Ruddock vs Lewis - 24yrs ago tonight, what are your thoughts on it?

Good stuff in that other post, and I agree. The fact that he was 36 and in such poor form yet nearly KO'd Ruddock with that shot makes you wonder what he might have done to him in 1986 rather than 1989.

 

Ruddock was trying to transition from a one handed slugger who telegraphed his hooks to a boxer/puncher. Floyd Patterson had the right idea but not enough time to really make it work. Let`s face it the division was tough as hell at that time. Razor only had two fights with Floyd before facing Lewis.

Ruddock was trying to use the jab and box in the 1st round but he was thinking in there. Meaning he wasn`t natural yet with his moves. Late in round 1 he telegraphed a jab to the body and Lewis dropped the hammer. Funny early in the 2nd round he did it again.

Anyway great statement by Lewis. Bowe **** his pants watching it.

 

Ruddock was so inconsistent u never knew which one would show up.
Obviously the unmotivated lousy one showed up

 

Personally, I loved the fight. It was a public perception fight and very few people had bothered to see maybe 2 or 3 Lewis fights. But they had seen ruddock and sure had seen the Razor highlights. That's why he was a 2-1 favorite going in.

But I thought a prime Tyson and his quicker reflexes would have got the guy out of there in a few rounds. Made to order & what telegrapher is going to beat Tyson? Ruddock left huge openings for counters but Mike wasn't able to cash in on them. Lewis sure was.

 

Ive agreed with all your posts here and find the whole "ruddock was overrated" statement inaccurate

I think one of the big factors is ,you have to have been around in the era to have felt the truth in the situation.

Ruddock was very underrated going into the tyson fight....the fact the weaver win came 5 years earlier illustrates this .bad management and a poor boxing IQwas his bane. This was a guy who as far back as 1986 was willing to take on the dangerous guys few others would...even tyson was steered away from weaver in 1986...bonecrusher after his ko of Witherspoon and going 12 with tyson was also in the who needs him club...dokes too....ruddock in both fights tested and pushed a live tyson more than any other hw .the douglas fight was dismissed at the time esp after golyfiekds one punch blow out as thecstars aligning...a untrained,unmanaged,out if shape,whhore weakened tyson up against a guy for once in his career really motivated.

 

He was hardly in "poor form" after the 12 rounds with tyson, the annihilation of Witherspoon, the robbery in brazil, he was seen as a "who needs him guy" a tough durable unpredictable powerpuncher who had bored the house down vs tyson but still managed to land a hail marry right hand at the very end and ended up closing the stronger....who needed him? No one....sohecwas being shut out....typical of ruddock to take him on