Lennox was a tall, balanced fighter who used his size and physical attributes to his best as well as learning and developing as a 'pugilist specialist' as he loved to call himself, along the way. He had a probing jab he would hit you with from a mile away, score points, and set up his amazing right hand from way outside. Joe Louis was...well Joe Louis. The complete fighter, he had it all and he had it all in spades! He has a crushing jab, he controlled timing and range like no fighter before or since. He had knockout power in both his hands and set-up his punches with timing, counter-punching, feints, hand-speed and combinations with incredible skill and physical gifts. He could box, jab and out-score a mean with ease and watching him do so was graceful to see; but alternatively he was just as effective applying pressure waiting for an opening and landing his bombs. IMO the greatest finisher in boxing history, as Sugar Ray Robinson said - 'If Joe got you hurt, you were done for, no one finished guys off like Joe Louis.' Lennox would have to keep Joe as far away as possible. Lennox would have to use that probing jab to keep Louis weary, and in doing so ,not get lazy with the jab, because one lazy punch would be all it would take for Louis to land a one-hitta-quitta and drop Lennox for the count. As we know, Lewis had a shaky chin and would have to be on his guard 24/7 just like he was against Tua in order to take this fight. His best bet would be to use his size and win on points, if he tried to knock the Brown Bomber out he'd be making a big mistake and have to pay for it - no one fights mano a mano against Joe Louis and gets away with it. Louis on the other hand would have to apply 'scientific pressure', in saying that I mean very controlled and not wild. He had a great jab, and as we saw in Lewis v Mercer, Lennox hated a good jabber. Joe would have to pump the jab and steadily, with balance and high guard to fend off the jabs and right hands, move closer to Lewis looking for an opening or sloppy punch to punish the big man to the body, or come from under to the point of the chin. IMO, it would be Lennox Lewis fighting off the back foot for the entire fight, he'd keep his jab pumping at the slowly edging Louis who'd want to land that jab, set up shots to the body and counter-punch to the head. As Lewis takes the early rounds with his size and jab, Louis shortens the gaps and starts landing his own jab - giving the big man trouble. As the fight develops into a classic, the speed, timing and accuracy of Joe Louis gives Lennox reason to worry who in the final rounds or a back-and-forth boxing exhibition, tries to win safe with a KO...bad move. Joe Louis draws him in, times him perfectly and lands a combo flush. KO11 Joe Louis
Ok everybody ignore your post so i will start it. Close fight. You could make the same number of points in favour of both men.one thing is sure, if oNE of them gets hurt seriously(specially lewis) the other one will finish the job
I don't think Louis would have an answer for the distance he'd have to cross. And he never felt Lewis-like power in his career.
My thoughts as well, but I'm going to give Louis the benefit of the doubt that he gets knocked down, but gets up and survives the fight and losses by decision, more likely is that he gets knocked out.
Here's a whole punch of points I disagree with. For starters why would Lewis fight off the back foot? I really can't think of many fights, if any, that he deployed this for an entire fight. Tua? He made sure Tua felt his power and then boxed him to a one sided decision. Tyson?, well yes for maybe a round or two, but he also systematically beat the living **** out of him. Golota, Grant, Ruddock that was Lewis in full attack mode. Mercer, that was a war, and was Vitali's fight, be no way was Lewis fighting off his back foot in either. In fact he was essentially stalking Vitali in the 6th round. I think Lewis comes out extremely aggressive and likely overwhelms Louis before Louis can get on track, failing that he would keep him from getting on the inside with his jab and overhand right.
Louis the far greater technical fighter. The big defect in Lewis style was he dropped his jab. He was wide open for Louis best punch and Louis had the technical skill to exploit this defect. Lewis moves about jabbing at Joe as Louis stalks, Bob and weaves, slips and parries. Louis times that jab and begins landing his right hand which hurts his larger opponent. In round eight a straight right followed by a two fisted barrage ends the bout with Lennox helpless against the rope. Louis TKO 8 over Lewis.
Louis dropped his jab [didn't return it to the guard position at times ,]at least that's what Jack Johnson said and Schmeling proved.
Louis had the technical ability to capitalize upon this defect more so than Lewis. Plus post Schmeling 1 Blackburn corrected this flaw to a great extent.
i agree Joe was a better technical fighter because i haven't ever seen a fighter better technique wise at heavy, but i reckon Lewis would stop Louis. you just can't ignore the weight differential and i for one put the Canadian/British/Jamaican in the top division for bangers enough to stop the Great Brown Bomber
Not by itself it wouldn't be Lewis was also a good enough amateur boxer to win a gold metal in the Olympics and he was also a good enough fighter to become champion of the world when the typical fighter was probably 6'2" or 6'3" and 220lbs. So the skill set between them, which they favor Louis, it's not be a huge amount, not enough to overcome the power, height, strength, and reach advantages Lewis would bring. The one thing Lewis was very good at was fighting like the big man he was. I honestly can't imagine Louis dispelling Ruddock in the manner Lewis did, can you?
The only thing that makes me think here is the chin of Louis.. If you give him the chin of tyson,foreman etc i would have problems to find anyone beating him. Except ali
