Riddick Bowe, the former heavyweight champion, recently shared his thoughts on who he considers the better heavyweight boxer between Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis. In an interview with Boxing News, Bowe placed Holyfield above Lewis in his personal rankings.
Bowe's opinion carries weight, given his history with both fighters. He fought Holyfield three times in a memorable trilogy, winning two of those bouts. On the other hand, Bowe and Lewis never faced each other in the ring, with Bowe famously giving up his WBC belt rather than fighting Lewis.
When asked about his top heavyweight picks, Bowe didn't hesitate to put Holyfield at the top of his list. He explained his choice, saying:
"No matter what you do and how you do it, he's gonna be there."
Bowe's admiration for Holyfield's tenacity and resilience comes as no surprise. Holyfield made history as the only boxer to become undisputed champion in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, a feat that stood until Oleksandr Usyk matched it in May 2023.
Lewis wasn't far behind in Bowe's estimation, coming in at number two. Bowe acknowledged Lewis's physical advantages and durability:
"Lennox Lewis was the biggest of all of us and proved that he was durable."
Lewis's career was indeed impressive. He competed exclusively as a heavyweight and managed to defeat every opponent he faced, even when it took rematches to do so.
The rivalry between Holyfield and Lewis culminated in two fights in 1999. Their first bout, for the undisputed heavyweight championship, ended in a controversial split draw. One judge scored it 116-113 for Lewis, another had it 115-113 for Holyfield, and the third called it a 115-115 draw. In the rematch, Lewis won by unanimous decision, becoming the first all-belt champion in the division since Bowe seven years earlier.
Bowe's ranking of these two heavyweight legends adds another interesting perspective to the ongoing debate about their respective legacies. While both Holyfield and Lewis had stellar careers, it's Holyfield's relentless fighting spirit that seems to have left the strongest impression on Bowe.
