37 Year Old Lennox Lewis vs FOTC Joe Frazier

For what it's worth, Hoylfield said Foreman was the physically strongest opponent he faced and even mentioned Bowe and Lewis by name while giving the answer. While it's true Foreman in the 90's did more strength training, he was also very old and had reduced athleticism and fast twitch muscle. Young Foreman was much more explosive and aggressive. He didn't do modern lifting in the 70's but he did old school strength training like chopping wood, digging holes, medicine ball, push ups, moving wheel barrows with Liston, heavy bag, etc. Over powered Lyle and Chuvalo who were power house beasts and about as strong as you could get in that era.

Lewis was no slouch himself and may have been closer to prime Foreman in terms of just raw strength, but he didn't utilize it and employ a very rough house physical style the way Foreman did. He preferred to make swarmers come to him, pawing with a jab, setting up righthands, then tying them up and backing up again to make them start over. The Tua fight is a perfect example of Lewis being content to just win by decision and never pressing the issue.

I favor prime Lewis to beat prime Frazier 60-70% of the time either by decision or late stoppage depending on the ref (if he's allowed to clinch and bully excessively). A more strict ref give Frazier a greater chance, closer to 55:45 type odds slightly more even but that height, reach, and power would still be a big problem.

However, Lewis of the Vitali fight was likely way too heavy and fat to keep up with a prime Frazier. I give him a punchers chance since he hit hard as hell and was a veteran at this point, but Frazier's work rate and pressure would likely be too much and.i favor Frazier 70-80%.

 

Lewis wins an ugly decision

 

Your confidence is misguided. Frazier stands no chance. It worked against Ali, cause Ali was not a big puncher, so Frazier could trade blow for blow, or even take 2 or 3 in order to land 1. If he does that with Lewis, he's dead meat.

 

where am I wrong cause ali never was better then lennox as a outboxer or was he ever as strong or hit as hard

 

were like brothers man facts like always
George doesnt count cause his tech was trash but the earnie Match showed that ali was rocked with 8 hard shots

earn punch tech wasnt that trash and he was a better finisher then George as far as single shots way better

Lennox was a better finisher then both and hit way cleaner Then both and didnt waste shots like dumb George logic says like you said he put joe down and keeps him there

Lennox is not the person who a person just forces their way in with

not even the destroyer dave wanted to trade with him and he was as tough as iron the toughest man ever in hw shows how hard lennox hit as a outboxer

 

Aite then first Bonavena and Foreman fight don't count either now Frazier never been dropped like Lennox

 

doesn't work cause joe shown earlier in his career he was hittable and didnt fight the right fight for lennox

lennox 2 matches doesnt show how he fought in his young or old days before those matches it's a dumb comment to say off 2 matches

joe is the one who people have to prove could handle Lennox

 

from legend magoo

 

Lewis really wasn't that weak. He was still murking dudes. The Kronk system is to bulk dudes up and make them impose their size, even at the expense of stamina and athleticism.

Rahman would have given FOTC Frazier fits. I honestly think that fight's a pick-em in the early rounds. And if Joe survives, Rahman eats everything Joe throws at him with a smile. Even if it becomes one-sided, Rahman doesn't fold.

Sadly, Frazier doesn't last long against Lewis who rushed to bomb out fighters he was a strong favorite to beat.

 

OK, let's not get ridiculous. Lewis definitely was not the best out-boxer ever.

 

I left out hw which he was and it wasnt all I said

 

He was very good, but what makes you pick him over Ali, Holmes, Byrd, Vitali and Fury?

 

his skill at being able to box at range all day if he needed to or could fight mid range and had great power and could use his size none of those dudes could do that as good with having that much power

 

Well, you said out-boxer, so that comes down to interpretation. If do NOT mean pure-defense, I can better appreciate your argument. But he really didn't do it better than Wlad. Manny Steward said so himself. And look what Fury did to Wlad.

When is the last time your saw Lewis-Rahman 1?

I think Lewis is phenomenal, but I wouldn't say he's the best out-boxer. I agree he's amazing at fighting defensively, and then at any instant ending the fight. Even if Wlad was more conservative AND hit harder, even he couldn't do that. Lewis could shut a guy out behind his jab, then out of no where end a fight. Amazing stuff.

 

Frazier is running out of his era here. He was good in the sixties time ran out when he had to fight a new bigger stronger fighter. He kept fighting the same guys he fought in the sixties after he lost to Foreman. Had he continued to fight new opponents like Lyle Shavers Norton he would have had more losses to some of them. Then take it to the eighties and you go up another level in size strength and athleticism. Coming into the 2000s the top fighters would have been too big for Frazier. Lewis who had better pure boxing skills would out weigh him by 40 pounds. They make weight divisions for a reason. Lewis within 2 rounds.