Could Ali handle lennox lewis size?

Muhammad Ali was a whole lot faster, tougher, and mentally stronger than Lewis' challengers. He could do anything that Oliver McCall and Hasim Raham could do, only better. Name a challenger that Lewis fought that was as capable as Ali, and don't say washed up Tyson or past prime Holyfield....Ali trumps him, or washed up Tyson, again, there's no comparison...in terms of speed, don't even bring up the 2002 version of Mike.

Size is always bound to be a factor, and Lewis was a very skilled big man, but there wasn't a Heavyweight that ever existed that would dominate a peak Ali. His foot speed could see him maneuver in and out of range fairly easily, and his handspeed would see him beat Lewis to the punch. Ali was not a small man at 6'3 and he had a long reach himself. The size difference would not be as drastic as some are thinking.

 

Both guys are mentally very tough. Ali more physically talented. Lewis wasnt a pressure fighter so the size factor wouldnt be like a fight against a style of a Foreman or someone that had both size and pressure. Ali would have given a guy like Lewis a very tough fight, because outside boxing and speed would be the key to victory.

 

I don't think that's relevent, ...who did Norton ever fight prior to '73 that was anything like Ali? You guys wouldn't have given Norton a shot in hell at beating Ali pre-March '73...and the "Ali wasn't in shape" routine dosen't wash, as Norton gave a prepared Ali all he could handle in the rematch, won by Ali in a squeaker, but I'm convinced that he lost the rubber match...the one for all the marbles. I'm not equating Lewis with Norton..I'm suggesting that Lewis would have presented a PREPARED Ali with his own unique set of problems.

 

It's a sword that cuts both ways,..that argument, because Ali definitely never fought as skilled and powerful a big man as Lewis...and if you should bring up any questions regarding Lewis' chin..and his two ko losses...then how come ali couldn't deck the chinny Ken Norton?

 

Why is it you support all of your notions based on how a past prime Muhammad Ali performed? He wasn't the same fighter when he fought Ken Norton. When I talk about Ali at his very best, I look at the fighter from the 60's who made Liston look like a nobody. That Ali has the handspeed and footspeed to cause Lennox Lewis fits.

Regarding the chinny Ken Norton comment, I don't envision either Hasim Rahman or Oliver McCall decking and stopping Kenny Norton. Ali didn't accumulate one of the greatest resume in Boxing history through raw power, he did it by utilizing his physical gifts and his brain power. That's precisely how he would beat Lennox Lewis, who isn't all that much bigger than a prime George Foreman.

 

1. Is this thread's topic specific to any one era of Ali's career? Read the title of the thread.."Could Ali handle Lennox Lewis' size?" then the first post..."any 70's fighter" is mentioned...why are YOU tying it down to any specific time, early, middle or late in Ali's career?
2. Oh, so you "don't envision Hasim Rahman or Oliver McCall stopping Norton"? So suddenly Norton would have grown a chin against these two men? Or are you saying that those two guys couldn't punch? When did you start following boxing?
3. How much bigger would Lewis have to be than Foreman to qualify as significantly bigger? What's your definition of "not much bigger"?

 

Are you suggesting Ali never faced as skilled men as Lewis. Forget about powerful that means little, compared to overall skills. I would say Lewis faced the second most technically flawed fighters in heavyweight history behind todays era. Proof is in the remnance of the era behind his where he struggled with the best of who he faced of them.

 

Lewis' combination of skill and power...yes, that's exactly what I'm suggesting.

 

I thought you were talking about Lewis opponents. As I said in an earlier post, I dont think the power would be as big a factor as you might think, because Lewis is not a pressure type fighter. He likes to operate safe from the outside, especially against the elite guys. Thats why guys who had similar styles to his like Tucker and Mavrovic, could make it the distance. Ali possessed speed Lewis had never seen. Lewis was a little confused by a slower less boxing Holyfield, who mixed it up far more than Ali would have on the inside.

 

Exactly right, it would have been an intriquing matchup.

 

Sorry but im sure I heard Forman say "Heeda beaten me hededa beaten Ali too big too good and long a jab"


This was during Lennox's destruction of Tyson as I recall.

 

When I ever discuss fantasy match-ups, I always thought the logical thing to do was to take the best versions of each fighter. In my estimation, Muhammad Ali was most effective during the times he was making the likes of Terrell, Liston, and Folley look like C level athletes.

I am saying Ken Norton was a better Heavyweight than a lot of Lewis' competition, including Oliver McCall, Ray Mercer, Frank Bruno, and Hasim Rahman - all of which either gave Lennox hell or knocked him out cold.

 

I don't think it'd be a pretty fight for anyone involved.

Whoever wins, would likely do it in boring fashion because there's no way Ali chooses to engage with Lewis of his own volition. It'd be purely picking spots and a defensively tactical fight if Ali's to come out the victor. If Ali doesn't have his best movement, I wouldn't like his chances of winning the fight- if it were the Ali of FOTC, for example. Another X factor would be how Ali handles tying up, which was one of his favorite tactics on the inside but vs Lewis, would be doing it against a bigger man who wouldn't gas.

 

Yeah, and Foreman also said Lewis was the GOAT but never even ranked him in his top 10 on his site. Hmm.... :rofl