Usyk vs 2003 Lennox Lewis

Honestly Pal I re-read what you said and you are 100% right about Usyk dominating Joshua. David vs Golliath is calling it a bit strong but it was the victory between the pure athlete who did it the hard way vs the TUE manufactured champion who was given every advantage he could have been. I apologise for my initial reaction Pal. You were 100% right.

 

I have just finished playing the fight at .25x speed round by round. Here's my card
Round 1 easy Lewis round behind the jab
Round 2 easy Lewis round behind the jab
Round 3 close Lewis round Mavrovic does better
Round 4 Lewis came out to destroy and rocked Mavrovic with the first right he landed. Easy Lewis round although Mavrovic finished strong
Round 5 Easy Lewis round. Lewis thows a left hand, pulls away from Mavrovic's right and lands an uppercut. Lewis glove was not holding Mavrovics head because it was a punch and he pulled the left hand back as soon as he fired the uppercut, so he didn't even hold let alone hold and hit like he did against Grant.

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Lewis also lands a clean uppercut in a 3 punch combination here:

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The realization that Lewis landed several clean uppercuts should start to set in for you (LOL)

Round 6 easy Lewis round. Lewis comes out very agressive and walks Mavrovic down easily. He also lands a clean left uppercut here:

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Whoop, another clean uppercut that Lewis timed when Mavrovic came into range:

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Round 7: Mavrovic round. Lewis was boxing well early but Mavrovic has success when he had Lewis on the ropes, but got tagged with a 3 punch combination that had him in survival mode
Lewis lands a glancing but clean uppercut here:

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Lewis also lands a clean uppercut here:
https://youtu.be/upK3u1DpJA8?t=1849
And starts his combination off with a clean uppercut here:
https://youtu.be/upK3u1DpJA8?t=1866

Round 8 close Lewis round but Lewis started off well and finished off well in addition to having moments in the mid part of the round

Round 9 easy Lewis round, He walked Mavrovic down and finished the round off boxing on his toes well. This fight is even less competitive that i of all people remember it being

Round 9 another easy Lewis round (LOL)

Round 10 easy Lewis round

Round 11 close but clear Lewis round. Lewis finishes the round off excellently
Lewis also lands a clean uppercut here:
https://youtu.be/upK3u1DpJA8?t=2770
And here:
https://youtu.be/upK3u1DpJA8?t=2814

Round 12 very easy Lewis round. This round was a schooling. Lewis was beautifully on his toes slipping, jabbing, countering, leading off and landing at will and he landed a clean uppercut here:
https://youtu.be/upK3u1DpJA8?t=2960
And here
https://youtu.be/upK3u1DpJA8?t=2979


Moral of the story, score with your eyes, not your ears, and stop going with the crowd. This fight was not close at all.

 

Gassed and still got on his toes and schooled Mavrovic with ease in round 12 as he should.

 

Fair play this is a quality post

 

I tend to think this. A prime Lewis is a tactical beast and with top tier power. Even over the hill Lewis still has the power, a good jab, and good tactics. Even if none of his tactics or outside fighting work, he could switch it up, try to turn it into a brawl, and try to come out on top that way. A lucky shot with one of those beastly rights he could wind up and throw could turn things around.

There haven't been a ton of boxers like him, who have his power level but tend to not rely upon it. (pre-defense -- no I'm not saying he's a Shavers or a Foreman, those are top of the top tier of power, but Lewis was at least in the top tier).

 

Usyk and I'll tell you why.

Lewis' conditioning for that one was woeful. By the 6th round he was on fumes. Go look at the footage. He looked like a grandpa gasping for air after running up three flights of stairs.

Lewis would find it hard to make his power count against a target as elusive as Usyk (unlike Vitali who came straight for him) and in the later rounds his cardio would be screaming. The early rounds when Lewis was fresh would be kind of hairy for Usyk but past the third and I think he wins at a canter. Maybe even stops LL late.

 

closeish but, yeah, that Lewis was pretty shot.