Akiwande/Lennox - Terrible As It Was...

Very goobd point never saw that fight out of this point of view. Perhaps I should rewatch it sometimes. At least worth a thought. :good

 

This joke of a fight gives us the definition of a spoiler and the reason Lewis would never fight Ruiz and risk permenantly ruining his popularity

As for wrestling, yes it does tire out an opponent a bit but it tires both men and I don't think Lewis had the amazing stamina, that would be a weakness of his actually.

I don't think any modern any fighter is having a major problem with wrestling tactics and I don't think a prime Johnson has major problems with them either.

If you want to see a high level wrestler/strongman/swarmer/rough tactic dealt with by a boxer watch Mayweather-Hatton

 

Except that Lewis would have a 60 pound weight advantage on the average 1900's opponent, making the leaning-on-his-opponent an even more serious weapon outside of his fists.

 

Jeffries and Willard wouldn't outwrestle Lewis, they weren't strong or tall enough. Lewis usually man handled men with his own wrestling. Against Akiwande he wasn't trying to wrestle he was trying to punch

 

Grappling doesn't work like that, its not Sumo. Well, sometimes it does, if the two guys are equally unskilled with similar stamina. I can clinch guys much bigger than myself and move them about no trouble, but under modern boxing rules you just dont get the chance. Have you seen Jeremy Williams throwing Lennox around like a ragdoll in sparring? Jeremy is a tenth rate MMA fighter at best btw.

Watch Randy Couture clinch much bigger guys than himself and just grind them down and pound them out; his 'dirty boxing' has a lot of similarities with how boxing used to look.

 

Who´s Couture?

I think Willard and Jeffries would have a good chance of tire Lewis out under the rules of their time. Those are very strong man and while Lewis was a strong guy himself he lacks the experience and consistent wrestling inside a ring which gives Willard and Jeffries an edge.
Also, the point wasn´t anybody tireing Lewis out in the clinches but old-time fighters beeing able to tire out new-time fighters in the clinches due to their superior experience and technique in there. Also I think guys like Ali, Lewis, Akinwande, Wlad and Ruiz who do this in our times quite successful also would have a chance to hold their own.

 

This is a very good point.

The same scenario could be said for Lewis v Vitali. Ive always though Lewis looks out of sorts when people could:-

A. Match his jab
B. Match him for physical strength.

 

Like who?? They were tiny back then. And even Jeffries and Willard, if we go by their prime weights, Jeffries and Willard are still looking at a 20 pound weight disadvantage.

 

Since when was Willard 250lbs? In his prime he was 230lbs and not a particularly impressive 230lb specimen. Since when was Willard a wrestling expert? What is there to back this up? Does he even clinch that much?

 

Again Lennox is coming to box, hes not blocking wrestling moves against Williams because he isnt expecting them. Willard isnt a skilled grappler by any means