Myself and others have done this before with other fighters. Always good for debate. Now it's the best heavyweight of the 90's Lennox Lewis' turn. I reckon that Lennox was at his best around 1997. How would that version of him do against the best of 1970-1975 incarnations of Muhammad Ali,Joe Frazier,George Foreman and Ken Norton ? I see Ali winning a tough bout on points. His superior hand and footspeed being the main factor here. He was n't as fast as his 60's self,but still extremely speedy for a heavyweight. During a fight like this,he would adapt when he needed to slow up a bit. Lewis would cause him problems,but Muhammad would come through. Because of Norton's problems with big hard punching fighters Lennox would nail him early. The Frazier and Foreman bouts,I see as being 50/50 affairs. To beat Frazier,Lennox would have to throw caution to the wind,and try to take Joe out of there as quickly as possible. He could quite conceivably accomplish this. Lennox would be advised not to start slowly as Joe would come into the fight more and more getting to the Brit on the inside with his pressurising advance and could beat Lennox with this strategy. Against Foreman,Lennox would need to do the complete opposite. Be cautious early,and take minimal risks,hopingto tire George out,and take him late in the fight.
I am confident Foreman crushes him, Frazier gives him hell and Ali outlasts him. And Lewis is no slouch. '71 to '74 saw a truly great trio.
Lewis could be outboxed. The 70's had a good mix of boxer movers. Lewis would have had the strength factor most of the time, but I think he has trouble with some of the better boxers. To me Lewis dominated a very poor group of fighters technically speaking. Most of them were just big guys with mediocre boxing skills.
I think Lewis would beat anyone from the 70's. He might have trubble with Ali's craftness but should be able to pull off a close decision. Foreman's power will cause problems but Lewis can outbox and stop Foreman. I don't think anyone else not even Frazier poses much of a thret.
More times than not, he beats each and every one of them. Of course, with heavyweights, and especially excellent heavyweights, anything is possible. I am just saying if they fight 5 times, Lewis comes away winning more often.
Never been a big Lewis fan but I think he beats most of the "greats". But on another note I think people compare modern heavyweights to the "great" era because of nostalga and not being able to let the past go. Same goes for football and most other sports.
the crude and green giant (fairly average in size today) who was raised on milk fed opponents and whose legacy is based on bouncing around a chinny Marine and a shot midget, said shot midget who was at the tail end of greatness in 71 but never again defeated an a-level heavy, and the badly faded alltime great who survived on shuckster-ism, cheating and his best and worst asset, a great chin... this is the truly great trio?
lewis beats norton ali beats lewis foreman and frazier beat lewis. i think lewis ias the better boxer but i don't think lennox ever fought guys who where as ferocious as those 2. foreman being a big powerhouse would have to be carefull though against lennox since the big brit has also enough strenght and better technique.. in case of frazier it would be easier for joe. simply of his stamina and fighting spirit. the only 90ties fighter who comes close to the spirit of joe is holyfield but joe was way tougher. and i think norton has the weakest chin of them ans then lennox.. ali, frazier and foreman have imo better chins then lennox