Lennox Lewis vs. Tyson Fury prime for prime.

"Just look at the state of his face man" (high pitched)

 

No excuses... Lennox was concensus number one at the time

 

"Just look at the state of his face man" indeed, we all remember that. Fact is that Len was getting lit up and was sent into retirement. Wanted no more of that...

 

I'm not comparing the stoppages. And there's no shame in going life or death for the English HW championship. It's a prestigious belt...

 

You can pussyfoot around the subject, but here are the facts.

Tyson Fury vs John McDermott - a close fight, Tyson Fury is not knocked down, has just turned 21 years old and it is his 8th professional fight.

Lennox Lewis vs Oliver McCall - Stopped by an unremarkable boxer in 2 rounds, is 29 years old and it is his 26th professional bout. He is a reigning world champion.

Lennox Lewis vs Hasim Rahman - Brutally knocked out in 5 rounds by a guy who has already been stopped twice by good but not great boxers. Lennox Lewis, at this stage, is 35 years old and is in his 41st professional bout. He is a reigning world champion.

Just because you avenge your losses does not clear them from your resume. Neither Hasim Rahman or Oliver McCall are top class opposition, yet they defeated Lennox Lewis, the world's leading superstar heavyweight, convincingly.

Tyson Fury was practically just leaving adolescence, wasn't in great shape, had no sponsorship behind him and couldn't find sparring partners. You are really reaching if you think the two are comparable.

 

They're not comparable, correct. Lewis lost two world title fights and Fury nearly lost in an bout for the English HW title. At elite level, especially HWs fighters can lose to inferior opposition - it takes one punch. I cannot imagine any version of Lewis struggling with John McDermott, with as many explanatory caveats you may wish to insert.

That said, not for one minute do I let that aberration affect my assessment of Fury as a fighter. The same for Lewis' two avenged losses. Now I guess Mayweather would place more emphasis on another fighter's losses, because to him the 'O' is everything - but I don't agree with this kind of thinking. Had Lewis not fought and beat the men who beat him, then the question mark against his resume gains more gravitas.

We're also looking at Lewis' career long after it finished. Fury could have another five years, and who knows, a couple of losses along the way.

Of course, I brought up the McDermott fight as a way to give context to why I think you place too much emphasis on Lewis' elite level losses. Which you do.

As for the question posed by the OP: prime for prime this would be a great fight. They would both be the best mover each would have fought. Fury has more stamina, Lewis had more power, but Fury is stronger. Jabs are hard to separate. Lewis is more effective on the inside and a better combination puncher but fury's strength might nullify that in the clinch. It's a great fight. One Fury could win. But not in the manner of Lewis' losses. He's not one-punch KOing him...

 

He was caught very square on with Pajkic and Cunningham both of which he recovered straight away.

Odd comment regarding Wilder...… one of the biggest punchers of all time.

 

A H2H match-up is the BEST version of each fighter, so you can't just say "oh Lewis got brutally KO'd twice so Fury would chin him" etc.

If they fought we'd see how good Fury's chin is actually. If he can stand up to Lewis's punches, then he's got a good chance of winning the fight. Like all the big men he fought, Lewis will come right at Fury and will be looking to get him out of there asap.

However, I don't think he can stand up to Lewis's punches. I also don't think he can stand up to Joshua's punches but that's for another thread. In both these fights the key for Fury is MOBILITY. He can't fight the way he did in Wilder II or he will be stopped imo.

 

Vitali and Fury are about the same height with maybe Fury being a half inch taller. What Fury does have is a longer reach, although not by all that much as Lewis has a long reach for his height.

 

It's been said many times and there's a wealth of information and photos out there.

Fury is not 6ft 9, never was, never has been. He's a tad shorter than David Price, who is 6ft 8.

 

It's great how you downplay Lewis' dimensions, but overstate Fury's. It's almost as if you have an agenda....

Lewis is 6'5ish, he looked it vs Vitali, Golota and Grant. On his best night he 244.

Fury is 6'7ish, he looked it vs Wlad, Wallin, Schwartz and Wilder. On his best night he was 247.

No, there's not a huge difference.

 

This. The people at the time didn't even rate Lewis too highly. In fact, they were saying he's one of the worst champs ever coz he'd been 1 punch KOed twice.

Lewis being one of the best ever is actually revisionism. Lewis and his résumé alone would mop the floor today, let alone the rest of the 90s he didn't face. Put Mercer in with Whyte, what do you get? You get Whyte KTFOd. Tua in with Wilder? You see Wilder KTFO'd. Holyfield in with Hunter? You see Hunter KTFO'd. Vitali in with Joshua? You see Femi KTFO'd. Rahman in with Ruiz? Rahman wins. Bruno in with Rivas? Bruno wins.

Lennox in with Fury? Lewis wins. Ect ect; and the myth that he didn't beat Vitali is just bollocks.

 

IMO, the two greatest wins on Fury's record eclipse all of Lewis'. i.e. decisive wins over Wlad and Wilder, who's resume's in turn were very impressive. Lewis simply doesn't have such career defining wins on his record- by quite a way off too. His (Lewis') overall legacy and accomplishments are clearly superior (when you consider defenses, undisputed, longevity etc). However, H2H it is a different story.

 

Fury is just entering his prime

Let him stop AJ and Whyte first

Fury has literally only just started taking his nutrition seriously. He had beers the night before he fought both Wlad and Wilder. He basically had/has the diet of a child eating rubbish.

The second Wilder fight is the first time he's took everything seriously. Hired a chef for the first time. He is in training DAILY for the first time in his life. He doesn't blow up in weight between fights.

His chef has to mix in vegetables with his food because fury doesn't like them LOL.

Every time Fury has tuned in for a fight he has dominated.

 

Sorry, did you say that an over the hill Wlad is better than a prime Vitali? Or that Wilder has a 'very impressive' résumé?

Past it Holy = Past it Wlad
Prime Vitali > Prime Wilder (LOL)

Who's next? Oh yeah...
Tua > Chisora
Mercer > Hammer
Rudduck > Wallin
Bruno > Johnson
Golota > Schwartz

Ect; ect; Lewis' résumé is levels beyond Fury's.