How good was Lennox Lewis?

[Obsidian]

Two questions: Do you have any evidence he retired after the Tyson fight?
and more importantly: What difference does the word "retired" make? Does a boxer lose all of his power once he says "I retire" ? It's more important how long the layoff was. Was it 2-3 years as it was the case with Larry Holmes (1988) or Ray Leonard (1987)? No.
You're just trying to sell Vitali's performance short, the fact that he was beating Lennox to the punch and the assumption that Lennox really retired because in his heart he knew he couldn't beat Vitali at that time.

But he did beat him.

 

[Mike01010101a]

Top 5 all time HW.

 

[Double 99]

 

[ironfist05]

Vitali has a chin on him

 

[Poseidon]

All top fighters have "ability." Explain how you measure one's ability in comparison to another, who fought in a different era.

Lennox Lewis beat nearly every ranked fighter of his era, beat every man he ever fought.....

Foreman beat Frazier and won a title when he was old. Frazier was great but that's one name. Moorer was no ATG. Holyfield made him look like a heavy bag.

If you stack their accomplishments, its Lewis by a mile. Both lost to journeymen, Lewis beat considerably more top ranked fighters.

Foreman gets too much credit for that Moorer fight. Lewis dominated an entire era.

Big time, but again, I wish he'd leave the Tyson fight out of discussions when talking bout his own legacy as he really doesnt need to.

 

[RepairManManMan]

Big time, but again, I wish he'd leave the Tyson fight out of discussions when talking bout his own legacy as he really doesnt need to.

Lewis stated he couldn't retire without fighting Tyson. I kind of understand why, perhaps a better late than never scenario. I agree though.

 

[XThe GreatestX]

Tyson was a good win. The fact that Tyson wasn't in his prime doesn't mean it wasn't a good win whatsoever. It just means he didn't fight the best version of the guy.

i dont know man. that tyson was a shell of himself

 

[Buddy Revell]

The Tyson win was- as expected. Lewis was in his prime and had Emanuel Steward in his corner. Even Holyfields (or evan fields) horse meat ko's over mike are tainted imo.

On Lennox, i'd rank him alongside Tyson, Wlad, Holmes Vitali and Holyfield as best Hw's post Ali

Tyson
Lewis
Holmes
Wlad/Vitali (debatable imo)
Holyfield

 

[mozfonky]

you talk about a fight that people would have said he ducked, if he'd never fought Tyson, no one would have ever forgotten that.so ya Tyson was shot but he was still a dangerous fight.