of Russia, Scmeling of Germany and of course Rocky and Foreman and Aaron Pryor. National pride has piss to do with it with me. I just thought Lewis made a habit of leaning on the backs of his opponents, pushing down on their heads, holding behind the head, and holding and hitting, kinda like Ali. Powerful guy, no doubt, great jab, blew away Golota and etc....

but really why did he struggle with Mercer (Larry Holmes iced Mercer at age 43 the year before), why did he get hit so much against Zjelko Mavrovic, why did he get sparked stone cold against McCall and Rahman, why did he struggle so with Bruno?

Too many questions about him in my book. Alltime Great? YES. But up near #10, definitely not below #9.

[15rounder]

Running like a bitch into retirement to avoid an ass whoopin from Vitali.

[IamInuit]

Running like a bitch into retirement to avoid an ass whoopin from Vitali.

Like he did when he stopped him. Vitali got stopped by a cut big enough to hold a game of football in along with a myriad of other pot holes. Lennox was thinking of retirement before he fought him and is not obligated to stop the same man twice.

[Spicoli]

Not really. I cannot think of a major beef I have with him but when he first came around I couldn't stand him. A goofy footed new born elk...then he totally demolished Ruddock and I sat up straight! I actually really respect what he accomplished and the fact he fought all available. His go with Tucker was a snore. Don't hold his war with Mercer against him at all, he needed that. Should'nt have held down Grant like that but he was going to whip him regardless. Snoring slob vs McCall and it was right to be stopped and who cares if McCall melted down in rematch, that his fault. Thought Holyfield won the rematch but Lewis the 1st. Have to admit the whole Canadian-Jamaican-English thing was a mind fuck at first. Didn't he sue the wbc...so thats a plus. The Mavrovic fight was a bore. His win over Tua was master class I thought. Fat waddling troll doll that Tua was that night. On a mic for HBO he was a struggle, but often clashed with Kellerman which was fun. He was a top flight heavyweight champion and the sport was better for him!

[Gandalf]

I think he was a boring fighter and was the blueprint for Wlad who has taken it to the extreme. I watch a lot of older fights in my freetime, but I avoid Lewis like the plague. Just a boring man and a boring fighter. It was a joke fighting Tyson 15 years after his best and acting like it would seal the deal on his career.

[C.J.Rock]

Lennox Claudius Lewis is the best Heavyweight champ since Ali ruled the world
End of Story

[brocktonblockbust]

Lennox Claudius Lewis is the best Heavyweight champ since Ali ruled the world
End of Story

no way. Mike Tyson's 1985-1990 stint was the most electrifying, frightening, mindblowing 6 years of any boxer in ANY time period in ANY weight class. POst-Douglas, well, that's a totally different fish to fry

[brocktonblockbust]

Tyson was like a demi-god, I remember in 1985 I started hearing the buzz whilst watching other fights on channel 7 public TV. I saw 1 fight of his in 1985 cant remember against who and he smoked the living piss out of the poor slob in 1 round. I remember seeing this bull-like squat ripped squarish somewhat short stocky heavyweight and he looked mean as shit and aggressive as fuck and you knew he was coming for you like a wild demon to tear your throat out as fast as he could. After he won the title the following year, I remember every time I saw him and heard his name I felt a chilll of fear or adrenaline or both, it was hard to explain, it was sort of terrifying, even tho I wasnt the guy fighting him.

Nothing I can remember was like that about ANY fighter in ANY weight class, that psychological terror I felt and that other boxers felt, when seeing Tyson or even considering stepping into the ring with him. 1985-1990.

What an exciting, new, refreshing, terrifying era in heavyweight boxing. Thanks to Michael Gerald Tyson, the misfit poor boy from Brooklyn. Though I hated him for being so fucking great back then and wished Larry Holmes would humiliate and expose him, I look back now and think Holy Shit!!!!!! What a phenomenon that was.

THANK YOU MIKE.

[C.J.Rock]

Lennox Claudius Lewis is the best Heavyweight champ since Ali ruled the world
End of Story

no way. Mike Tyson's 1985-1990 stint was the most electrifying, frightening, mindblowing 6 years of any boxer in ANY time period in ANY weight class. POst-Douglas, well, that's a totally different fish to fry

When both Lennox & Mike were with Cus D'mato Lennox handled Mike with apparent ease when kids. Also please do not forget it was Mike & Don King gave Lennox $4mil to step aside & not force Mike into a fight. Lennox never ducked or tried to avoid anyone. Mike had most guys beaten BEFORE they fought he was so intimidating. But Lennox wasn't afraid of him, neither was Evander both beat him

[Master]

Lennox Claudius Lewis is the best Heavyweight champ since Ali ruled the world
End of Story

no way. Mike Tyson's 1985-1990 stint was the most electrifying, frightening, mindblowing 6 years of any boxer in ANY time period in ANY weight class. POst-Douglas, well, that's a totally different fish to fry

When both Lennox & Mike were with Cus D'mato Lennox handled Mike with apparent ease when kids. Also please do not forget it was Mike & Don King gave Lennox $4mil to step aside & not force Mike into a fight. Lennox never ducked or tried to avoid anyone. Mike had most guys beaten BEFORE they fought he was so intimidating. But Lennox wasn't afraid of him, neither was Evander both beat him

I heard Tyson busted up Lewis the first time they met and only later did Lewis get the better of him and remember Tyson was only a young teenager at the time.