Jesus Jason your reaching. Bowe ducked Lewis, Lewis beat both Holyfield and Tyson. He beat Tua who was a big gun at the time. RJJ has only just moved up and said he wont fight Lewis. Wlad wasnt even on the radar as a contender when Lewis quit. Like it or not Lewis dominated the division for years. No, hes not the greatest fighter who ever lived, but he was a very good fighter, easily the best heavyweight of the 90's.
"Jesus Jason your reaching."
It is not reaching to say that the only top guy Lewis ever faced was Holyfield. And maybe Klitchko. And Holyfield was the best HW of the 90's, anyone will tell you that
Thats why he should come back for the one fight and beat Klitschko but this time, train properly and prove that he actually has a legacy!
I'm not a big LL fan, but he never brought any outright bad press to the sport. True enough, he could come across as an arrogant prick and wasn't the most exciting fighter around, but he was pretty consistent and the man could punch. (That right hand he dropped Rahman with in the 2nd fight still makes me flinch!)
I thought he looked terrible against Klit, and I agree that he's very dirty. He was constantly rubbing his dreads into Klit's face after he cut him, and was also putting his forearm into that cut a lot too. However, he did cut up Dr. K. with punches, and the stoppage was legit.
I would much rather see more fighters do as LL is doing, and retire on top, than what we normally do see... mainly, fighters following Holyfield's path, and staying on entirely too long.
This opens up the division too, and should result in some very interesting matchups to sort out the hierarchy of the division. I'm looking forward to these fights.
"I would much rather see more fighters do as LL is doing, and retire on top, than what we normally do see... mainly, fighters following Holyfield's path, and staying on entirely too long"
wait and see if he stays retired before you say that. Although I agree that its nice to see someone who seems to know when to call it quits
JH, I think (we'll see, but my gut says it's so) that LL will be like Marvin Hagler and will resist the urge to comeback.
He apparently told british journalists when asked if he would return "I told you last year before I fought VT that I felt I had two more fightds left in me. Well, I still feel that way."
I'd like to see LL fight Vitali one more time, mainly because I'm a selfish bastard and that's the heavyweight fight I'd most like to see right now.
Sure, LL beat Vitali but he didn't do it in convincing fashion. I'm not a fan of his but I respect his achievements in the ring, and winning a rematch in dominant fashion would go a long way towards cementing LL's legacy as the best heavyweight of his era in the minds of most fans. As things stand right now, a lot of folks believe he's scared shitless to fight Vitali again, and that his victory was a fluke. That's no way to call it a career.
LL's TKO victory over Vitali was no fluke. That cut was bad. However, the question of who is the better fighter has been left unanswered. IMO, LL should come back and emphatically answer that question before retiring as champion. He should get his ass in the best shape possible, give the best effort of his career, and go out (win or lose) like a true champion.
"LL will be like Marvin Hagler and will resist the urge to comeback. "
Hagler would have come back if Leonard would have fought him
"Hornbuckle, Evander never beat Bowe at his best either, Bowe was a shell of his best in the last two fights, and when Bowe was in his prime he refused to fight Lennox, so it was stupid of you to bring that up. "
LMAO! That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard on this board. Congrats. When do you think Bowe's prime was, just out of curiousity?
The washed up Foreman you say Holyfield fought won the title after Holyfield beat him, so I guess he wasn't all that washed up. Lennox ducked the Larry Holmes that Evander beat, according to Larry Holmes. Lennox could not have beaten the Tyson Holyfield beat without cheating, imo. Go watch Lennox/McCall. Listen to Emmanuel's comments about how crappy Lennox's balance is. Listen to Emmanuel talk about all Lennox has is a jab and a wild right. He wasn't a great boxer for the first half of his career.
you know, the more I think about it, the funnier this gets. Bowe was still in his prime when he beat Holy the first time? But then when Holyfield beats him less than a year later, Bowe's all washed up? And Bowe is a coward cause he relinquished one belt rather than fight Lennox, but Lennox is the greatest of the 90's even though he was stripped of a belt for refusing to fight Ruiz?
sometimes. Is that your way of ducking the argument?
"Bowe was a shell of his best in the last two fights"
so you are standing behind that statement? I ask again: When do you think Bowe was in his prime as a fighter then?
Good riddance to the worst fighter to hold the undisputed crown since Johannson.