I was watching an interesting Youtube video that had almost every key highlight of Lennox Lewis career from the time he turned pro. It was fascinating to see how he basically used his size and strength to pretty much over power and beat up all of his opponents till much later in his career when he became more of a boxer/puncher .. he would come out with a jab and then rely on overhand rights and uppercuts to flatten guys .. his advantages in size and strength with good speed and conditioning made him a serious force .. with the little film I've seen along with the ton I've red it seems like Harry Wills had similar advantages and fight in a similar style .. This content is protected
Hard to know with the limited footage of Wills. What we have of him is late in his career. I do believe he used his physical tools to maul smaller opponents.
Wills didn't have as much power as Lewis,admittedly what we have of Harry on film is a past prime version but he doesn't impress me.
The footage is of him past 35 and with over eighty fights as you know .. there is a similarity in styles of a big guy simply beating up smaller guys with a jab, an overhand right and an uppercut inside.
I get what you mean, but Lewis also fought big guys, who are the best Wills fought ? A Fulton whom Dempsey had wrecked, Dempsey's sparring partner Tate,and Firpo, whom Dempsey had used as a yo yo.Wills rep is primarily based on him beating on Langford, a man 7 inches shorter, whose best weight was around 175/180lbs.Lewis would do well in any era, I don't think Harry would make much of a mark from the 70's onwards.
There is footage of Wills vs Firpo, and Wils is 32 years old. Also footage of the fight before with Madden, I think. So you can judge him on film in what would be considered his near-prime or prime. You could say Wilis like Lewis used his size 6'2" tall and weight 215 to his advantage like Lewis. However, Wills competition at heavyweight was very weak, outside of Dempsey whom thanks to politics never fought. But that's where the comparison ends outside of perhaps a bit of a suspect chin. Lewis has far more skill in just about every area of boxing. IMO, Wills is an overrated old timer, and if you see the working conditions and ages of whom he fought, you'll see why. I find Wills a bit risk adverse. He never fought Gofdrey, though Godrey's manager tried to make the match several times, and turned down Tunney in older age.
