ALI,HOLMES,Tunney VS LEWIS

I think Lennox puts up a real good outing against Ali. He may not win, but his size and jab is much more formidable than a prime Ali had to face in Terrell. But Ali would make Lennox use those size 16's in there and just pepper away with 1-2's while backing up and dancing away. Muhammad has that great chin and I think he can absorb and weather any storms if he gets tagged. Probably a close decision with Lewis winning quite a few rounds in there. This is not the style Ali looks his best against.

I like Lewis over Holmes like most everyone indicated. I think the Lewis size and jab are a real problem to Holmes who really prefers the stationary borderline face first type guys that he usually fought. He sure liked matching up with the catchers, didn't he? When he fought guys with a decent or good jab, Holmes had problems & Lennox has a good and accurate one. And if you take away the Lewis jab, he can go to other things much much better of the 2.
Holmes hangs tough and has that big competitive heart, so it likely goes to the scorecards.

Tunney, as listed above, loses a lopsided decision.

Overall, going 2-1 against this level of competition & the divisions best boxers is quite a feat.

 

Beats Tunny easily, loses to both Ali and Halomes either UD or late round kayo.

 

I think Ali would give Lewis the most trouble. Tunney was just too small. He would have to get close to Lennox as Lennox has a considerable height and reach advantage and when he does Lennox crushes him. Holmes always seemed to have a lot of trouble with fighters who were as tall or taller than he (Witherspoon, Williiams, Snipes and Cooney) and Lennox was taller and more heavily built than those three were. Ali I feel would be the best test for Lewis. I see Ali fighting Lennox the way he fought Foreman and Bugner but He would have a more difficult time with lennox. Lewis was a better boxer than Foreman and had more power than Bugner so Ali would have to be very careful and focused, no clowning around in this matchup. Lewis would be Ali's most dangerous opponent he ever faced. Big, intelligent, powerful and skilled. As to who would actually win? A toossup in my humble opinion.

 

Lewis >> Tunney
Ali >> Lewis
Holmes >> Lewis

 

IMO Lewis goes 1-2. He beats Tunney, but loses decisions to Holmes and Ali.

Most of the arguments saying the Lewis beat Holmes is that Holmes had troubles with jabbers or people with good right hands. When Larry did fight the very good jabbers, he was past his prime, and his own jab was losing a lot of speed and his defence wasn't what it used to be. When Larry got caught with the huge right hands from Shavers and Snipes it was more him being careless then him being easily tagged with them. The first time around with Shavers he easily beat him. Larry tended to get careless when he was being completely dominant and beating the hell out of the guy. I don't see that happening against Lewis, so his guard would constantly be up. Ali and Holmes might not have the power to drop Lewis early on, but they both had the power to wear him down, and the later rounds I wouldn't put it past either of them to drop him with an accurate flurry or two.

 

I see Lewis winning very close fights with Ali and Holmes but dominating Tunney because of the size difference. I think Bill1234 makes some very good points about Holmes and a peak Holmes is a hard fight for all. Holmes and Ali are not small men so I don't think Lewis's size advantage is significant factor although still a factor.

 

I think the pre exile Ali was the best heavyweight of all time, and would take Lennox Lewis Too much speed, too much movement, too hard to hit for Lennox.The Ali of the 1970's could pull off a victory over Lennox Lewis, but it would be much more hard fought.
As for a prime Larry Holmes I give Larry the edge over Lennox. I just feel Larry and the era he fought in make him the better fighter.
I feel Tunney would be too much at a size disadvantage for Lennox Lewis, and Lewis would defeat him, but Tunney would win some rounds with his slick and clever boxing.

 

Ali before his exile would destroy Lewis.
Ali pre exile would still win over Lewis but not with the same speed.
Holmes would win over Lewis, cause I think Lewis wasn´t fast enough, Holmes was a little like Ali and to fast for lewis.
Lewis would definetly win over Tunney.
All the best
The Predator

 

Exactly. Given that mediocre fighters like Rahman and McCall were able to take advantage of those suspect whiskers, it stands to reason that Mike Tyson would have him out of there early.

 

This is a good thread.

I see that the consensus is that Lewis would fall short against Ali and Holmes, and there is certainly a good possibility that that might indeed happen; they were, afterall, legends in their own time.

Personally, I still believe Ali-Lewis is fifty-fifty, while Lewis-Holmes would be a competitive battle of master strategists. Eventually, Lewis' punches will be the more hurtful of the two, and I expect that to tell on the beaten Holmes.

I consider Tunney to be a light heavyweight first and foremost. I think he was a better fighter at that weight and he was able to accomplish more there than anywhere else. If I were to insert him into my list, he wouldn't crack the top ten head-to-head. Lewis, on the other hand, figures well into my top five. Although this is not an accurate measure of how Lewis might handle Gene prime-for-prime (I rate Holmes higher at 3 even though I take Lewis to beat him, to demonstrate), I think the gap is big enough that there really is little chance of a Tunney victory here.

 

Well, its got to be 12 rds since Lennox never went 15 I suppose so............

Primes

Ali W12 Lewis (8-4)
Holmes W12 Lewis (6-5-1)
Lewis W12 Tunney (7-5)

 

prime for prime:

Ali wins by three or four rounds.

Lewis beats Holmes in a close fight.

Tunney would get blasted out by Lewis, no problem.

 

First I think it important to consider Ali, Holmes and Tunney are expert fighters and as such command the tools, in contrast to guys Lewis bombed out, to adapt for victory.

Tunney was the foremost student of opponents. If he were forced to face the giant Lewis, he would give a good account of himself. He would toughen up, sharpen his excellent defense and use his 77" reach to Lewis' 84". Seven inches is not that much difference, considering Tyson's 71" to Holmes' 81", or Frazier's 73" to Ali's 80". Tunney could stick and move and Lewis' huge body could telegraph punches to Gene's acute eyesight and allow time to move out of danger.

I still see Lewis winning by decision, with Tunney hitting the canvas a couple of times. Tunney is out of his league here size-wise, but I can see him lasting the distance.

As bigger men and fellow technicians, Holmes and Ali can succeed where Gene falls short and I still see them beating and perhaps even breaking down Lewis over the long run.

Speed, reflexes, slipping ability, a consistent, punishing jab, proper ring movement, resilience, endurance, overall savvy and confidence will weigh more against Lewis than size and power will against Ali and Holmes.

 

Lewis vs Ali and Holmes are 50-50 fights but for arguments sake Lweis loses a decision to Ali and wins a close disputed decision over Holmes.

Tunney loses a WIDE decision Lewis is to big and to good to lose this fight.

 

Mobility! Ali uses his legs and hand speed top take a dec,Holmes tries the same but has to tough it out late in the fight ,and just does so, though he would be vulnerable to Lennox's right at all times.Tunney too, is fast and agile but considerably smaller, Lewis might cut the ring off on him eventually and force a stoppage ,Tunney a respectable hitter hasnt the power to take out Lewis ,and a focused Lennox would probably have too many advanteges over the Marine.