Chris Byrd challenges Lennox Lewis at a press conference

I'm not surprised Lewis didn't want to fight Byrd. CB was an awkward, skilled customer. Even if Lewis beat him, he'd look bad in doing so.

 

This was after Lennox's last fight. If he did fight on it was only for big money fights. Byrd wasn't a big money fight

 

Opinion^ I'd favour Lewis, but Byrd would be a live underdog at that point of Lewis' career.

 

Complete nonsense. The career punching bag and sparring partner coke head with mental health issues Oliver McCall had a prayer with an off night prime Lennox.

Byrd could make anyone look bad and awkward. The aging Lennox was getting fatter and lazier and easier to hit. The hefty late 30 some thing 245 pound version of Lennox would have his hands full with a motivated and in shape Byrd.

 

McCall had a punchers chance, Byrd didn't have that. The Byrd who lost every round to Wlad, needed a gift against Oquendo and arguably lost to Golota.

 

Those are my thoughts and reason why it did not happen. Byrd would have added to Lewis' resume for sure.

 

Is the Ray Mercer who got outboxed by a fat 40 year old Holmes yet nearly won a decision against Lewis more skilled than Byrd?

What about the 37 year old Holyfield whom Byrd outboxed much more convincingly than Lewis did?

 

I think Mercer had both a better chin and more power than Byrd, although not more skill.

 

Byrd also beat a 40 year old Holyfield, who was significantly worse than the already past his prime 37 year old version.

 

Reminds me of Marvin Shabazz showin up at the press conference of James 'The Grim Reaper' Roper.

 

Byrd's one of the 10 most overrated heavyweights of all time.

He could never beaten Lewis. You can't beat Lewis if you can't hurt him.

Best case, Byrd makes Lewis look awkward for awhile, but once Lewis connects solid with the right, Byrd would have been drooling on himself again.

In Byrd, we're talking about a guy who outboxed Tua (Lewis did so more impressively), and got a HUGE GIFT over Golota... we all know what Lewis did to Golota.

Like I said, one of the most overrated heavyweights ever.

Chris Byrd was not particularly good.

 

Byrd was shot beyond belief at that point. His legs were so deteriorated he made Tony Thompson look like Larry Holmes.. It was one of the weakest examples if a title changing hands in HW history when WK took his belt.
Put Carl Froch in there that night and he would have went home as the IBF HW Champion.