Lennox Lewis vs. Chris Byrd.

Lewis would have likely needed a knockout rather than a decision at that stage. And Byrd wasn't that easy to stop. He had already survived Wlad, Tua and Vitali ( albeit with Vitali having an injured shoulder. ) I agree about Corrie Sanders being a risky fight for Lewis at that point as well, though I'd be inclined to still favor Lennox over Sanders.. Not so inclined to favoring him over Byrd at that stage.

 

Don't see this as even the slightest bit competitive. Even the 2002 version of Lewis doesn't lose a single round and finishes it under the distance. Byrd doesn't have the reach to fight Lewis at range and doesn't have the pop to phase Lennox (doesn't have the pop to get even an ounce of respect). Byrd's footwork was never all that and bending at the waste to avoid punches from someone that much bigger, with that much of a reach advantage, with that much power, provides little reason to believe he has any chance whatsoever. The reason they never fought was that Lewis recognized it wouldn't make for good entertainment value or competition. No one was clamoring for this matchup. He would do ostensibly the same thing Ike did in '99. Might take him longer to corner Byrd then he'd imagine by 2002 but it would be an utter mismatch.

 

Lewis in the 10th.

 

Lewis in a snore bore.

 

If a 36 year old Lewis tried the Ike method of hurling wide left uppercuts until he finally caught Byrd he would end up like Vitali and Holyfield with shoulder surgery in his near future.

Byrd is going to parry Lewis jab continously, its going to be up to Lewis to time his right cross when Byrd swats his left hand. Lewis caught Vitali and Rahman this way but Byrd is going to be much more difficult to time. The much quicker Wlad had considerable trouble and had to double his right hand to solve the puzzle.

 

And many Brits will back their man no matter what. So?

 

Except that wasn't the "Ike Method". Ike threw with both hands (and through his space) and anything that touched - shook Byrd. When the power differential is so pronounced it doesn't take anything overly educated to win the fight - just persistence. No need to make up imagined injuries - Lennox's form and technique make Vitali (and Ike too) look like an undereducated novice (and it is hyperbolic to imagine that it would be necessary to commit to the point of injury if that is your expectation).

Byrd won't be successfully or consistently parrying anything. And, when he occasionally manages to do so, the difference is the ten inch reach advantage that Lewis has over Byrd (eight inches more than Ike) and three inch reach advantage Lennox has in excess of Wladimir. Lewis won't have to be concerned with anything coming back (not that if even he could land it would be noticed all that much as Chris hits about as hard as a small cruiser).

Of course Wlad (aka Lewis 0.45) would have more trouble with anyone and have fewer answers and responses.

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" Wlad = good one

 

Easy Lennox decision, maybe mid round KO. Lennox wasn't just far bigger, more powerful and 10 times stronger, he was the more skilled boxer.

You don't think Lennox would do better than Golota and Oquendo? Byrd even struggled against McCline

 

I'm not a big advocate of the mentality, " look at what this guy did against him" sort of thing. If this were prime for prime, Lewis destroys Byrd. In 2002 however, I'd say its 50/50.

 

I don't see what Byrd ever did against a tall rangy boxer though, where's his form? I suppose there's Vitali, who was injured but it was a closer fight than Klitschko fans make out.

But look at his form against big rangy boxers:

Wlad - dominated twice, once stopped
Golota - draw, most thought Golota edged it
Vitali - won against an injured fighter who was up on the cards
Oquendo - gift decision for me, Oquendo won
McCline - edges an SD against a horribly unskilled opponents

In 2002 Byrd looked better because he was fighting an unconditioned Tua who most outboxed and an injured 1 armed Oldyfield. He didn't have to get past a long treble jab or a long fast straight right and he still spent most of the time on the ropes. In his next fight he got beat by Oquendo to get a gift decision. Compare that to Lewis who dominated Tyson and Rahman around that time.

I just don't think Byrd ever proved to be better than a decent contender or even gatekeeper if we're being harsh.

 

I guess

 

You really expect a 36 year old Lewis to chase Byrd down and corner him with relentless hook to the body/left uppercut combinations in close quarters like some sort of 6'5 middle aged Mike Tyson?

This entire paragraph is just reads as hyperbolic trash talking.

If Byrd can parry a youthful Wlad's snappy jab, he can parry Lewis.

Yeah, more like a hell of all lot quicker. You really don't think a young Wlad is quicker than a 36 year old Lewis? Prime vs Prime, Wlad even has a pronounced speed advantage that is quite visible to the eye.

 

:roll:

So now Byrd isn't even a good gate keeper. So is this alphabet Champion with wins over Tua, Holyfield, and Vitali consistently regarded in the top 5 for nearly a dacade, just a journeyman or even a complete bum?

 

Post of the Year, bro.

 

Beat two future Hall of Famers instead of one?