Which of these heavyweights could take the right hand Lennox Lewis

David Tua
Sam Peter
Ike Ibeabuchi



Tyson defenantily doesn't fit into that list.

 

Tyson's chin is definitely the most overrated chin on ESB. It's incredible that someone who was knocked out or stopped by five boxers (only one of which, Lewis, was a really big hitter) has somehow aquired a reputation for having a great chin. Imagine if Lewis had been stopped five times! People give him a hard enough time with just being stopped twice!

 

No, at worst, he stands up in a hurt dazed state and gets hammered with anything from one or two to a dozen exta punches and doesn't even survive the round.
That's exactly why fighters are advised to take the knee. To hell with the scoring, it's about surviving the round.

He clearly wasn't in the driving seat, Holyfield was coming forward for some time prior, pressing the action, and Mercer was trying to keep it a slower pace, and trying to box cute from a distance. Holyfield was clearly closing on him, in what had been a very even fight throughout.


[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA_BWf3Gnbg&feature=related[/url]

Taking a knee, in my book, shows a certain degree of cool-headedness, definitely. It's a calculated tactic to buy time. Yes, you can say "mild panic", but standing up and absorbing another shot can be taken as "blind shock" or "frozen in panic".

Except for all the guys he'd knocked out and knocked down and rocked, most of the men he'd fought.
Mercer had probably read the "not really a KO puncher" stuff about himself too, by this time.
Heavyweights rarely go in their believing the other guy cant hit because some pencilneck journalists say so.
(sorry, I know I'm splitting your sentence and perhaps misrepresenting, but I'm just repeating what I said cos it's relevant. Your sentence continued .......)

Well, Mercer had shown an iron chin against Cooper and Morrison, but Holyfield was a much better fighter, by far the best Mercer had faced, so I dont think it was such an extreme thing to conceive. And Mercer himself expressed no surprise immediately after the fight about Holyfield's power, only satisfaction in giving the "warrior" an even fight, and "pride" in being knocked down and getting up against Holyfield. It seemed to me he was under no illusions going in about Holyfield's ability or handicapped by any arrogance (or faith, as you say) about his own chin.

 

Like Ive always said, Holyfield was one of the most accurate punchers Ive ever seen. He could hurt anyone regardless of how good their chin was. Mercer was shook badly, and he was going to go down if he didnt take that knee.
Holy was an awesome counterpuncher and he hurt Tyson and Bowe with the shortest punches, its just they were delivered with perfection and accuracy.