Ali gets way overrated by everyone and was hittable. He took way too many unnecessary punches. Lewis would land the jab at will and find a home for that sledge hammer right hand of his. Floyd Mayweather has Lewis winning this fight and so do I. Ali or Lewis?
Ali was quite hard to hit in his prime. He went down a couple of times when he was a cocky young fighter. Watch Ali between 1964-67. How many times did he get hit clean? And let's not act like Lewis did not take unnecessary punches. Lewis was one shotted twice - by Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman, neither of whom were as big hitters as guys like George Foreman, Sonny Liston, or Earnie Shavers for that matter. McCall couldn't stop an ancient Holmes but stopped Lewis with one shot. Lewis, at his peak, was knocked down (unofficially) by Shannon Briggs - the same Briggs who couldn't put a dent into a nearly 50 year old Foreman. Lewis was staggered multiple times by an ancient Evander Holyfield. And repeatedly hit clean by Marovic and Mercer. Even if you claim Ali took unnecessary shots, so did Lewis. Lewis is far more hittable than Ali. And Ali has far quicker hands than McCall, Rahman, Holyfield, Mercer or Marovic. So if Lewis could get hit repeatedly by those guys, why couldn't Ali land far more on him? Makes no sense.
Responding to the title thread, I will just say this. Ali beat nine of the 1963 Ring Magazine End of the Year top ten heavyweights. He did not fight the other guy. Ali also beat all 10 of the 1974 end of the year top ten heavyweights. Quite simply, Ali fought and beat everyone for a long time. Plain and simple, Ali was better than Lewis. As far as head-to-head goes, Lewis has a chance to win that but I don't think he is smart enough or quick enough to pull it off.
Other than being larger and hitting harder, what did Lewis actually do better than a prime Ali? Don’t get me wrong, Lewis is one of the best ever, but the real source of that was that he was like a solid B in all stats and skills, with an A in power, and in the aggregate that made him great. But a prime Ali was a solid A at everything except power.
Lewis was a pugilist specialist. He conquered. Lol. He can box inside outside He could do it all. His words.
Lewis has gradually grown into the most overrated heavyweight of all time, at least among online fans. I don’t have time to write it all out now but honestly as much as Lewis was a good fighter he never had a win as good as Liston, Foreman or Frazier, or a run as good as Ali’s in the 60s.
The thing with a lot of modern fighters is they are so much bigger than the 70's greats and we know from years of watching size matters especially when the big guys are well skilled. I could see a case for being the best ever, I could see him beating the 70s Ali and Foreman. Foreman was called Big George - he would give away lbs in weight and some height and reach to the like of Lewis, Fury, Wlad etc etc
I agree I think Lewis gets a tad overrated aswell. Not that I'm saying Lewis isn't a major threat to every Heavyweight past or present based in his size and skills. But people make out Lewis was unbeatable and he was far from that. He got 1 shotted by 2 B class Heavyweights. Had a controversial decision against Mercer who outjabbed him. A very close fight vs a 37 year old Holyfield in their 2nd fight.
I think Lewis would beat Ali and is the best head to head heavyweight ever With that said Ali is the greatest heavyweight of all time in terms of what he accomplished. Lennox Lewis isn't even close
Ali was hittable? And Lewis wasn't?? Quit sucking that Floyd ***** kid. You're hot takes are hot crap.