The Ali that knocked out George Foreman vs the Lennox that flattened Golota. Lewis would be larger and in charger. Ali had the faster hands and better chin. I put a poll because I know that the denizens of boxingforum24.com love their polls
The polls speak for itself, remember Lennox Lewis was vulnerable to a hard right hand, Hassim Rahman and Oliver McCall would prove this on April 22 2001 Rahman a 20-1 underdog flattened Lewis with a hard right hand. On Sept 25 1994, McCall stopped Lewis with a hard right hand that dropped Lewis a couple of times before McCall won by TKO 2. Muhammad Ali, 1974 version did lack all of his physical 1967 skills but did outsmart a more powerful champion George Foreman, forcing Foreman to punch himself out enroute to a TKO 8 victory, thanks to the infamous Rope A Dope.
I went with Ali by a decision but at that point anything could have happened. From 1974 onward Muhammad Ali was getting increasingly more hittable. And Lennox Lewis and George Foreman had little in common aside from the fact that they could both punch. Lewis had the stamina to go the distance. He had good boxing skills with steward in his corner along with height and footwork.
1997 Lennox Lewis had a great release (3 fights) against Andrew Golota. In 1974 Muhammad Ali had magnificent releases against Foreman and Frazier. Rarely has a year been so fruitful for any HW champion. Muhammad's hunger to regain what was taken from him (the HW Championship title) of course plays a role here. I would favor Muhammad Ali, who is so motivated, that he will outsmart his opponent and win on points.
Ali still had a substantial residue of his prime physical gifts in 1974 so that would have enabled him to have outpointed a prime Lennox (1997) Would have been a very good fight.
Ali's long right lightning bolts off the loose ropes in Kinshasa were so fast that the only way one could tell off the footage at that time that they were thrown and landed was by the snapping back of Foreman's head. George himself has also stated many times that when they were flatfooted in mid ring, he wasn't able to compete with Muhammad's hand speed and defensive elusiveness. 1974 and 1975 were Ali's post exile peak with some good performances and demanding exertions leading up to it. Over the championship distance, he probably stops a juiced Lennox (whose weight soared above 220 after the Olympics}. Ali had gone underneath and pummeled Blue Lewis to the body in 1972. He uniquely chose to knock out the 6 ft 5 in Wepner without stopping Chuck on cuts. Lennox simply doesn't have the speed, work rate or stamina to match 1974 - 1975 Ali, who also had the very best chin of all time. This is when his power, work rate and experience were at their most serviceable, his stamina at its very best. It took him just eight rounds to knock out Foreman, but he could have done it as quickly as six rounds. Kinshasa, Kuala Lumpur and Manila were steam baths, saunas to work in, and Ali prevailed in all of them.
Not with one, but he would be landing lots of them. He got Foreman barely beyond the halfway measure of the Championship Distance. By round 12, if Ali chose to carry George, Foreman would've looked like Buster Mathis in rounds 11 and 12, barely able to stand. In the Championship Distance rounds, he could definitely do this to Lennox, especially if deploying some of the same bodywork he inflicted on Blue Lewis to further weaken him.
To be fair to Lennox, he was taller, heavier and used his own holding tactics, especially following it up with pulling heads into his uppercut. I don't envisage Ali trying to fight Lennox like Blue Lewis - invites too much danger and unknowns.
No, And I will tell you why, Muhammad Ali was never a power punching heavyweight, even in his peak years 1964-1967. Ali wore down his opponents with movement and speed in his punches, making them miss with his catlike reflexes, this contributed to the fatigue of his opponents. Lennox Lewis was kayoed by Hassim Rahman and Oliver McCall, no getting away from that fact. Sure he won both rematches, no doubt, but he was always vulnerable to a well timed right hand from a power punching heavyweight. Ali would outsmart a Lennox Lewis enroute to a victory on points, Ali's bout were 15 rounds not these useless watered down 12 rounds like today.
I think at this point in their respective time lines, Lennox could get a close decision. Lennox had matured, he had a solid jab, great power. It's not a walkover for either man but I really think LL could nick a decision.
It's a close affair this one, especially over 12. Well unless one believes if Ali can beat Alvin Lewis then he can surely beat Lennox. Lewis will dictate most of the pace not Ali. Unlike against Foreman and Frazier, Ali will have to come to Lewis which is a totally different proposition to state the obvious. Ali conserved in Zaire and let Foreman punch himself out while punching in well timed spurts himself. It's not the blueprint here. Lewis will be Lewis, he will be jabbing, utilizing his height and reach advantages while looking to land those immense right hands as Ali slips in on his own offense forays. Ali will certainly know he's been hit when they land, and they will land at times. If Ali edges the outside exchanges Lewis will come at him, measuring, pressuring and looking to turn things around. Personally i think it's a close decision over 12 rounds. I don't think either is stopping the other. Lewis' size, skill, style and power is going to make it a very very difficult night for Ali. I'd favor pre exile Ali to outpoint Lewis but 74 Ali is a different fighter.
I voted for '74 Ali to win a decision bu I think you may've changed my opinion which says a lot because I'm one stubborn SOB as you know. Excellent writeup.
