Muhammad Ali vs Lennox Lewis

Lennox had a great right hand, and he was a big powerful guy, bigger and stronger and tougher than Alis biggest foe Ernie Terrel

However, Lennox had a right hand and while dangerous the right was not really Ali's kryptonite.

Ali would have to move and use his speed; he could hurt Lennox and stop him on a late flurry or just play it safe and box but knowing a prime Ali he would look for the stop and probably open up as the fight moved on.

Ali by tko from 10-15, legs and speed but avoid the rope because Lennox was no dope.

 

Like Evander

 

Lennox was a formidable foe and we don't know how Ali would fare against the modern giants but we know he had little trouble with the giants he faced. It was the smaller guys who crowded him that troubled him. Ali is also going to see those rights coming.

 

Shorter and slower than Ali, Mercer outjabbed close to prime Lennox and arguably won(I personally agree with the decision and believe Lennox edged it). Past it Evander gave close to prime Lennox hell in their 2nd. Prime Muhammad jabs Lennox's head off and wins a decision. I also believe prime Larry Holmes does the same as well.

 

Ken Nortons best win was a shot Quarry (if we remove Ali from the equation) to me that doesn’t look good does it? Or is it “Joltin” Jimmy Young ( far from a great fighter) he might’ve beat Norton himself too.

Ken is 1-2, 2-1 or even 3-0 over “The greatest” depending who you ask - Muhammad definitely needs Ken to be more then he was looking at his record, If Norton beat Ali he is great so if Ali beat Norton he’s really great circular reasoning is all your left with.

No Ken Norton is not an all time great unless your own qualification for greatness is very low and that’s fine, you’re the God of your own ranking’s it’s not a crime.

 

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I’d say don’t bother but sometimes the responses you get are worth the effort for the giggle.

 

Ziko Mervoic razzle and dazzled Lewis with the movement and hit and move strategy. He wasn't in the same zip code and Ali

 

Massively Smaller, sloppier and slower than Lenny, Henry near decapitated Ali and without intervention would have KO'd him. Simple Kenny Norton showed what a sturdy body with a modicum of pressure skills could do to Ali. Massively smaller Frazier, with but a single highlight punch in his arsenal, kept Ali on the backfoot and rolled him. This can work both ways.

 

Lewis did not have a better jab than Liston, or a better right than Shavers

 

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Ali can be beat. He's not G-d but Lennox isn't beating him using Norton's and Frazier's playbook .

 

For the record Norton is in my top 25, maybe top 30, on my "ATG list," he's nowhere close to my top echelon.

And I don't think it's out of line to call someone who IMO is in the top 30 or so out of every heavyweight boxer who's ever stepped into a ring in the recorded history of the sport an "all-time great." That's rather exclusive territory.

My response to your post was less about Norton than it was about what I took to be a diss at Ali, who again IMO is the greatest heavyweight boxer ever born of a woman. Of course we can agree to disagree, hopefully not disagreeably.

 

“No Ken Norton is not an all time great

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, you’re the God of your own ranking’s it’s not a crime.”

 

Expect he can and would, the same openings aren’t going away - he’d improve on it really.

 

Norton fought with a cross guard. Joe Frazier made himself as small as possible, like Marciano . Lennox doesn't fight like that. To make himself as small as the 5'11" Frazier he'd have to bow.

 

He doesn't have to. He had a playbook Ali never faced. Incredible size and strength with athleticism and skill, a bonebreaker right hand, great left hook and immaculate sense of range with the footwork to employ it.