Bowe is a superior boxer to Lewis

true, and that was really disgraceful, don't know why the referee didn't warn him on that.

 

I didn't notice jab :roll:

While Bowe had very good jab, he often ignored it.

Lewis could win the fights with jab alone.

Also jab is a part of defense (and Lewis had better defense as we know)

So advantage to Lennox here

 

Yeah, I mentioned his smoothness earlier. He's more relaxed than even a post-Steward LL, and certainly has more "chill" than a young Lewis in spades.

 

I'll have to skim through all the pages, but I'm yet to see anybody that agrees that Bowe's jab was superior to Lewis'. :conf

 

This is a complete contradiction. If Lewis made better use of his jab, than he had a better jab.

Yes, he could sometimes paw with it, but he also controlled the distance of the fight with it more often than not. And one of the hardest jabs I've ever seen in my life was when he stopped the 250lb Vitali right in his tracks with a couple of jabs. Those were telephone polls.

 

Yes, but making good use of the jab is to a large degree what makes it good to begin with.

 

Bowe has a better jab than Lewis? :rofl

 

Bowe had a horrible midrange and interior defense. Why do you think he ended up slurring his words before 30?

 

Accomplishment in the sport of boxing equals the superior boxer.

You people act like it is figure skating. At the end of the day, boxing is about imposing your physicality and will on your opponent. This thing you call skill is merely a rough indicator of excellence. Lewis was able to impose his will to victory over a much better crew of opponents than Bowe, and in general, in amuch better fashion. Bowe is exalted because he found a perfect foil, an undersized heavy who liked to engage in high risk encounters. Other than that, he almost exclusively fought no hopers and still had trouble. In the end, a B-level fighter exposed his lack of substance.

 

Sadly that ends up being the bottom line.

 

A Tony Tucker fight was peanuts compared to Bowe/Lewis.

Bowe ducked Lewis. He surrendered his Title Belt rather than face him.

 

:deal Seamus says it like it is.

(Although I think Golota when he had his act together was more than just b-level.) There's a reason why Bowe ducked Lewis and that reason is obvious: he knew that he would lose.

 

Balance - Bowe did have better balance, but then his feet were so slow it's no wonder his balance was so good, he barely moved. Lewis could be off balance but he was far more agile than Bowe ever was. Lewis had the better footwork even if his balance wasn't always great.

Jab - If you think Bowe had a better jab you must be on crack. Holyfield was able to match Bowe's jab in the 2nd fight, something he could never do with Lewis' jab. Just watch Bowe's and Lewis' fight with Biggs to compare jabs. Bowe was comprehensively out jabbed by Biggs, eating jab after jab, while Lewis out jabbed Biggs and infact took away Biggs jab.

Combo's punch variety - While Lewis could throw every punch Bowe threw, I agree Bowe was a more fluid puncher who varied his shots more.

Ability to fight at all ranges - In this regard they were opposites. Both Lewis and Bowe could fight at different ranges when needed to. Look at Lewis fights with Mercer and Vitali to see him fight inside effectively, he could do it but he didn't want to throw away his height and reach like Bowe did.

But Bowe was better on the inside but from range he was overrated, he could outbox smaller men, but even then could be out boxed, due to his lack of mobility and overrated jab. Lewis was far better from range. So in this category, they are even.

Beard - Lewis' chin is better than some people think, he fought far more big punchers than Bowe did. Bowe's chin wasn't that great either though, out on his feet against Hide, dropped by Holyfield, wobbled twice by Biggs, dropped numerous times by Golota. But I give him the slight edge in chin over Lewis.

Single best win - Agree the win over prime Evander is better than any single win on Lewis'. But that's Bowe's problem outside of Holyfield who has he beaten? We can discount the Golota wins, he was gifted those by the crazy pole, that leaves Hide. While beating Evander twice is memorable and significant, I'll take Lewis depth of opposition over these wins over Evander.

So Bowe had a better chin, combinations and punch variety and single best win and that's it. While Lewis had better footwork, jab, power, dedication, resume, defence, longevity, right hand, ability to fight from a distance. Lewis was clearly the better fighter.

 

That's a good summary by Brighton^

I think that in hindsight Bowe had a pretty decent chin - or maybe a great fighting spirit is a better description. He got tagged by monstrous shots by Golota and somehow s****ed his carcass off the sidewalk to keep fighting. I'll admit upfront that I don't like Bowe, but hats off to him for doing that. Some respect is due.

 

He got 10 million to fight a washed up scrub. More than what he was getting as a mandatory challenger against Bowe. Came again another day.