He might have but it wouldn't have taken but a good right hand from Lennox to end the festivities. The Truth couldn't beat Lewis.
Berbick was no bum, but Holmes beating him early in his career in no way excuses Holmes for avoiding Page and Thomas in favor of fighting guys like Rodriguez, Ledoux, Cobb, and Frank.
Yep. He was better than them in his prime, but Lewis never faced a quality boxing type in his prime. Not saying that was his Achilles heel or anything, just curious as to how he would handle that style. Byrd wasn't on the level of prime Holy either, but at least he was in his prime when Lennox was champ. Would have been interesting to see.
Golota's defence wasn't all that, a past it Tyson could hardly miss him. He had his qualities, but I wouldn't call him a boxer type. Vitaly moved well for a guy his size, granted, but he didn't really try to box Lewis from memory. And while bigger, he was in no way as quick or coordinated as Holmes or even Byrd. Neither was Golota, needless to say. The best boxer Lewis met was in all probability old Holy, and while he still was a good fighter he wasn't what he had been. Especially not in terms of speed and stamina. Therefore it would have been interesting to see if prime Byrd could have caused Lewis any issues.
Outjabbed ? Carl Williams would've gotten knocked TF out. Like he did against Weaver and Morrison. That was also pre Steward Lewis. Lewis's jab got significantly better. Steward confirmed this. You're putting on rose tinted glasses saying Holmes wins every single round, especially since Lewis would be pressing the issue more than Cooney did
The bottom line that Vitali rarely lost a round and liked to flick a jab at range. Golota wasnt much down on the cards ever really. He got stopped early by Brewster, Tyson, and Lewis, DQ'd and and quit while ahead against Grant and Bowe, and fought on even terms with Ruiz and Byrd over 12. He was a difficult boxer despite his lack of head movement and vulnerability to right hands.
ROFLMAO Vitali a first rate boxer ????Both Klitschko's were robotic sorta reminded me of Lurch in the Adams family
Yes, Golota was a good fighter and Vitaly was a very, very good one. But also quite different from the fighters I mentioned in terms of for example head and foot movement, hand speed and combination punching. That's why I would have liked to see Lewis against them. Not making any predictions whatsoever, just saying that I'd liked to have seen him against prime Byrd and, even more so, against prime Holy. I don't feel that I can say just how those fights would look based on the Vitalty and Golota fights. I have repeated this a couple of times, so this will be the last one.
Let's say Holmes troubled Lewis with boxing skill. Lewis' plan B wouldve been to make it a streetfight. Assuming the ref didn't constantly break, what did Holmes have to really deal with that?
Larry Holmes has one KO on his record while past it against absolute prime Mike Tyson. Lennox Lewis has two one shot Ko losses against absolute Palookas in Rahman and McCall. Golata was a mental midget who folded like a house of cards when the going got rough, quit twice against a washed up Bowe and it took a stoned shot beyond shot Tyson one round longer then Lewis to wax the Low Blower Conclusion: Golata aint no yard stick by any means. The thing with Lemmie is when presented with a real threat he played it safe , very safe.....went twelve with the fat Samoan in a total stinker......went 24 with Oldiefield, another yawn affair......it took him two thirds of the distance to get rid of the Ghost of Mike Tyson. So Lemmie aint going to war with Holmes, no fakking way, he is going to box and trying to time Larry with his right but it will never fully materialize over 15, Lemmie aint no conditioning wonder, isw slow of foot and is not going to win a battle of the jabs. Larry Holmes clear UD................Lewis was always befuddled/troubled when dealing with a jab see Bruno/Mercer/Holyfield except none of them have the mobilityand the jab of Larry Holmes. Btw, VK steeped up twice and lost twice, another fact, could would should but he failed miserably in the pass the torch test against a old Lewis.