1997 Lennox Lewis vs 1974 Muhammad Ali

Their right hands were equally deadly weapons, but Wlad's left hook was light years ahead of Lewis' left in terms of power.

 

I think Lewis beats him easy. Lewis didn't have a weak chin. He took good shots from the very best. Lewis had a bad habit of switching off before fights he thought he would win. Ali would not be one of them. Lewis by decision or late TKO.

 

Rodrigo Boon, I have a question for you: Yes or No, Didn't Lennox Lewis get kayoed by Oliver Mc Call and Hassim Rahman? No excuses about training but Yes Or No. Or Am I just hallucinating. Muhammad Ali got stopped once, and that was by then WBC Champion Larry Holmes on Oct 2 1980. Ali had been dropped by Sonny Banks in Feb 1962, Henry Cooper in June 1863, Joe Frazier in round 15 on March 8 1971, and against Chuck Wepner on March 24 1975, and that was questionable. My point that no referee ever counted Ali ou, and Lewis was counted out twice. That could suggest a weak chin given the fact that the ten count was counted over him twice.

 

Yes or No means nothing. Circumstances matter. He took both lightly, those are not excuses, they are FACTS.

It doesn't suggest anything. If he had a weak chin he'd have went down from some of the shots Mercer hit him with.
Went he was counted out, he got hit by punches he did not see. And they were bombs, not tappy taps.
Anyone would have went down from the punch McCall hit him with, Ali included. Hell, Ali would probably wake up in the hospital.

 

No it wasn't.
Liston was old and did not train properly. He didn't land any bombs on Ali. Neither did Foreman.
Shavers landed 2 or 3, but he did not hit as strong as the other two, and he never followed up on those shots, he stood there like an idiot, allowing Ali time to recover.

 

Hardly. Tippy Tap. Ha Ha Ha.

 

Six of one, half dozen of another. Equal rights. Lewis has a better uppercut. Wlad has a better left hook.

Both of them had all the power a fighter could want.

 

It's conceivable that 97 Lewis gets a decision from 74 Ali, but no way in hell does he stop him. Ali would have taken Lewis very seriously and would have been very prepared and in top condition.

 

Lewis can more than stop him.

 

Maybe - but you're banking on something that nobody did.

Liston, Foreman, Shavers, Frazier - all of these, probably Lyle as well should have stopped him.

That 1974 version, whilst not having his legs of old, had faster handspeed than Lewis, an excellent radar and strategic mind and an indomitable will to win. Micky Tyson spoke about Ali being greater than he as he was willing to die in the ring. We have never seen Lewis put in the type of performances that Ali did in Kinshasa or Manilla, conditions taken into account as well.

This is a close, close fight. I wouldn't argue for a knock out for any of the fighters here.

 

I always thought better opposition brought out the best in Lewis and there could be none better than Ali. I don't know who would win this one; I could see either man winning on points and either stopping the other. Maybe '74 Ali would have the edge but it would be a fight for the ages.

 

I don't think Lewis took McCall lightly TBH he just caught with a blind punch he didn't see coming. McCall had Emanuel Steward in his corner and they came up with a great gameplan.

In the end it worked out best for Lewis as he ended up going with Emanuel Steward and becoming a better fighter.

 

The biggest hitters, Liston and Foreman, did not get to land any bombs on his face, otherwise they'd havestopped him.
Frazier is not an ATG puncher.
And although Shavers landed 3 or 4 powerful shots, he failed to follow up, he just stood there like an idiot, allowing Ali time to recover.

Ali's legs is the determining factor here, he won't be able to run all night from Lewis. As soon as Lewis lands the right hand, it's all over for Ali.