Pre 1980s boxers that could beat Lennox Lewis?

Not really Mercer wasnt particularly the biggest guy or puncher and he gave Lewis fits. Can you imagine a guy like Earnie Shavers in there with Lewis?

 

Lewis was a great fighter but he was beatable.

If a guy like Ramhan could get lucky against him then he would likley slip up against a conteder at some point in other era's.

Picking a pre 1980s fighter who you would make a favourite over him is obviously harder. Joe Louis would probably have taken him. Langford, Dempsey and Liston would all have an excelent chance of doing by design what Ramhan did by luck. Even sombody like Harry Wills might be able to do a Mercer on him.

 

Ali, Holmes (77-79), Liston and Louis is the ones I would give the best chance. Tough fights to pick all of them.

I think Dempsey, Marciano and Frazier would have a very hard time getting inside. That jab and uppercut would be murder for them.

 

Skill wise, few top heavyweights have any business losing to Max Baer. Given his combination of height, reach and power though, combined with the nature of LL's two defeats, he has to be granted a puncher's chance. The first shot Maxie decked Carnera with was not a wide looping telegraphed roundhouse swing, but a straight, short and sharp driving right, similar to the first punch Durelle dropped Moore with (which Archie described as the hardest single punch he took in his entire career).

Lewis was not too big for Dempsey to flatten, although I expect Lennox would try to keep his distance. (Bear in mind that Holyfield was an inflated and aging cruiserweight when Lewis failed twice to stop or even floor him.)

Again, somebody with the skills of Lennox would have no business losing to somebody like Shavers, but Earnie had an 80" inch reach and underrated handspeed. Lewis would need to maintain steady concentration and caution to avoid getting caught.

 

Bokaj ... pretty selections excellent but I like Joe Frazier as well ..

 

Pergaps you're right. Joe slips that jab without too many problems, but inside that huge uppercut will be waiting. Don't think Joe can take too many of those. Also, Lewis will lean as much as possible on him in the clinches, which could tire Frazier out due to the huge size difference.

So Joe has to get through a lot before he can start to break Lewis down. For someone who does his best work on the inside, it's always very hard to give up that much in size and strength to a very powerful fighter with a good uppercut.

 

Baer and Shavers are certainly fighters that could get to Lewis if he is lacking in focus. Foreman even more so. I think Lewis advantage in size and skill would see him defeat Big George more times than not, though.

 

I agree with this, largely because of Foreman's deficit in hand speed, tendency to telegraph, and difficulties maintaining pace and power over an extended period. Shavers was faster than George, but lacked his chin, while Baer's endurance and stamina surpassed that of most heavyweights his size.

Foreman and Shavers were fairly predictable, considerably more so than Maxie, who was perfectly capable of surprising and confusing an opponent with various unforseen tactics. He displayed a good hard jab late in his match against Schmeling, raked Louis across the ropes briefly with multiple hooks in the opening round, cold cocked King Levinski with three hooks in round two of an exhibition (after the Kingfish tried teeing off first and taunted him), and spent a great deal of time on his bicycle with Carnera in a situation where Primo probably expected to use his height and reach advantage in retreat. This is what makes Baer so fascinating in these fantasy matchups. We have no way of knowing what he'd do against a given adversary.

 

With a prime Lewis, yes I can. I can imagine him face down on the canvas. The only way Shavers would beat Lewis is if he loses focus ala Rahman I.

 

Holmes would have the best chance IMO.

 

Could? Poorly framed question again. Any fighter is beatable, especially when you start analyzing their poorest performances. Could? Hell, Tommy Burns could beat Lewis. I would give prime Ali the best shot, followed by prime Holmes. In both fights, I would probably bet on Lewis.

 

You are delusional.

 

The proper headbutts mixed with kidney shots in close COULD make it happen. It is within the realm of possibility.

WOULD it happen? No. I would lay many, many dollars/euros/pounds on it.

 

Prime Ali, and prime Foreman beat him w/o a doubt.

Prime Liston possibly beats him.

But other than those 3... Lewis beats evryone else.