Why Majin Vegeta Beats Super Saiyan 2 Gohan From the Cell Games, No Debate About It

Majin Vegeta is stronger than Super Saiyan 2 Gohan from the Cell Games, and I don't think it's up for debate. The evidence for this is right there in the manga, in the anime, and in basic logic once you line up what the characters actually say and do.

During the fight between Gohan and Dabura, Vegeta notices that Gohan has gotten weaker compared to how much of a freak he was during the Cell Games. On top of that, both Goku and Vegeta imply they would be able to defeat Dabura easily. Taken together, those statements confirm that during the seven year time skip between the Cell Saga and the Buu Saga, Goku and Vegeta trained hard, unlocked Super Saiyan 2 themselves, and surpassed Gohan, who had softened up quite a bit since his Cell Games peak.

Peace Made Gohan Weak While Goku and Vegeta Kept Training

The reason Gohan falls behind comes down to what each of them was doing in those seven years. Gohan had peace, and that peace made him weak.

Goku and Vegeta both trained very hard during that same stretch, and that training is what let them unlock Super Saiyan 2 and surpass Gohan.

Majin Vegeta's Power Boost Pushes Him Past Gohan's Cell Games Peak

When Vegeta became Majin Vegeta shortly after this point, he got an even bigger power boost on top of the gains from those seven years of training. Piccolo notices this directly, observing that Vegeta has not only become equal to Gohan's Cell Games level but has surpassed it.

Gohan's Cell Games Strength Was Super Saiyan 2 Multiplied by Rage

It is worth remembering that Gohan in the Cell Games was not just Super Saiyan 2, it was Super Saiyan 2 multiplied by rage.

Even so, Goku and Vegeta, with seven years of nonstop training behind them, were able to overcome that rage fueled peak. No matter how much of a fan anyone is of Super Saiyan 2 Gohan, Goku and Vegeta clearly cleared that benchmark and never looked back.