Peak Lennox Lewis V Peak Oleksandr Usyk

Lewis avenged his loss to Rahman. AJ couldn't avenge his loss to Usyk.

 

To be fair avenging a loss to Usyk is infinitely more difficult than avenging a loss to…. Rahman.

 

Lewis but it would be competitive.
During the Fury I Usyk got successfully got timed by the uppercut, now imagine Lennox hitting him with that dynamite.

 

Lewis had it all didn't he. Probably the most complete HW I've ever seen.

 

With these bigger heavyweights they seem to lack a certain gas tank to hang with Uysk (not saying AJ and Fury are not fit because they are). I wonder if Lewis would be different.

 

Lewis also didn't have the best gas tank so probably not

 

Lewis gets him self a unanimous decision.
He isn't AJ or a flabby, past best Fury.

 

Though Usyk does amazing work, Lewis staggers him badly several times, once to the point of near stoppage. Usyk just can't seem to hurt him, and once he feels the power he tries playing it safe.

Lewis gets flummoxed consistently, but the multiple times he gets Usyk in trouble wins him the fight. Usyk has never experienced the savageness of a Lewis right hand in his career (AJ wasn't that level imo) and each time he would he would be more impaired, less aggressive.

Lewis wins a clear UD, though credit to Usyk's courage, general boxing excellence, and survival tactics.

To me yes, Lewis was THAT good.

 

The cat "has nine lives", but I think 9 would be a bit low.
How would Usyk handle Lewis from the fights: Golota, Grant, Briggs., Rahman II,..
More importantly - Usyk is not a puncher to threaten Lewis.
https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/lennox-lewis-vs-zeljko-mavrovic-round-7.722599/

 

Lewis never fought a slick southpaw and past it Holyfield gave him a competitive fight and was able to close the distance several times, Usyk is much better then that version of Holyfield so I think he would give him plenty of problems not to mention Lewis's gastank isn't the best

 

I think Oleksandr Usyk would beat Lennox Lewis. Usyk’s footwork and feints could unravel Lewis in ways he rarely faced. Lewis thrived against slower, straightforward boxers like David Tua or Frank Bruno, patiently picking them apart with his jab before unloading his crushing punches up close. Usyk, though, is a different breed: a crafty, unpredictable mover who’s nearly impossible to time. He could neutralize Lewis’s jab, throwing off his rhythm and leaving him second-guessing. From there, Usyk would pounce, landing sharp, unexpected shots that make Lewis hesitant maybe even gun-shy wearing him down as the rounds pile up. With his superior stamina, Usyk would seize control late and cruise to a clear decision victory.

 

Lewis sure gets a lot of mileage as this ATG when he faced a steady diet of the exact same type of opponent over and over. Let’s be clear, Lewis never faced a great mover, or a southpaw in his entire career. When one guy faces a style that suits a good outcome for them it does inflate the reputation.
Grant, Briggs, Morrison, Ruddock, Tua, shot Tyson, Rahman, McCall, Mercer. Let’s be honest these guys were all fun to watch and serious punchers but they were the same. Slow footed slugger types with average to poor defense and average to poor stamina.
There is a real lack of style diversity in Lewis’s resume. And when he did fight someone that used just a little of movement they often lasted the distance and had some levels of success against Lewis. Post prime Holyfield last 24 rounds without touching the canvas and Marovic barely above Cruiser was nimble enough to go the distance.
I sure would have liked if Lewis had faced a Larry Donald, a Chris Byrd, Larry Holmes, Herbie Hide type etc.
It’s difficult to pick Lewis based on styles simply because he didn’t face movers and southpaws. Fighting the men he faced give absolutely no indication on how he would fare here.