Prime "Iron" Mike Tyson vs. Prime Lennox "the Lion" Lewis

Stonehands was an excellent poster. I remember one time he made an excellent argument for Liston being the #1 Heavyweight H2H fighter.

 

One of the great ones and one of my personal. Many a time we had a nice spirited debate. He certainly went on with things outside of here too.

 

Approaching 20 votes, I´ll ask myself if a decision win for Lewis is that unlikely. Considering how much that weed zombie took in 2002 too.
Maybe Lewis just gets the better of him after some rounds and both still standing after 12? Like a closer Tua bout.

 

You would have to really ask yourself, if Tyson installed so much fear in Lennox that Manny was screaming at him to KO Tyson already as a cocaine addicted husk then really what chance does he have against Iron Mike?

I think Mike takes it quite handily, people base there argument a lot on mutual opponent results in this particular fantasy bout a lot pfft Ruddock was nothing if that was the case Fraizer>Foreman right?

Lennox is more idolised by casuals now then Tyson ever was, all the points made to detract from Mike apply to Lennox take a look at that resume closely and his performances we need to stop making him out to be anything more then a stand in champion with no great on the horizon.

 

This logic is extremely poor.

 

Idk, I favour Lennox over most head to head. Whilst Tyson was a killer in his prime, Lennox had a lot of advantages. I can't just say, Tyson had a great, fast punch and Lewis got kod twice by lighter hitting gutsy, so Tyson wins with out a doubt! It's an hard choice.

 

Wonder what he's up to now.

 

Lewis was an awesome fighter, and I still honestly find him underrated on here when people are picking everybody to beat him, but I think he loses this one. His chin is absolutely underrated, and so is his defence, but I don't think his chin is good enough to take a flush overhand from Tyson, nor a flush left hook. Even in the clip posted here where he takes clean punches from David Tua, he's still taking massive punches from David Tua.

I think Lewis would go out fiercely, early on to get Tyson's respect and then try to box at range. Problem with that is that I just can't see him mounting an offense effective enough to win rounds without giving Tyson the opportunity to knock him out. I just can't see him going half an hour without getting KTFO'd. Lewis had a good defence, buy was far from unhittable around the chin. Tua, Mercer, Holyfield, etc; all sound the mark, and so would Tyson. When he does, that's when it's over IMO.

 

More than his chin, I don´t like Lennox legs and coordination on the backfoot. Maybe the better gameplan would be to gain Tysons respect early and hold alot, but opening to do that and get tagged too. Might keep MT away more for the jab.

 

I don't find that hard to believe...but I just can't see even prime Mike taking out the Holmes who beat Ali (or Norton, or Shavers...especially the first Earnie fight). Larry would have taken away Mike's punching area with both the jab and clinching, smothering his offense.

Sure, Mike would almost certainly floor Larry, but Larry was one of the greatest peel-yourself-off-the-floor-and-viciously-stop-the-opponent guys ever. It's perhaps the main thing that made him great. Mike went 10 with Douglas...he'd be lucky to make 9 with Holmes, especially with a mid-fight knockdown.

Just my opinion, and this is being well aware of the deservedly great training of Mr. D'amato.

Steward-era Lewis would do good with the jab, and be cautious enough to keep Mike off him for awhile. But even THAT Lewis didn't have the ring intelligence of Holmes. Sooner or later he'd succumb to Mike's amazing hand speed and uber-ugly aggression. Holmes would stifle it.

 

I think a cautious fighting Lewis at his very best can win, but Tyson would be damn dangerous.

 

This is a well written post. But I disagree that Holmes was more vulnerable than Lewis. Aside from the obvious that Lewis was stopped twice and Holmes only once when he was past his prime and coming off of layoff, Holmes could always get off the floor and fight to survive no matter how badly rattled and daze he was. And prime Holmes had way better footwork than Lewis. It's certainly possible Tyson could finish Holmes off eventually but it would be 3x harder than their actual fight and he would need to stick to him like white on rice.

I think Lewis would be a harder task for Tyson offensively, but defensively even with Stewart his survival tactics were rather simple but effective. Just cover up with a basic guard or tie up and lean on the guy. Lewis also had suspect stamina in the later rounds and could be sucking air if he let his hands go a lot during a round--which is probably why he became much more of a technical fighter as he got older and heavier. I think the key for Tyson vs Lewis would be counter, hit without getting hit, take the least amount of damage as possible in the earlier rounds and hammer away at the body to slow Lewis down and bring his arms down. I think he has at least a 40% chance of stopping Lewis by the 8th if he can avoid taking too much damage and sticks to this plan. My biggest worry would be Lewis' uppercut and the fact Tyson was ridiculously easy to tie up.

 

Tyson slips the Lewis jab gets in range and launches the right hand over Lewis's low left. Splat.

 

I didn't agree with his pick of Tyson beating a prime Holmes (outside of a lucky punch, which is very possible). But I don't find the idea of it as absurd as I used to.

 

I think that Mike gets Lennox out of there within 3 rounds. Too fast, too powerful, and Lennox had a shaky chin, though if the bout lasted longer, I would favor him. But Mike will catch him, and the first time, shake him to his core, which will decide his fate.