Could Lewis have survived the onslaught that was Manilla?

there is a difference between diminished and shot

By acknowledging Frazier was able to go 14 rounds in a fairly competitive war with Ali almost 3 yrs. after the first Foreman fight, it is clear Frazier while, dimished (from his peak), he was far from 'shot' when he defended his title against Foreman.

2nd Foreman fight Frazier was shot. 1981 Jumbo Cummings Frazier was shot.

 

You estimates of the two guys in the ring in Manilla are clearly too much.

Frazier was completely shot. He had been the best heavy in the world earlier for 6 years and that run had taken its toll. That time was past. He would essentially fight, and get KO'd, one time more.

Ali would hang on with some victories, and losses, over non-entities and a gift versus a faded Norton.

Each fighter provided great relief for the other... and that apparently has some fooled into thinking there was some great display of ability occurring.

 

Lewis at his vest beats Ali or Frazier from the Manilla fight. It's a whole different story if he fights either from their first fight.

 

Once again Swag is schooled. It never gets old.

 

As I type this, it's two days before Christmas. The temperature in Jamaica is 88 degrees with 60 percent humidity.

Lennox Lewis spent most of his time outside the ring in Jamaica. He loved the heat and humidity.

During the 1970s, Ali lived in Chicago. Frazier lived in Pennsylvania. The heat in Manila bothered both because it was only hot in their states three months out of the year. They were cold-weather guys.

Lennox Lewis would've thrived in the Manila heat. And he was bigger and much stronger than both.

Lewis also arguably had a better chin than Frazier. And Ali was on the deck more times than Lennox was, himself.

Lewis stops 1975 Joe Frazier in four or five. He stops 1975 Muhammad Ali in seven or eight.

Neither Frazier nor Ali were going to outpoint Lewis. Nobody did.

 

Nobody of Lewis era including Lewis himself would have survived Manilla.

Except maybe Holyfield.

Frazier and Ali were both in heavy life danger , there were over 40 degrees in hall.
Today this would be stopped even before the entire fight.

Only the hatred against each other , luck , and an incredible willpower
save both from death.

 

Ali and Frazier were done in 1975. And they only survived because they were BOTH done.

Bugner went 15 with Ali that year and didn't have a mark on his face at the end. Journeyman Chuck Wepner went 15 with Ali that year.

Lennox Lewis was many many LEVELS, TIERS, RUNGS higher than anyone Ali fought in 1975, including Joe Frazier on his last legs.

Lennox Lewis (with everything he brought to the table) would've been the toughest man Muhammad Ali ever faced in the ring if they'd fought. And 1975 Ali wasn't up for it.

Hell, prime Ali may not have been up for it. Forget 1975 Ali. And 1975 Frazier? No chance.

The heat would've lessened Frazier and Ali's chances against Lewis ... not improved them.

 

The so called "onslaught" that Frazier was subjected to in Manila, was one which consisted of him being salted and peppered by jabs all night long to the point of extreme swelling and by an opponent who had virtually no snap left to his shots... Those were not power punches by any means. Certainly not the kind needed to cause Lewis's undoing..

 

Lewis has only been in 4 fights that involved him sustaining any sort of punishment.

Mercer, Bruno, Holyfield and Vitali. The first 3 had no serious issue landing jabs or body shots at any point of the fight but never really seemed able to tag him upstairs. Vitali has loads of punishing success and this is the fight were we saw what Lewis was made of durability wise.

Did we see enough in that fight to say Lewis can survive a multitude of consistently landed flush shots? No we didn't. Not in my mind, compound the 2 one punch losses he suffered and it's fair to say his chin wasn't built for war.

If Lewis had to take shot after shot he would lose imo.

 

I have. Have you ? :good

 

Frazier proved his chin against Foreman imo.

How anyone can take so many flush hooks from Big George and stay conscious is astounding.

 

Frazier was dropped twice by Bonavena. Bonavena is not dropping Lewis.

 

Frazier could be dropped but his powers of recovery were incredible in my mind.