Something that I have proposed when considering these type of H2H match ups is the application of cutting edge sports science at the relative times when matching up fighters with decades of a gap between them. Would it not be fair to either take Lewis back to Joe's day, with the food, work schedule, training quality, knowledge and methodology of Louis' day? This means no concentrated, structured sports-specific weightlifting in the gym, no growth hormones in food, little or no access to steroids whatsoever etc. etc. Alternatively, do you take Joe's genetic potential and transport him into Lewis' era, with an abundance of growth-hormone tainted food source, access to steroids, sports specific, functional weight training, lesser in my opinion trainer quality but potentially more opportunity to maximise his athletic talents? It is only after doing either of these that I can envisage how a H2H would play out. A Lennox in Joe's day for my money wouldn't be as big (due to fighting 15 rounds and more often for a paycheck), would potentially be better skilled from fighting more consistently, but could easily be avoided. A Louis in Lennox's day is a bigger fighter, punches just as cleanly but is likely more powerful due to having a more detailed scientific approach towards nutrition and functional resistance training to optimise explosiveness. I think this is a really difficult fight for both fighters - in Joe's era, I favour Joe. In Lennox's era, I'm not sure how Joe's chin holds up, but I know that he has the faster hands and could likely show Lewis something new that it takes a rematch to conquer.
This is the part of your post I was replying to. "He should have been too big and too strong for Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman"Lewis was 15.5lbs heavier than Rahman and just 6.75lbs heavier than McCall when he lost to them.
After reading some of these very good opinions there truly are good arguments on both sides, which is why the 50/50 odds are probably correct. As for me, I can see Lewis ahead on all the cards getting clipped with a combo and going down around the 5 or 6th round. Then after rising Joe unleashes a 3 punch combo that ends it.
The hell he was. Lewis would destroy Schmeling head to head... and not just because he was 5x the athlete but because he was 5x the heavyweight. A focused Lewis had the greatest superheavy skills the sport has seen. His timing and punch selection, his Ring IQ, his control of distance, his mauling, imposing his physicality... all top notch. Sometimes, I feel that people watch these old films with the thrill of a costume drama, not really seeing beyond the history for what was really happening.
Louis also had better combinations than Larry, harder puncher. Larry had the superior jab and chin. I pick Louis head to head against Larry, though. TKO in 10 (to me only Louis could have stopped prime Holmes. Ali would have UD'd him in the 60s).
I see Louis getting off the canvas, behind on all cards to take his opportunity when it comes and stun Lewis before stopping him with a beautiful combination.
Both fighters have tasted the canvas in their respected careers, but the question is who could arise from a knockdown to continue the bout. Lennox Lewis could not arise against Oliver McCall and Hassim Rahman, in the first fights. Who has a bigger heart? Joe Louis was decked by 6"6 Buddy Baer, but got up to kayo Baer. I do think that Joe would win this one by KO 11.
Perhaps because one guy was punched by the likes of Schmeling, Galento, Braddock and Walcott... The other guy got punched by barnyard behemoths, both 6-2, 240 lbs with 82" reaches, both with extensive, accomplished amateur backgrounds who actually knew how to throw a concise punch in a small window. One was the result of Lewis' horrible hubris against the ropes. And yes, if he did that against Louis, he would pay. Thankfully, he didn't repeat that act. The other was a total BS stoppage that would never have happened in the 1930's.