Would Lennox Lewis have a better "senior come-back career" than Larry Holmes ?

No. Lewis’ skills weren’t good enough to compensate for a gradual physical decline. He went life and death with Ray Mercer in his prime. Imagine him being 43 yrs old like Holmes was when he dominated Mercer.

 

In fairness, after seeing him lose two in a row to Spinks and then be blown out by Tyson, would anyone at the time have thought Holmes would come back for a long fairly successful senior career? He looked pretty done, and you'd think conventional wisdom would say that senior careers favor the big punchers not the pure boxers.

My concern for Lewis in a senior career might be durability and recovery ability. Physical decline is going to harm his defense. Holmes's durability and recovery ability never left him. He'd never have been able to go on so long if they had failed him.

 

Eh, Mercer was always going to be a rough one for Lewis. Bad style matchup.

 

Don’t think so…Lennox still would have had some major success if motivated though. Only reason I say no is Larry’s chin helped him get by some of his older short comings. Lennox wouldn’t have that crutch

 

Just how successful was Holmes' "senior come-back career"?

 

Lennox did the right thing When he retired he STAYED retired ignoring many multi mil $ offers. He has a wonderful wife & family & is a very rich man. He lived the good life he didnt have to come back because he was broke like so many do

 

Lewis just didn’t have Holmes’ skill, fight IQ and punch resistance.

 

Mercer looked woeful v Holmes and Morrison.

 

Yes, Holmes displayed insane skill at times during the early 80`s.

 

Earned three title challenges at ages 43, 46, and 49. How many 49 year olds have ever earned a title challenge? Has anyone else? In his title fight with McCall at age 46, he only lost by 1 point. Earned a split decision against Nielsen at age 49 and I think was kind of robbed. Lost a clear decision at age 43 to a prime Holyfield, but looked great doing it -- I had him ahead until he started gassing out mid-way through the fight.

Took gold medalist Ray Mercer's 0 in a great fight. Had old man battle rematches with Mike Weaver and Bonecrusher, KO'd them both. Made Butterbean look like a chump to end it all at age 53.

He was fun to watch when old. Real crafty/cagey/tricky, jab impressive right through his last fight, fights generally action packed. Wasn't afraid to let leather fly or to be hit.

 

His biggest problem against Holmes was fighting dumb. Why he kept following Holmes right into that corner I do not know.

 

True