Let's see. He stopped the undefeated Frazier coming off the best win of his career (maybe the greatest win in heavyweight history) in dominating fashion and followed it up by stopping another top 4 heavyweight of the era, also in dominating fashion. He also stopped a peak Lyle, while he (Foreman) was at mental rock bottom, in his first fight back in 2 years, and knocked out undefeated lineal champion Michael Moorer 20 years later, just to give a few names. Your turn. Who did Rahman and McCall KO (with the exception of Lewis) that come even close to Foreman's victims let alone in the matter Foreman did?
Lewis was not iron nor glass, true. But the 2 times he was stopped-one likely prematurely-needs to be considered with all the large, big hitters he faced. And he was not a defensive master who did not take many shots. Frazier fought one guy (twice) who was on the level or hitting harder than a bucnh Lewis faced, & the best you can say is e got up many times during their first fight. I have no indication that Lewis would have been knocked down as often or not been able to get up-but it is ambiguous. Ali did not hit nearly as hard, so I cannot say that Lewis would have been stopped. BUT I do think Frazier has a greater ability to absorb punishment below the level of what would knock him down. But also Frazier was taken off his feet a few times by lesser punchers-Mike Bruce, Bonavena his fairly hard but if as he said in his book if Frazier did not clinch he would have been stopped due to suffering a third knock down. I once read a line by sportswriter Matthew Wallace that "Lewis wobbles when the air conditioning hits him" lol! But besides the 2 stoppages, I do not recall that being true. Some think Frazier might have been stopped in round 2 of the second Ali-Frazier fight if the referee did not give an untoward break to Frazier. Frazier could ship tons of damage very well, but could not take the same single blows as some guys. Like Lewis I think. But he also would not likely have been so lax in preparing at altitude for the Rahman fight... When you say "Foreman remaining upright" I dunno if you mean in Manilla.
