Against Tyson? Would Lewis make it out of the first round? Tyson rocked Holyfield to his boots with the first overhand right he threw and Lennox had a thing for right hands If that had been Lennox...would he have recoverd? or would Tyson go for the kill? Holyfield has a granite chin and good recuperative skills... but what if that was Lennox??
I think Lewis would still have the better chance of winning, but Tyson would have a shot. Although this was not the Mike Tyson of the late 80's, he was still much better than he was in 2002. And with the McCall loss and Mercer struggle still very fresh on Lewis's resume, a Tyson win would not have been out of the question.....
I've always maintained post Rooney Tyson has little chance vs Lewis, but It's difficult to say. Both present a completely different puzzle for Tyson to solve. Basically Holyfield used a low center of gravity, moved in behind the jab head first burying it on his chest or achieving his real goal of planting one on Tysons head. Holyfield was game in the trading department, took one to give one relying on heart and resilience to see him through. Lewis at 6'5 with an 84" reach makes it harder for Tyson, I could see him getting frustrated and sloppy. Tyson still had a solid inside game but Lewis's strength would render Tysons inside game almost useless. Lewis's uppercut was key in their actual meeting, I believe the same scenario would occur. Without Tysons prime bob and weave movement he'd eat a lot more uppercuts and jabs, his ability to slip a punch was key to his prime, without it fights become hard work. The extra 3 inches in height and 6" reach both make it more difficult for Tyson and lessens the power shots he hit Holyfield with. Tyson loses late again, just through different means.
Bull****, this is a Lennox Lewis who was letting a fat rusty Ray Mercer tag him with close quarter combinations in the early rounds, and most of the fight. 1:55 video, Mercer doing a slow ass Tyson impersonation as he punishes Lewis with a right cross, short hooks, and uppercuts. [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISXTO1I7dJw&feature=related[/ame] Lennox at this stage was not the ring general he would become by 1999. He wasn't nearly as adapt at controlling distance and neutralizing his opponent. Mercer had a good jab, but not that good. And in 96, Tyson was still a better pressure fighter than Ray could ever dream of being. In 96, Tyson puts Lewis back to the drawing board.
What you think in camp Manny is going to prepare Lewis like he did for Mercer? How about you watch Mercer vs Holmes/Holyfield then Lewis - Mercer straight afterwards rather than babbling shite. Anytime after 89 a prime Lewis beats Tyson and anytime after 92 Lewis beats Tyson in real time. Oh, and 96 Mercer gives Tyson all he can handle too. Infact just the year before didn't Mercer (who was little or no different from 96 Mercer) give Holyfield all he could handle? So in that case why didn't Tyson put Holyfield "back to the drawing board":deal
tyson in 96 was still a pretty close to being a shott fighter.........i say lewis still stops tyson....but much much more of a competative fight than in 2002
Tyson was not the same fighter he was, and was well passed his best days, but Lennox Lewis would be lucky to see the end of the 5th round.
I've always favoured Mike of 1996 to beat Lewis by KO, in 96 he wasn't the same fighter but he still was very good at heavy and I've always thought underrated, From 1997 onwards he deteriorated very quickly and badly especially after the year suspension in 1998 and I think Lewis beats him comfortably.
We would have a classic encounters with lewis winning late after tyson gassing out like he did in the holyfield. I feel it was tyson lack of stamina and rin grust that let him down against holyfield
tyson wasn't the same as a few years earlier. lewis would stand a good chance here of winning. holyfield just had tyson's number stylistically.
But Lewis, after their 02 match, stated that he rushed in, in the first round to get tysons respect. If he had rushed in, as Holyfield did in 96 and gets caught with that overhand right......what happens?
-I don't think Lewis and Manny was worried too much about being prepared for Mercer, a fatty without one punch power who hasn't fought in a year and was never that great to begin with. Are you trying to prove my point for me? - How about you watch overweight 238+ Mercer against Ferguson and Wilson or even the SPOOON fight followup for a guage. "Babbling shite?" Be nice, or I'll put a hurting on you won't believe. If Mercer was all that, Holyfield would have not chose him as an unranked comeback opponent after his retirement and Manny would not have fed Lewis to him at that stage. -Nice elementary "prime" theory free of any boxing analysis or isolated variables during your magic time lines. -I suggest you watch Holyfield/Mercer closely before you babble shite like that. How does Evander beat Mercer? Bombing left hooks over the top of Mercer's jab? How does Evander rock and drop Mercer(something your homeboy couldn't do with his best bombs)? Left hook over the top of the jab? What does Tyson do...yes, even in 96, what does Tyson still do better than anyone? Oh and the difference between 95 and 96 Mercer is in the belt line. Figure you Lews boys being obsessive with weight excuses and all, would know that. And lets be real, Lennox wasn't in the best shape for the Mercer fight either; he was pretty heavy for the time and breathing hard after the first round as noted by the announcers. I don't understand the need for you Lewis boys to make this fight out into something its not. On the comeback road, Lewis ran into a more game than expected trial horse, not much else to it. Mike was always inconsistent in terms of overall execution, but even on his worst night, he still applies pressure with more skill and effectiveness than anyone in the 90s. His power and speed was always elite until the 2000s, and he can take more than a few great shots to land some of his own. In 96, he would have been too much for Lewis. Now if you can sub 99 Lewis in with 96 Tyson, different story.
Well put For once, were on the same page..... But if Tyson landed that same overhand on Lewis as he did on Holyfield, what do u think would have happened? a possible first round KO???? Noway tyson would let lewis off the hook....
Exactly, and who was tagging Lewis with an overhand right and backing him into the ropes....Fat boy Mercer.