Rahman didn't land anything like the punch he landed on Lewis, against Toney. Moreover, Rahman hadn't knocked out a world class heavy in 5 years (since his one-hit-wonder evening in Johannesburg). Can you imagine Toney moving like Fortune did, because I can't. Fortune wasn't anything to write home about, but he used a lot of movement in the ring against Lewis. Heavyweight Toney still had fast hands but his feet were as slow as molasses. As such, he relied upon close range exchanges, where he didn't have to move them too much. He could look good, if his opponent went on the attack with abandon and Toney could make them miss with slick upper-body and head movement. But, Lewis wouldn't need to accommodate Toney in that way. He could just land on Toney with long to mid-range punches and Toney wouldn't have much of an answer for them. By the way - highlighting the "plenty of times" Toney was hit by Rahman (who isn't exactly Mr Stealth in the delivery department, but still beat Toney handily, despite the strange decision) and subsequently declaring Toney's "defense ... was exceptional", is a stark contradiction in terms.
No contradiction at all because the version that fought Rahman was much fatter and slower than the one that fought Holyfield
So what you meant to say was Toney's defense was exceptional against Holyfield - because, after that fight, Toney didn't come in to his next eight or nine bouts, over a 5 year period, at a weight resembling what it had been in October 2003. This timeframe more or less made up the meaningful stage of Toney's career as a heavyweight. Holyfield, several days short of his 42nd birthday, wasn't a shadow of his former self. Add to that he didn't resemble Lewis in any way as a boxer and I'm not sure how much we can glean from that contest and what is says about how a fight between Heavyweight Toney (2003) and Lennox Lewis would go.
Pretty much this I could see Lennox wearing Toney out with excessive clinching and punching power stopping Toney late.
Lewis is arguably the greatest head to head threat in the division. A roided up, Wendy's eating Toney isn't going to make a dent in the Lion.
I think Ali and Holmes would defeat Lennox. I also would make Louis a favourite to beat him.Look Lennox takes the fights to bigger men but not against fighters like Toney. That would play right into Tone's hands.
I agree that Toney's chin and defense was exceptional. Not an easy task to knock him out. Trying to kock James out plays into his hands. Anyway, I am sure Emmanuel's game plan would be to stay on the outside and pile up the points with the jab and throw the occasional straight right hand. Do not get into the exchanges with Toney. Emmanuel knew James quite well from Kronk.
Toney doesn't get hit with straight right hands. This would be a better fight than many would like to admit
Lewis wins comfortably on points, but my goodness, he's getting overrated in some of these. This Fantasy Lewis character is a whole other ballgame. Fantasy Lewis has turned into something Actual Lewis couldn't ever hope to deal with. Fantasy Lewis is an aggressive killer who knocks out iron chinned defensive fighters faster than Actual Lewis took out face first sluggers with chin issues like Tommy Morrison.
just like he did against Mavrovic.James went 100 fights without being KOD but I guess it is meaningless to you