Lennox Lewis (1999) vs. George Foreman (1973)

Foreman comes in swinging and open, but it's only so he can walk you onto a shorter shot which has even more power in it. He'll cut the ring off, stiffle your punches as they're thrown and work behind a heavy jab. If he lands flush and full power, Lewis sleeps.

But Lewis is full capable of performing a hand-crafted Manny Stewart plan. If he blasted Foreman with some fast, hard combos in the first and then kept him at range with his jab and stiff arms until Foreman was tired, he could out-last him. I'm also not as sold on Foreman's durability as others. If Lewis nails him like he did Golota, Grant, Rudduck, Rahman etc; then I can see Foreman hitting the deck.

Lewis by late TKO for me. Although it's literally a dead 50/50 IMO, and someone's getting KTFOd. I'm picking the Lewis scenario as he has the better trainer, high ring IQ and can win by boxing or KO.

 

Foreman didn't exactly face many elite HWs in terms of speed, like for example Patterson.
IMO Young moved very fast too when Foreman faced him.

I never said I disagree with that.

I'm saying 90s Foreman had thicker bones than 70s Foreman, that's all.

I agree with that. Lennox was better and more skilled in his 30s due to teaming up with Steward.

I agree, Lewis's stamina was not as good in his 30s as it was in his 20s. BUT Lewis's boxing style did not require huge stamina, as did the styles of boxers like Tyson and Frazier. Lewis would stay behind his jab and not move that much. Plus 70s Foreman had stamina problems, so he doesn't have any advantage in this department, not even over a 30s Lewis.

If the younger Lewis would have had the skills he acquired once he teamed up with Steward, definitely. But as it stands, he was less skilled in the early 90s.

I'm not implying that the more you age, the better your chin gets. I just said the chin of a 30-early 40s man is better than the chin of a 20 year old.
The reason many fighters are stopped in their late 30s-early 40s is cause they are battle worn by then, they've received countless punches during their career. Plus their reflexes, stamina are decreased, thus they are easier to hit.
To explain this better, if you're not worn out from fighting, the 30-early 40 year old version of yourself would be able to take a punch better than the 20 year old version of yourself.

Actually, steroids do improve your endurance. But anyway, I never said Foreman had chin issues, his chin was always good as you pointed out. I just said it was even better in the 90s. And the extra weight he had on made him almost impossible to out-muscle and he could absorb a punch better.

Holyfield did not have less punching power when he faced Tyson. And although he was more worn in some respect, he was also more experienced, while Tyson was no longer the same beast he was in the 80s. Plus he had been inactive for 3 and half years and had only fought a total of 8 rounds before facing Holyfield.

Lennox didn't take Briggs serious, he would take Foreman.

All faced 90s Foreman, not a 73 Foreman.

Lyle went toe to toe with Foreman and matched him. The match could have ended either way.

Lennox does not have to be as durable as Foreman cause he won't be stupid to slug it out. Lennox will simply outbox Foreman and win it on points. He'll keep his distance and score points in a boring fight.

 

Great post. I am on the fence myself. Anyone thinking this isn't a two way type of fight is kidding themselves. Both are monsters and bring enormous assets to the table. Edge of your seat type of fight this one.

 

Even if lewis won 1 fight, he only could make it at his very best Night and Foreman would take him out in a rematch, Lewis did not have the chin to survive everytime against Foreman

 

And i like Liston too over Lewis stylistically

 

Lewis would beat him, he’s better in just about every way except power and the doesn’t even matter because Lewis has his own knock out power I see Lewis sticking a hard jab on him all night and keeping it long and safe if Forman got close Lewis would tie him up and Lewis was stronger than foreman, I don’t see what foreman can do unless he lands a lucky punch which is possible, foreman was used to having the size advantage and bullying people and being stronger and forcing people back

 

How can you know that? Foreman is one of the strongest champions ever.

 

Foreman 1973 was powerful but crude. Lewis circa 1999 might be good enough to take this but its tough. He has to get past the first few rounds when George would be at his most dangerous and use his jab, height and movement. If he wins, it's on points. Lewis wouldn't be able to take the punishment Ali took in '74 to win. If George is going to win, it's by knockout.

If I had to pick, George by ko in a brawl. Could be wrong though.

 

Because Lennox Lewis was over 20 lbs heavier than him and Lewis was strong even for a mid 240s fighter it’s very unlikely that Foreman could bully Lewis, I think 90s foreman stands more of a chance of beating Lewis because Foreman could use his bullish tactics and use his weight

 

Foreman in 1970s averaged 220 lbs and he trained down his weight. Lewis didn't weigh over 240 lbs until he got old.

I hope that you also believe that Primo Carnera is much stronger than Lewis as well.

 

Lewis had an iron chin, he fought the hardest punchers of his era and was only down twice, and both times he was the better fighter but that’s just something that happens at heavyweight, even Ali was almost ko’d by cooper. Ali couldn’t run form foreman??? If he couldn’t run and he still outboxed then I think a much larger fighter with atg boxing skills and more power can also do it. Plus foreman was smaller and far less skilled than Lewis

 

Foreman KO's Lewis. Lewis would fight scared and too much glass in that jaw

 

Primo Carnera may be stronger but he would lose to both Lewis and foreman he is very stiff

 

So I'm assuming you think Holmes was stronger than Holyfield?