JoeyB

Reports have Lennox Lewis retiring this week. We've been discussing the greatest Heavyweights of all-time and whether he should be in the discussion.


NOW...with Lewis retiring (assuming he is), who is the next good heavyweight? Or is this going to be an era with Larry Holmes fighting guys like Gerry Cooney, Carl "The Truth" Williams and Greg Page?


Klitschko has potential, but I don't see anything good for the big guys for the next few years.

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Strange Famous

I think Lewis is going to quit. He doesnt need boxing, he doesnt feel he has anything to prove, he is an intelligent man, and he is right to quit while he is still close to the top of his form.

The next top heavyweight, is a good question... Tyson still carries a very real aura of menace with him, but as a fighter he is dangerous yes, but I dont see him as championship material - he has lost too much to time and his lifestyle

Jones & Toney - both great fighters, neither has time on their side,maybe neither is big enough

Then you have 10 or 15 or so good contenders, none of them seeming to shine, all of them capabale boxers on their day.

I dont follow boxing as close as I used to when I was 20 or so, I am not sure who is coming up, but of the people there at the moment, I dont see anyone who really captures my imagination.

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Kurant

IMO, Lewis doesn't strike me as one of the greatest of all time. IMO he's never fought anything but depleated past they're prime heavyweights, he's never impressed me with his fortitude or boxing skills. He is smart, and is going out, on top. Not too many athletes now-a-days do that. I'll give credit where credit is due, he's retiring a good champion, not great, and surely not one of the greatest. He's nothing but a self-centered egotistical ass, who IMO, is going of boxing chicken-shit style by avoiding Klitschko.

Jones and Toney, like you said, don't have time on they're side, and reports are that Jones will fight Tarver again in the middle of this year. With Lennox gone, and Tyson way out in left field, I'd look for this to be the last of Jones. Toney, well, I don't think he's good enough to match up to any of the "super" heavywheights.

I look for good things from Klitchscko. He will fight Corey Sanders now for Lewis' vacated belt. The other brother, well, if he ever feels like fighting again, he's even better then Vitali.

Mesi and Dominick Guinn are the two big up and comers right now. Personally I focus my attention to the middle weights now, with Miguel Cotto and Jermaine Taylor 2 of the most impressive young fighters in a long, long time.

crewsor

I think he is smart enough to realize he doesn't want to take the beating required by a mandatory title defense against Klitschko.
Retirement is a much less painfull alternative. At 38 , he should be done. Boxing is a young mans sport and too many stay one or ten fights too long. Hopefully he will retire healthy and remain retired. He was a great champion.

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Strange Famous

I wouldnt say Lewis was one of the all time greats, but he beat the people in front of him. I dont really see Klitschko as being in the same class, he just got Lewis on the night he started to get old.

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"Do not tell lies, and do not do what you hate,
for all things are plain in the sight of Heaven. For nothing
hidden will not become manifest, and nothing covered will remain
without being uncovered."

The Gospel of Thomas

djflish

I always thought he was gonna retire after beating Tyson. I think he felt he had something to prove when fighting Tyson, but after him, there isn't really anybody for him worth fighting.

I don't think you can really talk about someone being one greatest until years after they've finished

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Hrothgar

I still think he should have given Klitchko a rematch then retire or whatever.

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Anomaly_

I'm not sure I understand your reasoning. Tyson is number 2 on your list and Lewis isn't an all time great? You need only look at their record of wins against quality (or close to) oppponents.

Tyson: Berbick, Tucker, Biggs, Spinks, Bruno, Ruddock

Lewis: Biggs, Bruno, Ruddock, Tucker, Mercer, Briggs, Morrison, Holyfield (twice unofficially), Grant, Tua, Tyson, V. Klitschko

But I agree, Lewis is certainly done and he knows it. He deserves to retire with his gray matter and legacy intact. Hopefully he doesn't end up like poor Frank Bruno though. I hear he's very depressed and doing some pretty bizarre things.

kiwiman

David 'The Terminator' Tua... Tua..

Jephree

he should, he's already the man!

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Parker

Vitaly Klitschko is the guy that will take over. It would be interesting if he had to fight is own brother. I think the rest of the guys are bums. We will just have to see because I have been stunned before.

Plan9Senior

Klitschko beat the shit out of Lewis before having the fight stopped due to a cut that happened from the side of Lewis' glove. I am so glad he retired because he is the absolute most boring boxer I have ever watched fight. I think Klitschko might have a chance. I personally would love to see him fight Tyson.

Vaultboy

Lewis deserves to be among the elite boxers as one of the greatest of all time. Just because he boxes with his head and not his heart (like Bruno, for example) always meant that he would never be a crowd's favourite, but that i now way diminishes what he has accomplished. His record is something like 42,2&1. And no one who has beaten him has survived a rematch.

And he has extinguishd the American myth of the Horizontal British Heavyweight. The man deserved kudo for that alone.

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JoeyB

Apparently, Iron Mike wants to return to the ring soon.

Even though he hasn't fought in more than a year, Tyson is fighting financial problems, so he may step into the ring this summer.

He certainly won't take over the division....but he might be back.

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bt8624

Lewis is not one of the all time greats, he fought some great fighters and one, true, but he has not boosted himself to that category.

89transam

i watched that fight, it may have been close (for a lewis fight) but Klitschko was not beating him up. And the reason hes boring is because he is so good. And to all saying hes not one of the greats, who do you think could beat him? I bet he would tear Ali a new one.

bt8624

Your joking right? It was like Klitschko was beating on a heavy bag. The cut came from the extra long jab that lewis has...that was the only thing lewis had going for him. He looked like he did when he was draped over Holyfield like a wet towel in thier rematch....which was a bogus draw. As far as him being boring because he's good? Tyson was never boring (and i'm not a fan), Ali was never boring, Marciano...ect. The great ones never sat back with an 82 inch jab....they went after the other fighter...and took them out...thats what made them great. Lewis is getting out before a fighter in thier prime comes along a takes him out...like klitschko just about did.....yet another loss lewis was bailed out of.

docbungle

Lewis was the best of his era, obviously. But his era is over now. Once Wladimir Klitschko returns, he will be the man. Vitali will no longer matter.

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Vaultboy

oh really? Remember the rumble in the jungle? Pretty boring tactics from the ligtfooted Ali. But it worked. Lewis boxes with his brain. Just because not he's not a showstopper, don't rule him out as a great. Look at the man's record.

Anmd for the record, Klitchko was marginally ahead on points before Lewis made him bleed. But that's part of boxing. He still lost.

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Blu2e354

Lewis was one of the all time greatest winners in boxing, it seems like thats all he did

Vaultboy

Errr, I might be mistaken, but being one of trhe greatest winners is normally what puts you amongst the elite in any sport. Fans might not agree, but thats why their called fans: fanatics dont follow reason.

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ReggErving

Lewis is a big pussy. He knows he would get his assed beat if he fought Klitschko again.

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cheesemoney

No pussy gets in the ring with Mike Tyson...
fool...

Merlocke

Lewis is making the right move.
With nothing left to really prove - and if his heart isn't into the fight anymore, there's no point dragging on something if you don't really want to be there anymore.

Someone said - his era is done, and I for one think he's earned his place as a champ. He played the game with his head and won - not a showstopper, but everyone plays differently right? People fight the way they're built. If the guy has reach, that's nothing to rag on him for. Hell if I had that kinda reach, I'd peg people from hella 82 inch range myself.

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Vaultboy

You are joking right? Corrie Sanders made him look like the punk he is. And Sanders isn't even good.

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