Lewis would bug the hell out of Larry with his Steward-trained jab for around a couple of rounds, making the latter look not-so-great. Around the third or fourth Larry starts getting in the jab, and Lewis ends up looking gangly and awkward. He shakes Larry hard with rights in the 7th and 9th rounds, but by this time Holmes is finding the mark with the overhand right and makes Lewis' legs quiver hard when it lands flush. In the 11th and 12th Lewis is having trouble staying erect, the right hands are getting set up perfectly with the jab and he staggers and nearly falls in the last ten seconds of the 12th. At the end of the fight Lewis is lumped up and looking really wasted. Holmes UD 15 rounds Lewis is stopped in 13.
I’m leaning towards Holmes by a decision. Larry wasn’t the big plodding puncher type who Lewis easily dispatched. He was mobile, skilled, durable, and had one of the best jabs of all times. Lennox would be a dangerous opponent though and Larry couldn’t afford to get careless or sloppy or Lewis would finish what Shavers could not....
Lewis is overrated. The only fighters in there prime worth there salt he beat are Briggs, Grant and Vitali- Lennys the SHW Marciano.
If he took 13 to stop Cooney i don't see him stopping Lewis in 13. I'd say it goes the distance 12 or 15 rounds.
Mercer hadn’t won a good fight In a hot minute and was past his best and lost to a forty something Larry Holmes.
The fact that you put one of his worst wins in there says all you need to know. To answer the question I could see Holmes winning a razor thin decision, he probably outjabs Lewis but he might hit the deck once or twice
Tua, Rahman, McCall, Morrison, Ruddock are better than Briggs and Grant. The past prime versions of Holyfield he beat are better. Gary Mason might even be better.
Golota, Rahman rematch, Ruddock, arguably Tua, Bruno ? Yeah Bruno. Would you consider Morrison past his prime ? Im not sure because just before that he did beat a past it Ruddock which is his second best win behind Foreman
no, no. Only prime fighters. Rahman got beat by James Toney and stopped a prime Lewis lol Ruddock wasn’t prime and I said only prime fighters Holyfield was finished and It was still competitive. Lol
Honestly not much between all those names and they’re al not close to his win over a really past it Holyfield. That tells me something.
