Lewis vs Foreman (1998)

Lewis beats 49 y.o. Foreman clearly and Foreman absorbs more punishment and takes it longer than Briggs (as he had clearly better chin even then).

I'm glad it never happened.

The only chance to win for Foreman in 98 if Lewis makes stupid moves a-la Mayorga (hands down, chin up with no defence). It won't happen though

 

I seriously doubt Foreman at 49 would have signed on to fight LL, because that would have been suicide, his face started to swell up a lot in his second career and he would have been facing a guy roughly 17 years younger than him, who was even bigger than George, and arguably hit harder who was in the prime of his career 1998...

Foreman certainly didn't even need the loot, with all those grills he sold, I don't see any reason or logic for him to take on a guy who's as dangerous as LL, especially at near 50:-(

 

Lennox by fatality.

 

lewis by tko ...and with heavy heavy lumber ..foreman at 47 isnt the same foreman at 42

 

He would have been 49, was approaching it against Briggs, but the point is solid.
Lewis would need to be very complacent to lose, then he could get sparked, but a slow aged Foreman is not going to beat a prime top ATG under normal circumstances.

Now Lewis is 49. A contest where he trained like Foreman both near 50, who knows what would happen. Both at this age could be contenders today I believe, which is very impressive.

 

Foreman had the strong jab, big right hand which usually gave Lewis trouble as in the Bruno, Rahman and Mercer fights. Combined with Foreman's solid chin he had all the tools to give Lewis some trouble.

But Lewis would be too fast, too rangy and land all to regularly on the sluggish Foreman to lose. He might have some trouble taking Big George out but he'd eventually get him out of there.

 

Lewis should take this pretty easily, but I don't think George would be in any real danger. Foreman was slow as hell but still very powerfull, I see Lewis giving him the Tua treatment and cruise his way to a loopsided UD. If he wanted to I think he could hurt Foreman badly, but I doubt he would risk it.

On the other hand I very much doubt that Foreman would have fought Lewis had he gotten the decision against Briggs. Maybe he would have tried to push for a fight with Tyson?

 

Glad this fight never happened. The combination of George's chin and toughness with Lewis's size, power and relative precision would probably make for a brutal beating. That would be no way for Foreman to bow out of boxing.

 

Foreman never would've fought Lewis, just like he wouldn't of fought Rid**** Bowe at his best. (And as some may recall they couldn't even put Bowe-Lewis together when they were both undefeated champions of the heavyweight division and at the top of their peaks.) And here's some food for thought. George Foreman wouldn't even fight a past his prime Larry Holmes. The only fight that Foreman was thinking about and would've been crazy enough to have actually fought had it happened, and even more crazier possibly win, was a fight against a past his prime Mike Tyson. (Pre Lewis of course.)

 

I think Foreman earlier in his comeback or even when he fought Moorer could've made a good fight of it with Lewis and even possibly scored an upset. I think Foreman's jab would give Lewis trouble like Mercer's did and I also see Foreman being able to land on Lewis and make a real fight of it no matter what. But by 1998 Foreman would've slowed down even more so then he had by the time he faced Briggs. I think this would be the one to many fight for George. I see Lewis landing a number of hard right hands and possibly knocking out the iron chinned and well'd Foreman.I think Foreman walked away after the Briggs fight because he knew he was beginning to slow down to the point where he was no longer relevant. I thought he looked solid against Briggs but I feel it was clear that gradually he was declining slightly fight to fight at this stage in his career.

 

TKO for Lewis. Mis-match.