Man you make some good points. I have to say I agree as after rewatching the Fortune clip, he is much more squared than in an orthodox stance. And as much as Rocky moves in he also liked to pull back from punches, Lennox would probably use that reflex of Rock's against him.
I don't want to provoke any hypertension related issues from our more distinguished audience members.
I would not put it past him because Lewis was a very advanced tactician. A chess player by nature. He would likely take the cautious route.
It was a clean overhand right that knocked Lewis spark out. Sure, Rahman was much heavier than Rocky and a few inches taller..but nobody can realistically diminish Marcianos ability to deliver a comparable blow in that situation. He had ATG power and timing. Rahman was famous for little else than once clipping Lewis with a Marciano type punch.
He didn't have power on par with the modern superheavies. Give me a break. He had to beat those small ancients, old men the best of them, into submission via attrition... Walcott I, Charles, 1 & 2, Moore, Louis... even slobs like Cockell and Layne. All these guys small and if not old then poorly conditioned haymaker types like Cockell and Layne. Lewis fought a rogue's gallery of massive powerpunchers and beat them all. He didn't set up show on a remote circuit for 2/3 of his career and wait for the low ebb of the division to give him a shot.
Marciano doesn't punch like Tua, Rahman, Briggs, Mercer. How do you reckon Marciano would do with Ray Mercer?
Ray Mercer? Prime Ray mercer was level with the 1951 comeback version Of Joe Louis. Only Old Louis still might have beat Mercer. but he’s a better puncher because he knocked better fighters out than Mercer and Briggs. Tua was a hard puncher for sure. But how good is the best guy Tua knocked out? These guys lack championship wins. Rahman knocked out Lewis.but his second best knockout win is not worth much in ATG standards is it? Outside of Lewis, Where’s Rahman’s rep for being a crushing puncher?
you are right to call them modern super heavyweights. Of course Marciano was a traditional heavyweight of the type that existed before modern training and science enabled giants, who were previously unsuitable for boxing, to become functional and more relevant at world level. such men in Marcianos time, without these advances, could not flourish as you recognise them today. They were shark bait for traditional sized heavyweights. However, Marciano hit hard enough to put anyone to sleep for ten seconds and that is all that is required to record a knockout in Boxing. And he was proven at the highest level to do it. They were traditional sized heavyweights. As big as was needed to be at that time before modern advances enabled bigger guys to exist in larger numbers as real fighters. Lennox has an excellent resume. The best of his time. Lewis shared his era with many other fighters. There was no dominant champion for most of his career when Lewis shared equal status with other fighters. Being considered only one of the best, if not the actual best until the very twilight of his career. Which was not the case for many other ATG champions who were more universally recognised as best of their times. Marciano did not operate in a “remote circuit” at all. The sport of boxing enjoyed a far greater status while Rocky was champion than at any point of Lennox Lewis’s career. compare the live gates of championship fights.