If an old Lewis beat and destroyed an old Mike it means that a prime Lennox would beat and destroy a prime Tyson?
No because age is just a number fighters peak at different times and have different longevity based on their lifestyle and style of boxing. Tyson's style of boxing is very taxing on the body and he peaked at an early age. But his issues outside the ring and stint in prison also eroded his overall skills, sharpness, longevity. Lewis on other hand aged like fine wine he become a better boxer in the 2nd half of his career when he changed trainers honing his skills. Kept himself on the straight and narrow keeping out of trouble outside the ring, hence Lewis was a much better fighter than Tyson in his mid to late 30s. Do I still think Lewis could beat a prime Tyson ? Possibly yes. But it's also fair to say despite both fighters being of a similar age, Lewis was at a much better place in his career than Tyson was prime wise.
No version of Lewis beats 88 Tyson, he was not formidable enough before Steward and with Steward he got too big/slow and Steward at times had to really tear into him to get him motivated 88 Tyson easily slips his jab and is never in place for the follow up right which was the majority of Lewis' game, it would be Steward's fear from their actual fight where he was scared Lewis wasn't doing enough and would get caught except it would happen, Lewis didn't have a glass chin but there's no way it's holding up to prime Tyson
It was an ‘old’ Lewis in name only. He was at or extremely near the peak of his powers. Tyson was well over a decade removed from his. The win was token in nature.
I'm not sure Holyfield. He had Tyson style, way. He wasn't a better fighter overall, but he could fight him. Holy in 1996 would probably be a problem for any Tysnon, although I wouldn't put any money on him. Lewis, on the other hand, would lose to Tyson 87-88. Every Lewis. The young one and the old one. He was too slow, too slow to react. Well, Ruddock, McCall, Bruno, Biggs... everyone knew them both well and everyone said Tyson was better.
Lewis said to his own admission that Mike was beating his asz up when he sparred him as a teenager. I believe they were in Catskills and Lewis said Mike gave him good work. He knew eventually that they would meet in the pros. Looking back on Lewis's physique back then, the disparity wasn't that large between the two. It's the later Lennox Lewis who eventually grew into his man's strength as a young adult. Lennox was extremely muscular, hard handed, large, energy conserving and did not waste too much potential in the boxer puncher style that Manny steward trained him to. This is off topic but I remember when wlad just got with Manny back in the day, around the Lamon Brewster era; my dear uncle asked me "do you think he's gassing out from all that clinching stuff trying to copy Lewis?" The answer was no, it was because 1 of 2 things, either he gassed from being slathered in Vaseline, or else he shot his load and Brewster weathered the storm. Said Brewster: "when God is with you, no man can be against you." He definitely proved that by knocking out the giant.
No, Tyson peaked at 22-23 with his destruction of Michael Spinks That Tyson was the best heavyweight there’s ever been Note I said ‘best’ Not great! Lewis was too casual and like it or not lazy or laid back for a tornado like Tyson If you Boxed with Lewis he won Lewis beats the majority of greats due to his overwhelming 6’5 245lb mass Tyson from the night he mugged Berbick, the accuracy on display v Thomas to the 91 second win over the unbeaten great Spinks was dynamic with everything on his side Post Rooney he was only fighting off memory, the one punch win over Tubbs and the scary KO, his best, over Williams He only fought Champions, former champions and number 1 contenders The names mentioned might not have beaten Lewis but no one beat them like Tyson in as brutal fashion Lewis, despite his mass and Boxing output wasn’t much of a catcher, being knocked out twice in his prime If McCall and Rahman, C level Boxers, could get to Lewis….
Taking power aside because both had it, a guy relying on speed and explosiveness is always going to peak earlier than a guy relying on technique, distance control, and ring generalship. Roll them back earlier in age and there's a point where Tyson is the clear favorite. I do like that when they sparred as teens, Cus told them that one day the two of them would fight for the HW title. Excellent prediction.
Laid back might be the best way to fight Mike Tyson You don’t want to give him the opportunities to get in and put you out, you want to time him, build the fight, know where he’s going and then put your right there.
I thought Lewis's approach was perfect. Real cautious at first, learning to time Tyson. Once he got the timing down, he got more confident at not being blasted out, and once that confidence was fully there, he started to unload. I don't get any of the revisionist stuff about Lewis not fighting this one masterfully. He made it look easy.
