Sounds just like the kind of guy I'd like to spar with Mac, particularly the part about him being terrified of hurting me. :good
I wouldn't say best jab of all time, but if you watch his fight with Vitali he was stopping a 250lb fighter literally in his tracks. Those were some of the most powerful jabs I've ever seen thrown.
Not as easy as Bowe. Despite his size, Rid**** didn't utilize his natural advantages anywhere near as well as Lennox did and was far easier to hit.
Lewis did all too often paw with the jab, it's one of his biggest flaws. But when he did throw it with conviction it was a real weapon, Lewis could win fights just with his jab. His best performance in regards to his jab was the Rahman rematch, every jab thrown hard with intent, one of the reasons why it's one of his best performances. Bowe's jab was solid but poor for a man his size. He couldn't control range with it, couldn't keep fighters under control with it like Lewis did, mainly because Bowe didn't have the foot work or defence to back up that jab of his. Watch Bowe and Lewis' fights with Biggs in 91 and you'll see the difference in how both men utilised their jab. Bowe would throw his and land it but would then be there to be hit with Bigg's jab, he was comprehensively out jabbed by Biggs because of this. The jab is meant to be a relative risk free punch to throw, you jab, land and are at a safe distance to not be countered but with Bowe he jabbed and unless you were much shorter he was there to be hit. Lewis' fight with Biggs was completely different. Biggs couldn't match his jab with Lewis, he was the one who's jab was made ineffective by Lewis superior jab but also by Lewis' ability to land his jab and slip any counters from Biggs'. Had Bowe and Lewis fought in the early 90's Lewis would have definitely won the battle of the jabs, his was far more effective, even back then when he pawed with it.
Yes Bowe gave up his height and reach all the time, it's why far smaller men who should struggle to land on the taller, rangier man found it so easy to land against Bowe. The lowest ever connect rate I've ever seen for Bowe was 35% in the Gonzalez fight. When your opponent lands more than a 3rd of his punches and that's a good defensive performance that's not an indication of a good defence. I often think of Bowe like Corrales. A tall fighter who learned to fight very well on the inside but who wasn't great from the outside despite their build and invited fighters to trade with them inside.
Lewis didn't develop a decent jab till he paired up with Manny Steward. Winning performances behind the jab only came with Rahman II and walking stump Tua - many , many years after he was meant to fight Bowe. Holyfield came back for fight #2 with a stunning jab thought to him by Manny Steward. Bowe did a better job keeping an even better Holy on the outside than he did in fight #1. Only an extraordinary circumstance allowed Holy edge out a decision. He was on route to losing again. Bowe jabbed Biggs face into mince meat and broke his nose by only the second round. It was sharp , smooth and precise. He never missed Biggs head and he was a good mover with a decent jab himself. Lewis barely threw jabs at Biggs. He threw wild over hand swings over and over till he got Biggs out of there. There was no jabbing master class put upon Biggs like Bowe had done. Even the English commentating team noted how crude Lewis looked. He didn't have any jab to bring into the battle. How do you win a shoot out without a gun:huh
that's probably true. If you think Lewis's prime was 1997 and beyond then he should win this fantasy matchup. If you go by 1992-1994 when it should have happened, I'll stick with Bowe.