LOL, I meant to vote for Lewis and accidently clicked on the Rock. Oh well, at least the Rock will get one vote.
Lewis would beat him to a pulp 2 big and 2 strong although could be vulnerable early on if the rock can reach his chin, doubtful!
Rocky would knock Lewis dead if he caught him. If McCall and Rahman could do it, certainly Rocky could, and the results would be far worse. Not to mention, Rocky would bang Lewis in the body and the ribs. Lewis is the superior boxer here, and could possibly win on cuts, decision, or even knockout. But the Rock would definitely catch and hurt Lewis somewhere in the fight. It's inevitable.
Losing title twice to guys like McCall and Rahman is a disgrace. I also don't care how much they weighed, Lewis getting ko'd by them both is embaressing for him.
I don't agree with the statement, "if McCall and Rahman could do it." McCall was 6'2" with 80 plus inches in reach and Rahman was over 6'2" with an 83 inch reach. Both guys weighed between 230-245 pounds. Rock was 184 pounds when he won the title, was 5'10" and has a 67 inch reach. He has never beaten a prime black fighter. Or even a prime ATG decent sized white heavy which was sparse at the time. Joe Louis beat bigger men than the Rock in his prime, he beat modern sized heavy's such as the two Baers, Carnera, Simon etc who are giants compared to the 50's. I think Joe could compete with most of Todays heavyweights because i don't think alot of these guys are better than Carnera or Max Baer or Sharkey for that matter. Rock has never beaten a prime black fighter who is 6'5" and 249 pounds with an 84 inch reach and has skills. Rock beat on weaker men (except Walcott and a shot Louis). The Rock that scaped a win over La Starza (first fight) and went life and death with a 38 year old Walcott and a shopworn Charles (not once but twice) beats Lewis? Even the 37 year old worn out Holyfield (in both Lewis fights) or shot to bits Tyson that Lewis fought would have a chance of beating every fighter the Rock beat at the stages of their career when he beat them. Rock was great...for the 1950's. He is ATG, no doubt. But he would even struggle in the 1930's against the likes of Baer, Sharkey, Carnera (he would be the only modern sized Heavy the Rock had ever fought), Simon, a Iron chinned Braddock. I don't think the Rock would have an easy time with a focused Baer. Would the Rock be 49-0 in the 1930's? I think despite history saying the 1930's was a weak era, it certainly had fighters who on their day had the tools to beat Rock, but none of them beat Lewis in my mind.
"He has never beaten a prime black fighter" What does that mean? Charles was in prime, Walcott was too. He was champ in fact. Layne, Lastarza, Moore--he fought many good to great fighters. The height and weight is meaningless, Tyson was shorter than Maciano--5'-10" to 5-10 " 1/2" Yes, Marciano would be 49-0 in 30s. How was Charles 'Shopworn?" His reach was 68, but so what?? Reach is just armspread, not actual reach, and is meaningless, since stepping in or working way in negates reach. Tyson and Tua did well, both shorter than Rocky, Holyfield was in low 200's at his best. Rahman and McCall weighingwht they did is meantingles. Butterbean weighs over 300 pounds, and still sucks.
What does skin color have to do with anything? And even so, Rocky beat every black challenger he ever fought. Ezzard Charles fought Rocky two great fights, and Archie Moore even managed to drop Rocky. Even after Rocky beat Archie, Archie had success in the light heavyweight division. So Archie still had the goods when he fought Rocky. Archie and Walcott were great fighters despite their age. Rocky never got the chance to fight a prime black fighter who is 6'5" and 249 pounds with an 84 inch reach and has skills. The opportunity never presented itself. Rocky would catch Lewis square on the chin and knock him dead. Lewis was lucky to squeeze out a win over Ray Mercer; Rocky's pressure was twice as much as Ray Mercer's. And you mentioned how McCall and Rahman were bigger than Rocky, but we can't underestimate Rocky's punching power. Rocky has a higher knockout percentage than McCall and Rahman combined.
Hydraulix. How was Charles prime? Or a 38 year old Jersey Joe for that matter? Charles best wins in his career did not come at heavyweight. He has 3 wins over Archie Moore at lower weights and other ATGs e.g. Burley. The only ATG he beat at heavyweight was an old Joe Louis. Walcott was not PRIME. Some people only claim he was prime because of the way he fought Rock (first bout). That doesn't not mean he was in his his prime. Was Walcott prime in the return bout? No. He was finished. Losing that first fight finally finished him. Are you forgetting that Charles fought Walcott 4 times before they even got to the Rock? Charles was shopworn face it, you only claim he was prime so it would make Rock look better. Charles lost back to back fights with Walcott going in with the Rock (a man he previously beat twice). To me Charles was past his best. Are you forgetting that Walcott suffered setbacks to smaller guys like Maxim or Elmer Ray in his goldern years? The Louis he outboxed (who still knocked him out in the return) was a shadow of the pre-WWII version. It took Walcott five tries before he won the title (many guys wouldn't have been given the chance to do so). Walcott in my opinion hit his peak at 34 in the Louis fights. Walcott was a great old fighter with terrific skill but he was not prime when he fought Rock at 38. Because he looked great, doesn't mean he was in his prime. Rock made him look even better than he was because Rock has rudimentary skills. How can you bring up a 40 year old Archie Moore? "Even after Rocky beat Archie, Archie had success in the Light-Heavyweight Division". So did Bob Foster when he got KO'd by every decent Heavy he fought. Because a 40 year old Moore could be the man at Lt Heavy doesn't mean Rock should be giving credit for his victory like you are giving him.
^^Eh, no one really knows. Lewis could possibly box Rocky to shreds. His jab and uppercuts could really do some damage. And we all know Rocky had a tendency to cut. But Rocky's pressure was relentless. He'd force Lewis to fight at a fast, backwards pace. I just don't think Lewis could survive getting pounded in the ribs by the Rock. And once Rocky landed a hook to Lewis' face, game over. If Lewis had a better chin, I'd say that Lewis would win by a decision or late KO. But his chin makes him very vulnerable to the Rock. Likewise, I think Joe Frazier would KO Lennox as well. But this is just my opinion.
Rock is really too small IMO... I mean, at least McCall and Rahman could stand a chance strength/reach wise... If the Rock could get in, he would get pushed, and leaned on, by a BIG man at that.. I guess he more or less has a punchers chance.. But Rock aint winning on the cards, thats for damn sure...and its not out of the question that Lewis stops him.. Its ok though, Rock wouldnt lose to McCall or Rahman, ever.
