George Foreman vs Lennox Lewis

Interesting scenario. Maybe even 7th. :think

 

I can't believe Lewis would fight Foreman and not box him intelligently.

Lewis wins the trilogy 2-1.

 

This is one of the closest polls I've seen on this board.

 

Regarding the issue of chin, I'm a little bit torn on the issue.

I don't think there is any evidence that a bigger neck helps in absorbing a shot. If this was so, Michael Moorer who had a 20' neck, would have been more resistant to a punch. Yet, he was definitely chinny.
Strengthening the neck muscles must surely help though, but again there is no concrete evidence of this and I'm basically just using logic in place of actual proof here.

Does adding bulk improve punch resistance? In Evander's case I'd have to say yes. I can't see a 190 lb. Evander absorbing a Bowe right hand well, but the 214 lb. version did.
Then again, if you look at the myriad of fighters who stepped up a division or two and found there chins suddenly wanting then there is sufficient evidence to say that simply getting bigger doesn't necessarily increase punch resistance.

I believe conditioning plays a big role in punch resistance, as well as other factors like how relaxed / stiff the fighter was when hit with the punch, if he saw it coming, the placement of the punch, the belief the fighter has in himself to take the punch, his ability to roll with the shot and a bunch of other factors.

 

Lewis i think would have enough technique to keep Foreman at range, which would be enough to take the win, late TKO

 

It's amazing how Lewis's standing has gone up. Two years ago, Foreman would have won this poll by a wide margin. Lewis is finally getting the credit he deserves, just like Holmes did after he retired.

 

When didn't Lewis get the credit he deserves? This man is (certainly) above Ali. :good

 

You're a pretentious ****. That was a good post. Get off Lewis' dick.

 

It was not, to say Lewis would have had no change of getting past the 3rd round either means this poster completely hates Lewis or hasn't seem him fight. Take your pick. That post was anything but impartial. Nobody really cares who picks who but saying one fighter walks on water and the other sucks, doesn't provide any insight or value.

Look at the Ring's analysis, which I posted, if you want a decent breakdown of the skills of the two fighters. The outcome could be different, (ie Foreman could win), but the strengths and weaknesses of each fight are pretty much bang on, I think.

 

If Ali couldn’t get away from Foreman, neither could Lewis box his way unscathed to the promised land of the middle rounds.

Lewis would not try to “take out” Foreman early. He held and held early on against an old Tyson. Lewis was CAUTION, TENTATIVENESS, against a talented threat. (The innocent Rahmans don’t count.)

Early on, Foreman would cut off the ring and get the upper hand, forcing Lewis to engage, strategy going out the window. I continue to see Foreman demolishing Lewis early.

Ali was exhausted after 8 rounds with Foreman. Does Lewis have the chin and heart to survive and come out on top after 8 excruciating rounds with a rampaging Foreman? I don’t see it from Lewis, who had his hands full with an old Holyfield.

Lewis backs up; Foreman comes forward. The result favors Forema

 

Actually, Ali easily nailed Foreman with right hands in their first round and got out of the way again and again.

It was only untill Ali decided to lay on the ropes that he couldn't "get away" from Foreman.

Lewis has a career of being extremely agressive against big men: Grant, Ruddock, V. Klitschko and Golota. Only Klitschko went past the second round because he has an iron chin.

While i would advice him to box Foreman like he did Tua and Tyson, there is a chance that he comes ou agressive.

And Foreman had his hands more than full with an old Ali. Lewis dominated Holyfield in their first fight and still beat him when he fought Holyfields fight in the second one, so what?

An equally good question is whether Foreman can take Lewis' punches? He was dropped twice by Lyle who is not the puncher Lewis is nor has the delivery, and was dropped by light hitting Young & Ali.

Foreman could not land consistently on defensively adept boxers (Ali, Young) while Lewis could (Holyfield I & II, Klitschko).

 

What is the evidence for Lyle hitting harder than Lewis?

It took him 6 rounds to dispose of Shavers, while most (semi-)punchers that landed on him early, took him out early... like Quarry.

How many one-punch knockouts over world class opposition does he have, compared to Lewis?
In fact, how many world class fighters did he knock out at all? I can't think of a single one, off the top of my head. Lewis knocked out Biggs, Weaver (one punch), Ruddock, Bruno, Morrison, Grant (one punch), Rahman (one punch), Briggs, Botha, Golota and Tyson (one punch).


As you pointed out, and Foreman did not always get up when down and was arguably saved by the bell against Lyle after the second knockdown. In the grant total of .................. two..... knockdowns that Lewis suffered in his entire career, he got up one time and was stopped prematurely and the other time he was knocked out indeed.

Foreman faced 5 punchers, Lewis faced 15. Foreman was down 4 times, Lewis was down twice. In other words, Foreman is 6 times more likely to get knocked down by a puncher than Lewis is.