ALI,HOLMES,Tunney VS LEWIS

He wouldn't fall short, in my opinion-- not against this line-up. Ali would be his hardiest test. Ali had an astounding ability to avoid punches as they were coming in, responding instantly with fast flurries. Lennox would also be hard-pressed to pin Ali down as he was very capable of carrying his weight for the whole 15 rounds. Despite all this, it is only realistic that Lewis outpoints Ali maybe 5 or 6 times in every ten tries. The key difference would be the inside game, the fight as decided in the clinches, where Lennox had the size and strength to outmuscle and outbrawl even a great clincher like Ali. Lewis was frenetic up close, shooting rights from all angles. Ali would find that Lewis was hardly ever passive in the clinch except when he himself was initiating.

Holmes he would beat much more convincingly. I think Holmes would succumb to a 15 round beating, trying but inevitably failing to fend off the big overhand right.

 

Tunney might be on his bicycle all night jabbing and moving!

In my opinion, Ali would befuddle and dismantle Lewis as would Holmes. Lewis was good but not much of a workrate as far as punches per round. Ali and Holmes really could lay it out there. Holmes and Ali had better chins and stamina from what I have seen. Lewis tended to throw one punch at a time and though he was heavy handed he would be countered all night by Muhammad and Larry who were both exceptionally fast, faster than Lewis has dealt with.

 

I think Lewis would knock out Tunney. Tunney's only faced one cruiserweight in his entire of note that could crack. Because he was far past his best he could hardly land, but when he did, Tunney was nearly out. Boxers like Tunney do good against come-forward sluggers like Dempsey, but not so much against a huge boxer puncher like Lewis.


Ali and Holmes would both make very close fights, hard to call. Holmes would have to look out for that right hand.

 

I agree. I would probably have Ali as a favourite over Lewis, especially over 15, and Lewis a slight favourite over Holmes.

 

Ali stops him late like he did to Lyle. May play out the same, Lewis ahead in first half of the fight until Ali wakes up and realizes he's got to do something about it. Ali always performed at his best against the best and when it mattered. And he didn't have to beat sad washed up Tysons to do it.

Tunney would lose. Not proven enough and a bit small like Rocky. Lewis knocks them both out.

Holmes would outbox Lewis. Lewis power punch may change things. If Larry stays on the outside and uses his jab well, Lewis can't compete. He will get sloppy and leave himself open. Lewis has stamina issues to in the last rounds. He's gonna be badly fading by 15.

 

Lennox would beat Tunney without question, on the small side and doesn't have the ability anyway to beat Lewis.

Holmes would be an interesting fight - I would sit on the fence on this one.

Ali would beat Lennox, but would have to come from behind to do so - at peak he had an unbelievable ability to avoid punches, and with Lennox not exactly being the busiest fighter, this would help. He could be lazy at times though, and leave himself slightly open, giving Lennox an opportunity.

The fight I would have loved to have seen was a late 80's version of Tyson vs peak Lewis. Classical mix of styles - a gung ho huge puncher vs a very cautious, methodical operator with a magical jab.

 

Lewis would UD Tunney, I think. It's hard to predict a stoppage when we're talking about Gene Tunney, but I don't think it's impossible for Lewis to stop him late with a huge right hand. Tunney is just too small here.

Ali would beat Lewis. He wasn't that much smaller and was far faster. Lewis' best chance is to come forward and try to bomb him out like he did to Ruddock and the others, but we all know that Ali is pretty much impossible to bomb out early. I don't think Lewis could win a jabbing contest with Ali - he was slower and had a lower workrate.

Lewis would KO Holmes. Larry was always a sucker for the right hand. It'd be a great, competitive fight - Holmes could very well be ahead on all the cards - but eventually he will get axed. Lewis can finish what Snipes, Shavers, et. al couldn't.

 

I would bet on an early Tyson KO every time. Lewis was not mobile or durable enough to survive the initial onslaught.

 

I'm not sure I can agree with that. One of Lewis's underrated strengths is his ability to put together fast combinations with power. For a good example check out the stoppage of Botha. You make it sound like Lewis was a plodder, which he certainly was not. He could be lazy but that's not the same as being a plodder. As for being outsped the younger version of Ali would certainly do this on the way to an UD. The older version would succumb to a decision against him. Tunney has no chance whatsoever - a total mismatch IMO.

I've changed my opinion on what would happen between Holmes and Lewis. I used to think that Larry would give Lennox one of his very toughest fights but now I think that Lewis would win comfortably on points and may even stop Holmes, because he IS a combination puncher and not a one punch at a time guy as you have suggested. If Tim Witherspoon, a good puncher but not as deadly as Lewis, can nearly have Holmes out then Lewis definately has a chance to stop him.

 

Isn't that what everyone said when Lewis fought Tua?

Not saying Tyson is Tua, but Lewis certainly showed enough durability over his career and mobility particularly in that fight. However, mobility is not all you need against Tyson. You need to back up him, put him on the front foot, tie him up, foul him. It's not like Douglas danced all night. Biggs tried, and he got ****ed up. Holmes too.

 

Those guys you mentioned clinched far more than Lewis would though. Tyson shut out Green and Smith so they are as much of a blowout as a UD can be, and Tucker didn't win any more than 3 rounds of the 12. Tillis fought a green Tyson and still didn't win more than 3 rounds.

I think Ali is able to beat Lewis, barely. Holmes-Lewis is so close I'll make a decision later. Tunney is over rated at HW and really hasn't done much at this weight, he gets stopped by Lewis.

 

Tyson is not Tua because he has defence. Even if you look at the Douglas fight, where Tyson is not moving his head, throwing in combination, or coming in behind the jab, he still put Douglas on the canvas for a long count.

That uppercut would've iced Lewis.