Lennox Lewis v Muhammad Ali

Ali didn't stop Cooper. Referee stopped the fight because of terrible cuts on Cooper's face.

 

Oh come on. Who do you think slashed Cooper's face to ribbons? Angelo Dundee? Ali stopped Cooper.

Stop torturing logic.

 

Lewis would indeed present problems to Ali -particularly the latter version. For purposes of the argument, let's say that it is 1967 Ali. Lewis would be well-advised to apply serious pressure and to forego that hold and jab style that he adopted later in his career.

Frazier beat Ali with constant pressure and a good left hook that exploited Ali's technical deficiencies (most glaring: dropping the right after throwing the jab). Pressure fighters have the best chance of dealing with rythym fighters and Ali was the quintessential rythym fighter.

I don't think that it would be worth it for Lewis to fight tall. The height advantage and reach advantage are not significant enough and Ali's blinding speed and mobillity would make Lewis look like Frankenstein. Lewis would have to emphasize the strength and power advantage and fight small.

Lewis was strong enough to get close and apply pressure. His chin was good enough to take risks in there. He hit very hard -harder than anyone except for Liston (who didn't train) and Foreman (who fought stupidly). The version of Lewis that fought Mercer (1996) would have the best chance. He never showed better technical skills and was throwing shots to the head and body that were beautifully destructive. Ali would feel those shots more than Mercer.

Critical point: Lewis must not allow Ali to establish his game. If that happens, the conclusion becomes predictable. Lewis would be well-advised to jab hard from long range at first just to see if he can outjab Ali. Not sure he could, but his jab is stronger and 2 inches longer. He should jab at Ali's chest to disallow him from setting himself. Behind that kind of jab, he steps in with short hooks to the ribs and the head. When Ali starts to spin or angle out, hook him hard in that direction and pivot at him.

He should step in and throw an overhand the moment Ali starts to shuffle.

Lewis has a chance with Steward who is a master strategist. If Futch is an advisor, then Lewis chances increase.

Prediction? Ali in a close but UD.

 

Lewis never performed well against guys who could establish their jab. and Alis jab was not only better, it was much, much faster.
Also, people are making a big thing of Lewis' strength, well Ali was hardly thrown about by Liston and Foreman, was he?!?!

Ali beats Lewis very comfortably.

 

Ali rates ahead of Lewis as an all time great heavyweight. Not even close in my eyes. Getting revenge over fighters like Frazier and Norton is far more impressive than doing the same to McCall and Rahman. Ali may not have beaten every fighter he faced, but his era was way too strong for any other heavyweight great to make an arguement, including Lewis.

Liston, Frazier, and Foreman. Arguably all these guys are top 10 heavyweight greats.

One question I pose for all you guys. Exactly when was Lewis in his prime?.

I think from around 2000 until 2003. He peaked late, even though he seemed to be more athletic and trim during the early-mid 90's.

 

Manny Stewart also acknowledges that for Ali to beat Lewis it would be an uphill battle and as much as Lewis didnt quite fancy jabbers Ali didnt like them either.

To be quite honest, this match up will always be a close match up.

 

Lewis was still very much a work in progress under Emanuel Steward when he fought Mercer in 1996. I'm pretty sure Steward and Lewis would clarify this themselves.

Lewis was an average fighter inside, and only during certain moments did he like to be there. Like stepping in to throw an uppercut. It was not an area of his game where he felt comfortable. He always liked to have a bit distance to dictate his opponent with the jab, and long right hand.

Holyfield took 6 rounds during the rematch to get inside Lewis' reach, and when he did, he had success. I'm not saying Ali was better inside than Lewis, because Ali himself liked to tie his opponents up inside then push them off to create distance again to be effective. You could say that Ali had success against Foreman inside at times, but only when he leaned back on the ropes to get distance and leverage on his punches, with the right hand hitting its target many times.

Ali was caught many times from the outside by Norton during their first fight, as he timed his jabs to perfection while advancing. I feel Lewis would have success if he boxed aggressively against Ali, but not necessarily looking to get close. Timing would be the key for Lewis against Ali.

 

Cooper was known as an easy cutter. Ali couldn't knock out a fly that night with his slaps, to stop Cooper he needed either baseball bat or a gun.

 

It only took Rahman one slap to KO lewis

 

Good post and I agree with almost all of your analysis and prediction. If they fought 3 times I could see Lewis sneaking one. I would actually pick Lewis over the later version Ali but prime Ali, the earlier version, is too fast and smart for Lewis.

 

Unlike mediocre European journeyman Henry Cooper, Hasim Rahman was a ranked contender.

 

You make a great point if Ali lost to Cooper
Senya you don't seem to understand a knockdown means nothing if you get up and win the fight. The reason you might be confused is because Lewis never got up to win a fight
That might be why you think a fight is over when someone gets knocked down

 

You don't seem to understand what a knockdown from unranked European mediocrity means, where your trainer has to save you by ripping your glove open and thus giving you extra time for recovering.

 

That's hillarious that you have to pick an ali win to find flaws in his game.

Cooper might be able to take Lewis out. It wouldn't be the first time he lost to a fighter

not in the top 50 Heavyweights of all-time