1998: George Foreman vs Lennox Lewis

No

Prime Foreman steam rolls Lewis

In 1998, the nearly 50 year old Foreman was too slow to catch up to Lewis. Lewis would not take any chances and keep him at a distance with his jab.

I have never believed that Lewis could keep a young Foreman off him. But a 50 year old Foreman is too slow and ponderous. Lewis would not get caught with a right hand here unless he goes for a ko.

Lewis easy UD.

 

Lewis beats any version of Foreman

 

nope

 

Yes he does.
He's far more skilled and can hit just as hard with his right hand.

 

Not to mention, 25 pounds in weight, longer arms, taller, faster and didn't gas half way through the fight.

 

Lewis's added weight makes him a bigger target.

Lewis's tendency to get hurt early in a fight (Holyfield 1, Briggs, McCall 1) will mean doom vs a rampaging Foreman. Lewis is extremely hittable and susceptible to a one punch ko, something Foreman isn't. Foreman ko 2 Lewis prime for prime but that is for another discussion.

 

If he trades right hands with Foreman, he loses that battle. And Foreman has a better left hand (better left hook and left uppercut)

 

No it doesn't because Lewis has a better defense and use of distance than Foreman. He'd outjab him, time bombs and counter him silly before knocking him out in the mid rounds.

Prime Foreman is a bit of a novice, which is why he lost to past it Ali and Jimmy Young.

 

He doesn't 'trade right hands' because boxing doesn't work like that. How did Foreman 'trading right hands with Ali' go? Lennox lands his right first time and again and Foreman is off balance staggering onto the backfoot.

 

are you seriously comparing the durability of Ali and Lewis?

Lewis cannot do half the things that Ali can do. Ali threw lightning fast right hand leads without getting countered. Lewis couldn't do what Ali did in a million years. I would like to see Lewis absorb the body shots that Ali did. He would be stopped early.

Lewis does not have the handspeed, the durability or the creativity of Ali. Lewis cannot avoid Foreman's right and lefts to the head the way Ali did. He does not have even remotely the ability to do so.

 

Ali and Jimmy Young are stylistically different. Young is a small slippery boxer. Lewis isn't.

The whole "Lewis will jab him silly" is a joke. Lewis is extremely hittable which is why Briggs hurt him early, which is why a faded Holyfield had Lewis stagering all over the ring, which is why Rahman nailed him.

Foreman is not going to be kept away with a jab. Foreman cut the ring extremely well. Even a 32 year old Ali is faster than any version of Lewis and he was forced to fight against the ropes.

Lewis fans vastly overrate him in h2h match ups. Fact is he is very hittable and highly suspect to one punch ko's. He has been hurt multiple times early. He isn't Ali who can keep guys away from him.

Foreman tko 2. If Lewis wants to keep Foreman away, he will need to do more than throw a jab, he will need to take chances early and throw seriously powerful right hands. Of course if he tries this, Foreman will nail him and the more durable Foreman wins this battle. Lewis is screwed either way. If he tries to keep Foreman away with a jab, he gets stopped. If he tries to use his power to keep Foreman away, he opens himself up for a powerful combination and gets ko'd/stopped. Either way he is getting stopped.

 

I'm pointing to the fact Foreman couldn't land that many punches against a past it Ali. Lennox was much faster than Foreman and way more skilled.

Lewis had an iron chin when he didn't leave it up in the air btw

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Sure Foreman might some, but so what? Lennox would land more, he was faster, stronger and has a better arsenal of punches. He'd light up a robotic Foreman who kept his hands low and couldn't slip punches. The levels in skill is massive.

Lewis beat every man he faced in the best HW era in HW history. Foreman went life and death against a very basic Lyle and you think he's beating Lennox? Laughable.

 

Nope, you are talking about Ali.

Lewis's own trainer admitted that both Holyfield and Tyson were well past it when they fought Lewis. Steward's words, not mine, though i fully agree with him.

Lewis did fight everyone, and never ducked anyone. It isn't his fault that Holyfield and Tyson were past it. But the reality is he didn't dominate the best era in HW history. He beat a lot of good opponents.

As far as Lyle vs Foreman, Lyle caught a Foreman who hadn't fought in 15 months and was rusty. Most guys would not even accept a match up like this after a long lay off. Foreman still won the slugfest.

Lewis lost twice to one punch ko's/tkos to guys who are not anywhere near the punchers Foreman was. That is far worse than getting into a slugfest vs Lyle.

Foreman ko 2.