Lennox Lewis vs. Wlad Klitschko.

In 2004? Wlad by stoppage most probably. Wouldn't be surprised of Lennox just stepped to him and was stronger (at that stage) and could get rid of Wlad as he liked to against dangerous opponents.

But prime for prime I'd favour Lewis. He was proven against massive left hooks, heavy rights, has the size and jab to not allow Wlad to get into the fight as much as he has shown he can at his very best and, I'd like to think Lennox would see the very best Wlad (Austin? Chambers? Chagaev?) as a stiffer test than Golota and Grant and wouldn't wait to get clobbered to step it up (Briggs)

As for Lennox's KO losses they came from squat guys either countering him mid-flow (McCall) or coming from underneath to bomb him. Wlad will be far more measured and Lennox, a bit more agile and a much more fluid, less robotic operator, will be the one pushing the pace and putting Wlad in trouble. Think Wlad would struggle to get much going against the best Lennox, if anyone feels differently I'd love to hear it. Certainly an interesting matchup.

I see an early stoppage win for a fires up Lennox against the best Wladimir Klitschko.

I've really come round to Wlad though. But not against Lennox. Bad matchup for him IMO.

I'm only taking Lennox's apparent lethargy against Vitali into the first hypothesis. Then again, if he wasn't preparing for Johnson he might still have one last big effort in him. I tend to think the Vitali fight was that and he got out at the right time.

Stylistically? Wlad is completely different to Vitali.

 

Vitali was beating Lewis on the outside until Lewis changed his tactics and went more to the inside.
The difference between Wlad and Vitali is that Wlad has a lot more power than Vitali, so it is possible Lewis would never get the chance to change his tactics.
Talking about old Lewis.

I favour Prime Lewis above any hw ever.

 

That's essentially my logic.

Old Lewis had trouble getting started against the height, reach, and jab of Vitali, and then was put in SERIOUS difficulty in the 2nd.

Wlad's jab is better and faster, and his right is easily twice as hard. Lewis has any of the same difficulty with Wlad, he doesn't survive the second round, and probably goes down Rahman I style.

 

Would you agree that Lennox had the faster jab than Wlad prime for prime Magna?

 

They are similar level boxers in my opinion. I'd favor Lewis prime for prime, but 2004 wasn't his prime. You can't give 11 years away to the next dominant heavyweight champ whoever you are. You get fights like Ali/Holmes and Louis/Marciano, which is what this would have been.

 

Sure didn't feel like it to me.

But then, I was quicker and sharper when I shared the ring with Lion than when I was with the Doc. That might account for it.

 

That's fair.

Very quick breakdown of the major points if you care to; what did Lennox do better than Wlad? And if Klitschko has the better jab and hits harder (I would assume with both hands? I know the left is the real Steelhammer) shouldn't he have more than just a fair chance prime for prime with Lennox?

 

Lennox is a fighter, period.

Wlad jabs, and it's an amazing jab. He hooks off it, and that hurts like hell. He fires the right behind the jab, and that hurts like hell. Then he holds ya.

Lennox wants to kick your ass. He throws hard, he plays hard, he he's looking to tear your head off.

Wlad wants your head, but he wants it on his terms, and it seemed to me atleast, with one shot. Lennox wanted my head period, and he came to take it.

Lennox also fights inside, whereas Wlad just holds you like a vice grip. It's tough getting free, but with Lewis, He's banging away with his right hand, and that uppercut is a killer.

I think Wlad has all the advantages as a boxer, but he's not half the stud in a pier 6 brawl, and Lennox could go there when he wanted, and was damn good in that scenario. Prime for Prime, he'd realize that pecking with jabs and booming right hands is counter productive, he'd wade in, and he'd punch in the clinches.

I see a big uppercut ending matters.

 

Yeah, we spoke about this on another thread recently Soon as I started reading I thought 'stupid stoner memory'

Still, good to see the breakdown.

As for Lewis' free hand in the clinch those body shots against Vitali are a great example of that.

 

ever sparred with Tyson?

 

Never expected that from you flea :rasta

Do you think if the Lewis from the Vitali fight came in motivated and well trained against Wlad he'd win? I personally think he still had the potential to go on for a few more years, but after Tyson I think he lost his drive.

 

I think I said earlier, regardless of what shape he might've been able to whip himself into with better prep' down the line he might not have had another Vitali-esque effort in him, which he'd need as he was getting on by that point anyway.

And I might've sampled the :rasta before

 

Wladimir Klitschko looked very shaky in 2004, losing to Brewster.
I think even an old Lewis, assuming he has deteriorated much beyond his Vitali fight form, would crush Wlad of 2004.

But the Wlad of a few years later would be a serious threat to any version of Lewis.

 

Williamson was scared of Wlad's power, he just stayed in his shell and caught Wlad with a very nice shot when he was off balance. It happens, Williamson was also a very very hard puncher with his right hand so it's not like he was knocked down by some chris byrd impersonator.

 

Definitely a shoot out. Whoever lands the first clean shot will win.

Lewis isn't Brewster so wlad won't take him lightly. He isn't sanders so wlad won't get countered by southpaw straight down the pipe.

wlad dominates the first two rounds behind the jab. Round 3 Lewis comes out rough and ready and from then its sudden death. I can't pick a winner.

Every physical advantage is with wlad plus he's young any hungry. Lewis has already secured his legacy and if experienced and arrogant.

Toss a coin.

Gun to my head I say wlad by ko.