Could Ali handle lennox lewis size?

Sorry, Van, I didn't mean to be awkward. I am fundamentally in agreement with you...Ali was not a knockout specialist. His style was to rely on speed, mobility and volume, rather than power. Ali could bang when he chose to (Smokin' Joe never KO'd Bonevena, and Foreman had to dig extremely deep to KO Lyle), but that was not Ali's primary method.

 

Well Lewis is certainly starting to get some respect around here.

He seems near even money against both Louis and Ali.

Perhaps things have swung too far the other way now.

 

While Ali was not a great finisher he did tend to get the job done inside the distence one way or another.

 

I've said many times on this site that Lewis is just to big, strong and skillful to lose to Ali. I know everybody loves Ali but if they had ever fought I think their could even be the chance that this is an easy night for Lewis - a shut out or KO, what does Ali have in his arsenal to worry lewis. Lewis' size, strength, smart, skill and power would nulify Ali's only advantage of speed. Lewis wins this.

 

Ironically, my opinion of how this fight would turn out (Ali wins 2 out of 3 on speed and stamina) would not change if he had not been taken out by McCall and Rahman.

What would've happened if the referee that waved Lewis-McCall I off had referereed Clay-Cooper?
Then it would read Cooper TKO3 Ali. And we'd have a poster here called "Czakman" who would reply every Ali thread with "Well, if a 185 pound journeyman like Cooper could do it, then surely......".

But what i wanted to say is that those two knockout losses are pretty irrelevant here because Ali does not carry that kind of one-punch knock out power.

Where he'd rank without those two losses? He'd have a good argument for the #1 spot and would be locked in the top3 for sure.

 

Head to Head its hard to pick any heavyweight over an in shape motivated Lewis.

 

I don't think any boxer ever could beat the George Foreman of 1973-74. Ali did, but that rope dance had nothing to do with boxing and George kinda beat himself by becoming completely exhausted. After that fight George was never the same as he would slow down the pace in his fights. No more devastating onslaughts. I believe that the Foreman who almost killed Frazier would have done the same to any other boxer - including Lewis - and of course excepting Ali. :blood

 

No Ali couldnt. Lennox Lewis is basically God because he is big and skilled, at least thats how people make it seem on these forums.

 

AGREEEEED:smoke:smoke:smoke:smoke:smoke

 

For a nuthugger perhaps.

He was crushed by McCall and Rahman, and outboxed by Ray Mercer.

His best two victories were against fighters greatly on the decline.

Ali's speed, movement, and reflexes would bother him to no end.

 

Lewis at his inshape, foccused best is a very dangerous threat to any other great HW in history. I don't see him defeating a prime 60's Ali (who's just too slick, speedy and evasive), but I believe he'd have a decent shot stylistically at beating him at any point from '71 through '74. Any time after that you'd have to favour Lewis.



*Speaking of Ali, an interesting point is that despite the 70's version having lost something in terms of pure speed and his ability to dance for a full fight duration; he was certainly more proven in terms of durability, chin and mental toughness during this era than earlier and had a less tendancy to showboat. As well as that he became a more adept 'strategic' fighter. These are certainly interesting permutations to consider, despite regarding 60's version of Ali as his absolute prime.

 

Yes. Ali was not a small fighter. He had an inch of height, and a few inches of reach on Holyfiled who was competitive with Lewis despite being slightly past his prime.

I think Ali would have more trouble with the speed, skills, and power of Lewis, than Lewis sheer size.

Ali vs Lewis is a hard fight for Ali. Ali could not clinch Lewis behind the head ( Watch out for that Lewis uppercut ) , would need to adjust his guard to watch out for the Lewis right hand, and could not count on Lewis falling for something like the rope-a-dope.

Ali would need to be at his best to win here. Being at his best is the 64-67 Ali who had an abundance of stamina, footwork, and speed. The good jabbers could win rounds from Leiws. The best version of Ali could beat Lewis, but I think the 70's version of Ali would likely lose to Lewis.

 

I personally think that if they fought, and they both were in their prime, Lewis would win by a decision. His power, and reach would be something that Ali's speed couldn't overcome. And a younger Lewis was also a lot faster than many have given him credit for. He wasn't Ali fast, but he wasn't Foreman slow either.

As much as I like Ali, he's become a myth, and of course you can't beat a myth now can you? But I think Holmes and Lewis would both have a good chance of beating him, perhaps Tyson as well. And if Foreman could ever have paced himself better and had more of the attributed he had in his comeback years, he too might have had a chance. But in his case, his lack of speed and his tendency to loop his punches would always be something a prime Ali would exploit.

 

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