Lennox Lewis looked pretty bad in Gary Mason fight

If Lewis hadn't been a novice pro then I could understand the criticism but how many prospects with 15 fights can take on a world ranked undefeated pro with more than double the fights you've had and win so convincingly?

People are impressed by Lewis' performance in that fight because of the gulf in experience and perceived level at that point, not because he looked like the finished article already or was totally dominant.

Yes Lewis was very raw at that point, he made mistakes, loaded up too much, over balanced, could be sloppy defensively etc. But you could see the potential, he had all the tools already, the jab, the right cross, the uppercut the way he manhandled opponents, he just needed Steward to iron out the mistakes and be more selective with his shots and make him more consistent in his execution.

 

pre steward lewis was a friggin beast though, although less refined.

 

Lewis was in terrible trouble in the first round after a good start himself. He was doing the chicken dance, turning his back and running the wrong way across the ring. Then by round two the fight had dropped to a complete walk. Lewis was hanging on but luckily for him Briggs had shot his bolt. It seemed like each time one exerted himself they took a time out resting then got hurt and vice versa. Lewis took control in the third because Briggs had faded. Round 4 Lewis had to hang on because Briggs got up! Lewis did not have the gas to follow up. He found another punch just as Briggs almost got back into the fight to put him down again. Lewis won in the next round but both looked exhausted.

Lewis was open mouthed in that fight. It's not so much the exertion of punching. the exertion of constantly negotiating ring centre, having to reset and being forced to manoeuvre into a safer position can be just as exhausting. The anxiety of coping with bombs flying toward you when your not comfortable with your own positioning is a vastly underrated factor here.

Yes once Tyson faded that fight was over. Lewis had him at his walk and broke him down. Leaned on him and punched him. Leaned on him and punched him.

Was not like that in the first round was it?

No there are many fights where Lewis had to take time out to recharge himself. There is a history of it.

I was surprised with Lewis in the Mason fight because that was a better pace than in his championship days. But even in this fight he was taking blows when he was tired and it was fortunate that Garry was as tired himself.

So Lewis never needed to hang on at any point?

Yes this is my favourite Lewis win. He cleverly measured his exertion even though the pace was high in the first round. What drove him was the realisation that Grant was hurt early and kept dropping his head onto the uppercut, Lewis really did not miss much. He knew it was a matter if time.

Well I think it's enough to be relevent. You dont.

 

Lewis was superbly built in those days.

 

I think the Mason fight was one of early Lewis's best performances.
He looked more impressive in that one that he did in several fights that came later that year. I think he looked more wild and raw against Tyrell Biggs. He looked heistant against Mike Weaver and very ordinary against Levi Billups.
Mason actually brought out the best of him at that time.

 

He always said Mason was a lot harder than he expected.

 

I've been rumbled!! That's me to a tee, HerolGee. I train in an Everlast mini skirt that's soooo short, when I bend over you can see my ring entrance.

Is your name a nod to Sheffield's finest?

Anyway, enough of such niceties. Gary Mason was 28 not 35, you big fat liar. Makes the risk Lewis took even more impressive.

 

Really? Can't it just be I want to draw a debate about something outside of mainstream established opinion? You seem mortified, offended almost that my points might add up enough to sway somebody away from something you want to stay fixed in stone.

Listen, it really is ok to question stuff. The world isn't flat. We found that out.

Was Lewis "absolutely owning" Briggs when he was doing the chicken dance, turning away and running the wrong way across the ring?

Was he owning Briggs when he let him off the hook umpteen times to get a rest?

Answer me this, Did Lennox have to hang on to Briggs when he got up? Was Lennox so tired knocking Briggs down that he needed to rest when Briggs stood up! He was clinging to a wobbly Briggs who needed finishing off. Is this a lie? A fantasy weaved into an agenda?

 

the tempo of A fight can appear slow and still one guy will get more tired than he ever did in his life. It's about being allowed to do stuff. Anxiety, anticipation. Having control. Confidence. Lewis was not in enough shape to do what he wanted so he got tired very very quickly. He was unable to dictate.

If he was able to dictate, second guess Rahman to time him, even in that shape Lewis might have won. He might have git away with it. But Lewis got tired before he could work him out and got knocked out.

With a better engine, he would not have got tired so quickly.

In the rematch Lewis was much more focused. He did his homework, he stayed relaxed and he was able to time Rahman better than he could the first time. Hence knocking him out so emphatically.

 

I'm dishonest because you dont agree with me? I dont understand.

All I'm really saying here is that I think, in my opinion, the bigger Lewis got the more prone he was to getting tired in fights. It's observable on film in the Mavrovic fight especially and other points in fights he might have won earlier. He was dominant up to the point where he needed a breather, That's all.

Lewis was a big man who had a lot going for him. Fine champion. Great head to head ATG. He won his key fights but some wins were more emphatic than others. What's wrong with that?

My observation was that he sometimes walked a tight rope where the size and power worked for him most of the time and on occasion it worked against him because he needed to rest part of the round.

Are you saying this isn't acceptable (even though the naked eye shows him choosing to hang on) and that I should believe Lewis had utter control at all times, wasn't tired, and that the punch stats prove he could not have exerted himself so much because He was winning the rounds anyway?

 

Look at Mason's record on boxrec. His quality of opposition was weak leading up to his fight with Lewis

Also, Lewis had vast ameteur experience - fighting in two Olympics. Many guys with his type of ameteur experience have been ready for title shots after about 15 fights.

Lewis looked bad, not because of lack of experience, but because of the limitations of his athletic and boxing skills. Basically, he never looked like a "natural." He eventually got a great trainer who got him to maximize his physical attributes and maximize the boxing skills he had, while, at the same time, minimizing his weaknesses.

 

Shannon Briggs had over 20 first round KO's to his credit and was definitely worthy of a title shot when Lewis fought him back in 98', he was only ever stopped by Wilson and Lewis during a long career, he was very dangerous early on but would often fade as a fight would unfold, Lewis TKO 5 Briggs was a decent victory for the Brit:deal