Evander Holyfield vs Lennox Lewis 1993

At this point, Lewis had not yet peaked. So he wasn't the complete all round boxer he later became.
By this judgements, one would have to favor Holyfield to outpoint him.
But, if somehow they go into a trade off, Lewis KOs him, Holyfield lacks the firepower to win such a battle.

 

Funnily enough Manny Steward was training Evander at that point.

You wonder how far they’d go if not for their money separation.

 

say what? younger Holyfield 93 could definitely ko Lewis. As as matter of fact, he would.

 

Lewis by KO or TKO. Holyfield was smaller and he threw alot more punches. Lewis would find more openings than he did against the older, methodical Evander who wouldn't take chances.

 

I really doubt that, he doesn't punch hard enough

 

Holyfield by decision.
The key is Holyfield's workrate up through the 2nd Bowe fight was significantly higher than it was from the mid 1990s on.
1993 against Bowe was his absolute apex.
He was never better than he was in that rematch again Bowe.
It was a beautiful gameplan by Steward to have Holyfield rely more on his boxing skills, jab, and combination punching,
than simply trying to outhit Bowe on the inside like he did too much of in the 1st fight.
Holyfield would get closer to Bowe, land a punch or punches and then slip back away from Bowe before Bowe could connect with anything significant.
He didn't stay in the pocket nearly as frequently as he did in the first fight.
He boxed his masterpiece that night.

THAT Holyfield, armed with Steward, yet still retaining the workrate of his prime self, throwing 40-50 punches per round without issue,
would be too much for a pre prime Lewis sans Steward in his corner.

Lewis didn't have his refined footwork and jab, nor the discipline to protect himself, like he did when Steward improved him.
Sure he had his big right hand, and yes, if landed, could hurt Holyfield.

But Lewis never seriously hurt Evander in 24 rounds in 1999 despite that being a past prime Holyfield that could not fight fulll 3 minute rounds with any consistency.
That Holyfield had to pick his spots.
And once could argue despite badly being outpointed in the first fight (Lewis was great that night and Holyfield seemed dead set on the 3rd round knockout delusional predication and when that didn't happen, he lost something mentally) -
Holyfield cameback in the rematch arguably did enough to warrant a draw, depending on how you score the rounds.

But we're talking about a 1993 Holyfield here with Steward in his corner.
Holyfield would land more punches than he did in 1999.
He also would be better late in terms of his energy to close the fight strong.

I think Lewis always troubles any version of Holyfield given his size and reach;
but that 1993 Holyfield, has a close fight with Lewis for 7-8 rounds while he "figures out Lewis" as the fight progresses,
and his experience takes over in the final 4-5 rounds and he outpoints Lewis to a somewhat close but clear decision.

116-112 or 115-113 would be my prediction.

This fight could've still happened in 1994 if Jerry Roth doesn't turn in an incorrect scorecard in the Moorer fight where he forgot to give Evander credit for the knockdown in round 2.
If he does, Evander hangs on to the belt.
Probably immediately rematches Moorer, beats him not unlike he did in 1997, where he in the fight finally realized how to fight and attack a southpaw.
Then we may have gotten Holyfield Lewis in the fall of 1994, as Lewis avoids the McCall fight.

So it should've happened, but fate intervened.