Did you know that Mike Tyson actually knocked out Lennox Lewis cold when they sparred in the 1980s?

^ You've spelt their names correctly.


But the rest is wrong.

 

I'm not sure if true or not but Lennox got the final say years later.

 

I famously knocked out Ali in the 70s and when Holmes came in to stop things I took him out too.


Of course I did not win the gold in 72, mainly due to the handicap of not being alive.


But there are plenty witnesses to this.

 

Wouldn't surprise me. Tyson was a beast at that juncture. He was way ahead of Lewis in development.

 

LOL .. never heard that .. I've read time and again they both had days when they edged the other ..

 

I know Lewis who at the time was World Junior champion tells a story of going to the Catskills to spar with the 17 year old Tyson.
On the first day he says that Tyson was trying to kill him and that it was very tough.
He says by the 3rd or 4th day he was getting the better of Tyson, but he didn’t mention being knocked out.
Maybe he wouldn’t!

 

I don’t believe it when he said he could handle him no way

Lewis seemed genuinely scared of a shot Tyson in 2002, he was hugging and clinching excessively early on. Tyson has no stamina past round 1 so Lewis dominated. But I will never forget the absolute fear he showed early on with how much excessive clinching. To be afraid of that version of Tyson to me shows he could never beat the best version .

 

The book for big men (especially) on Tyson was to tie him up in close keeping him out of mid range, lean on him to wear him down, punch at times when he tried to fly in from the outside and generally wait him out a bit. Lewis did this to a tee.

Watch the first 30 seconds again. As planned Lewis went out and gained his respect, throwing some dynamite punches and then went to plan B as the fight went on. He mixed it briefly with Tyson when Tyson was at his freshest and most dangerous. It would be incredibly stupid to fight to Tyson's strengths no matter what one thinks of the version as he could still punch and was in fact rated #3.

Lewis would fight peak Tyson exactly the same way and the blueprint would again be correct. Holyfield clinched Tyson and frustrated him endless times among other great tactics to keep him from camping at mid range and it was an inspired effort. Lewis may have been cautious after his early blitz but it was the best way to get the job done - allowing Tyson the least chance of winning.

I didn't see fear i saw respect and a well thought out gameplan which was followed to the tee.

 

There is a new doc on Lewis on crackle tv that I am watching and it doesn't mention this. Good doc though

 

Which doesn't make him "better". Lewis dwarfs him and size certainly adds up when you have the arsenal and tactical awareness of Lewis behind it. The woods are full of skilled guys that were defeated in other area's.

Tyson didn't knock him out in sparring but i think you may have known that Mark, deep down.

 

This, Tyson was a finished product very early on while Lewis took years to develop. Tyson was most likely ridiculously more skilled than Lewis in the early 80s, but apparently Lewis ended up getting the better of him the last day of sparring, which just makes Lewis look better. I don’t know how much I’d trust these stories though, gym wars have a tendency to get really exaggerated over the years