Interested to hear any criticisms of Lennox Lewis here

[brocktonblockbust]

I'll start. 1st thing that comes to mind about him---and I dont know why---is his 2 knockouts by McCall and Rahman and to a lesser extent his last fight with Klitschko.
You never saw Marciano or Ali or Foreman or Holmes get smoked/sparked with a single shot stone cold out. So it does have an effect when we recall those facts in Lewis' career. Yes Schmeling KO'd Louis but it was a combination left-right-uppercut-left I think. And of course Rocky smoked Joe but he was already old. Was Lewis old when McCall and Rahman got him? Dont think so. 1999 and 2001 right? That is still in his prime isnt it.

I rank him in the top 10 alltime great but I sometimes wonder where he actually belongs.

What criticism if any would you have about him?

[greynotsoold]

The skill level in the last fight with Vitali was fucking abysmal. Mccall knocked him out with a right hand off a move Marciano used all the time. Shade to your right, get outside his jab, follow his jab home with your right hand. if you get low and make him jab down it works even better.

[IamInuit]

Lazy at times and lacked motivation.

[Vendettos]

My only criticism of Lennox Lewis is that he waited too long and played chess more than fighting sometimes.

Ina division that is primarily guys that can punch, you need to get off first and try to land the shots, if you don't, and you try to figure the other guy out and wait for a mistake you might just get caught waiting.

That is exactly what happened, he was caught because he wasn't the aggressor, if you look at the Rahman knockout, he's on the back foot.

@brocktonblockbust Marciano and most of the HW division was different, the size, strength and power now compared to then are all massively higher, if Rahman or McCall caught Marciano with one of those punches, he's 49-1.

[Beanflicker]

I don't blame him so much for the Mccall fight because Mccall landed a perfect punch, and he trained that move over and over with Manny Stewart before the Lewis fight because Manny felt it would work and open him up.

But the Rahman loss was stupid as hell. It was a matter of him getting cocky, lazy and getting his dick knocked into the dirt for it. Taking an opponent for granted, especially on the world stage is a really bad quality for a champ to have.

Other than that, Lennox was a true ring general who could hit like a mule. Lennox for sure is one of the greatest HW's in the history of the sport.

[imp]

I don't blame him so much for the Mccall fight because Mccall landed a perfect punch, and he trained that move over and over with Manny Stewart before the Lewis fight because Manny felt it would work and open him up.

But the Rahman loss was stupid as hell. It was a matter of him getting cocky, lazy and getting his dick knocked into the dirt for it. Taking an opponent for granted, especially on the world stage is a really bad quality for a champ to have.

Other than that, Lennox was a true ring general who could hit like a mule. Lennox for sure is one of the greatest HW's in the history of the sport.

Cant add much to this.

But, i would have loved to seen lewis spank bowe in the pro ranks.

[El Kabong]

Lazy at times and lacked motivation.

Agreed...Frank Bruno gave him a hell of a fight and that should have been a cakewalk for him if he was properly motivated.

There were times when he DID step up to the plate like a champ though. Golota, Grant, Botha, and the rematch vs Rahman.

[IamInuit]

Lazy at times and lacked motivation.

Agreed...Frank Bruno gave him a hell of a fight and that should have been a cakewalk for him if he was properly motivated.

There were times when he DID step up to the plate like a champ though. Golota, Grant, Botha, and the rematch vs Rahman.

Indeed. A motivated on top of his game Lewis most likely beats anyone in boxing history including the two holy grails.

[ruthless rocco]

lewisgrant.jpg

[Andre]

I'll start. 1st thing that comes to mind about him---and I dont know why---is his 2 knockouts by McCall and Rahman and to a lesser extent his last fight with Klitschko.
You never saw Marciano or Ali or Foreman or Holmes get smoked/sparked with a single shot stone cold out. So it does have an effect when we recall those facts in Lewis' career. Yes Schmeling KO'd Louis but it was a combination left-right-uppercut-left I think. And of course Rocky smoked Joe but he was already old. Was Lewis old when McCall and Rahman got him? Dont think so. 1999 and 2001 right? That is still in his prime isnt it.

I rank him in the top 10 alltime great but I sometimes wonder where he actually belongs.

What criticism if any would you have about him?

I think wait/weight and control when I think of him.

He had to be that way though,with that natural green button on his chin he did pretty well not getting it serviced more often.

[0james0]

I didn't like him when he was younger, always thought he was too skinny and gangly. Wasn't until he started filling out and got that world champion swagger I started to realise how good he was.