What would have happened if Lewis had turned pro in `84?

Most probable scenario:

Around 1987:

Lennox Lewis W 10 Tyrell Biggs.

This fight would happen to see if Lewis could avenge his Olympic amateur loss to Biggs.

Then,

in 1988:

Mike Tyson KO Lennox Lewis.

Tyson probably still would have gone off the rails post Rooney in a few years, and his win over Lewis, beating the 84 Olympic non medal winner who hadn't won a world title, would have been expected. So, his legacy would not have been probably changed much.

The loss to Tyson may have derailed Lewis, and, if so, his standing would be reduced.

Tyson would have destroyed the careers of Biggs and Lewis, or one or the other.

Lewis seemed to have had more discipline than Biggs, so he probably would have recovered from the Tyson KO loss and won a World Title after Tyson went off the rails.

Another scenario would be for Lewis's team to wait for Tyson to implode and lose his title before going after a World Title or wait to fight Tyson for the title until there were signs of Tyson slipping.

But, if they fought in 1988, I don't see Lewis beating absolute prime Tyson.

 

I could see that too.
As well as a big LL - Holyfield fight much earlier.

If Tyson never got off the road, this could have been a fabulous three HW scene with Bowe making it a full four!
Someone would have gotten the chance to dethrone the GOAT.

 

He wouldn't have been as successful. He would have definitely been a contender and maybe grab a belt along the way, but Lennox was smart to wait until 1988.

 

As mentioned if he started in 84 as a pro, he probably would not have made such a big impact.

But here is a thought:

What if he choose to turn pro right after the Commonwealth Games in 86? Timeline wise he might have got his first shot at a title around 90, perhaps in Tokyo against an unmotivated/overconfident Iron Mike...

 

Tyson's legacy wouldn't change all that much because Lewis would be remembered very differently. He would get stopped somewhere in 87-88 by Mike Tyson just cutting through the ranks. Post Tyson loss he rebuilds and on the comeback trail he likely bumps into a younger version of Evander Holyfield or Olympic Gold Medalist Riddick Bowe. I don't think at that stage he would have beaten any of them; he'd be a cut above all the other contenders but would fall short against Tyson, Holyfield and Bowe. That's not to say that he'll never be champion, I think he likely beats Micheal Moorer in 1994 (assuming the parallel universe has MM Beating Holyfield)

I think its important to factor in that Lewis has benefited heavily in his career from timing; meeting the fighters he met, at the time he met them, when he was ready made all the difference in the world. Turning pro in 1988 was probably the best decision career wise.

 

Yr just a Tyson nuthugger running off 2 names to back yrself up SaadAnt. Change the name. Stop disgracing the man. I love how you Tyson nutswallowers think mike is invincible during a 3 yr timeframe when he fought Holmes reign castoffs and an old terrified ltheavy. Heres one. Maybe Tyson was a sterooid rage freak.

 

The title for your thread, and I quote, was "What would have happened if Lewis had turned pro in `84?"

Now under that scenario is it not plausible that Riddick Bowe could have been an Olympic Gold Medalist? Or does Lewis get to keep his gold medal in '88 while also turning pro in '84?

And Bowe never ducked Lewis.

1. Bowe wins the title from Holyfield
2. Lewis beats Ruddock in an upset setting up a showdown between Bowe and Lewis.
3. Negotiations begin on the $32 million dollar purse for the Bowe vs Lewis match.
4. Rock Newman sends Frank Maloney a 90-10 Split with Bowe netting $29 million and Lewis getting $3 million. Lewis camp rejects it.
5. Rock Newman makes an $11 million dollar offer to Lewis. His camp rejects it again.
6. Then they accept the $11 million but by then Rock Newman had pulled it from the table citing they've crossed the deadline.
7. WBC had given the Bowe camp an ultimatum to fight their mandatory Lennox Lewis by a certain date or be stripped, when that could not happen rather than be stripped of the title Bowe chose to relinquish the belt claiming the WBC is being unfair to him.
8. Negotiations continue on what appears to be an inevitable fight.
9. Then Holyfield II happens and Bowe loses the title.
10. Then McCall happens and Lewis loses the WBC.
11. The comeback trail for both fighters.
12. After the rubbermatch with Holyfield, Bowe was back in business and was considered to be the best Heavyweight on the planet with the only exception being freshly released Mike Tyson. Riding on that wave Bowe actively pursued Lewis. Meanwhile Lewis pursued the WBC which was then held by Mike Tyson.
13. Lewis and Bowe was setting their sights for fight in Sept 1996. Bowe and Lewis agreed to set up their long awaited bout and both chose to take tune ups before they meet. Lewis chose Mercer and Bowe chose Golota.

And that's where it ended.

http://articles.latimes.com/1993-07-21/sports/sp-15342_1_lennox-lewis

https://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/15/sports/boxing-bowe-trashes-his-wbc-title-belt.html

 

It wasn't close, Tyson was getting the better of him but Lewis did better than most of Tyson's sparring partners at the time by holding his own even in defeat. It was Lewis himself on a Tyson Ruddock I telecast that said that he wasn't ready for either Tyson or Ruddock for at least another year or so.

 

LOL.

I guess he'll just have to figure that one out on his own.

 

You'd have to ask Lewis that. As for Holmes he was champion since 1978 and undefeated.