*How close in Percentage-Terms was Lewis to PEAK/BEST when he KO'd by Hasim Rahman?*

Lewis was at the top of his game but he didn't train or take the fight seriously so he got knocked out. Rahman didn't need to fight a fight like Douglas did to beat Tyson.

 

Lewis was bang in his prime. he might not have trained as hard as he should but there zero signs of decline, wear and tear etc.

this kinda mirrors the tyson loss to douglas because both were huge upsets, both were just mandatory defences and both came up against someone who wouldn't be denied.

rahman jabbed brilliantly that night and as soon as lewis began to gas you knew it wouldn't end well.

fortunately we got to see a better prepared lewis in the rematch and i think he's even said he'd fell out of love with the sport then because he wasn'tbeing challenged. in the rematch we saw lennox the lion back again and he put on a great performance.

damn it just makes me wish we saw tyson - douglas 2 in 1990/1991.

 

I disagree with the general consensus so far. He was at 85% or so.

He had put on a lot of weight compared to his earlier fights and was nowhere near as mobile. Or quick. Left hook was gone. It was a version of Lennox that fought smart enough to stay on his pitchers mound and dictate the fight. Then he could single jab and fire off a right hand that was nowhere near as fast and straight as the one he fired off against Weaver and Ruddock. But Lennox was smart enough to compensate for some of that deterioration.


But Rahman was never known as a twinkletoes in there and he was moving Lennox around and had much the better footwork. Where was that Lewis mobility? Rahman took him off that comfy pitchers mound and then those Lewis warts became big enough flaws to lose a fight. Picture perfect right hand thrown from the perfect distance & we had a new heavyweight champion.

 

I was thinking the same thing. He even to this day stays in good shape at least when I see him on interviews on the web and I think if he was motivated he could've fought on longer. Smart for retiring when he did as most if not almost all other greats don't retire on top. If he was serious then there would be no need for a rematch against Rahman, he would've took him out the first time.

 

Lewis was slightly passed his prime,but had quite a bit left,as he displayed in the Rahman return.

 

Foreman Hoooookkk ! :good