Ike Ibeabuchi-Lennox Lewis

It's a dangerous fight but you'd have to go out on a wing and a prayer to pick Ike as there's just not much there to grab onto vs Lewis. If Lewis happened to miss Tua there'd be plenty of people thinking Tua with his chin and power would have knocked Lewis into next year.

The two Lewis knockouts invariably come up but he was a very flawed fighter in the first, miles below what he became under Steward and he dogged it in training something fierce for Rahman and paid the ultimate penalty. He came back focused and put an absolute clinic on in the rematch. If we are putting Lewis lite or poorly prepared Lewis up, well Ikes chances obviously go up bigtime but if we put him up at his best Ike is the prohibitive, but dangerous, underdog.

 

I agree with most things said on this thread.
Although I believe even a prime focused Lewis would have more danger of at least losing this fight than many believe.

Why?
Lewis is unlikely to KO Ike.
He had a granite chin to go with excellent endurance & more boxing skill than many give him credit for.
He confused Tua by combining boxing & slugging it out.

However different Lewis & Tua were, David hit at least as hard.
And Tua landed more punches in that fight than Lewis *ever* did.

What has not been mentioned is the insane work rate.
I saw that fight on HBO then-& many here know they combined for more HW punches than ANY previously.

Let that sink in: with endless years of 15 round fights, they even beat the count for FOTC.
Tua might have landed more power punches, but Ike more overall: an insane 80+ per round!

And consider that this rate was by heavily muscled men.
Not guys that for most of boxing history often would be max of a CW today-or less.

So that Ike has a decent chance to outwork Lewis.
Yes Lewis was better overall-& the length would help him manage the exchanges-often.
But especially if Lennox went in for the kill as he often did for the most danderous opponents...
Ike may ouland & outlast him!

 

Who would you make favourite and on what basis?

 

Great post, Greg

 

Thanks Clinton, much appreciated.

 

Cheers, my man. Your posts are can't miss

 

Compulsive reading.

 

Lewis handles him about like he did Morrison and Briggs, he doesn't blow Ike away in early rounds but it's also not really much trouble for Lewis

 

Lewis late TKO.

 

He matches up much better with Commander Vander and Bowe much better than Lennox. Thing is the likelyhood of someone signing a contract is far better with Lewis.

 

I hadn’t heard of Luther McCarthy though I did Google him after reading your comment.

But Henry Flakes, yes I know of him. Tragic ending to a very promising fighter.

 

The version of Ike would make Lewis fold.

Lewis had neither the cardio, chin, output, or heart to survive a war like Tua had to.

 

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