Does Lennox Lewis Beat Both Klitschkos Within 12 Rounds?

[LacedUp]

In before someone 'quotes' Manny Steward

Oh god yes. Happens every damn time and then I am oot of here - as Lennox Canadian friends would say.

[nathan_nall]

Totally agree. Look at Lennox fights, he's showing up with a different style virtually every other time out. Wlad is the same damn boring thing every time, and he can't fight on the inside. Lewis can. Lewis punch variety is on such another level that Wlad would be flustered from start to finish.

Also, I don't think Wlad hits particularly harder than Lennox.

Folks always say Wlad is boring. I think he's exciting as hell but enough people call him boring that I can't argue. Maybe I'm the crazy one. But I agree with you that his style hasn't changed since his loss to Brewster. But here's the thing. It hasn't changed because it hasn't needed to change. His style, as it is, came to him by way of Emanuel Steward, who taught him how to conserve energy and fight tall. Thus, he keeps you at a distance with that jab... jab... jab... (which alone, is enough to knock you out) and then he unleashes a big 1-2 and it's lights out.

If your style wins fights and protects your chin... why the hell would you want to change that? Watch Mayweather against Genaro Hernandez in '98 and him against Guerrero earlier this year. VERY little change, only less foot movement but that is age rather than a style change. Mayweather doesn't need to change his style because so far, it hasn't let him down.

[Frank Ducketts]

Oh, I think I misunderstood you. I thought you were saying a prime Wlad had no business in the ring with a Prime Lewis because Lewis would just demolish him.

If that were the case, I just meant that Lewis' only losses were to guys that people didn't believe belonged in the same ring with him either. They gave Lewis hate for even agreeing to fight McCall who had never even come close to winning a title and already had 5 loses before the fight. And what did he do? Spanked Lewis for being a naughty boy and stole his WBC belt. That was about three years before Lewis hit his argued "prime" but he was already an established champion. Then, when he was nearing the end of his prime, he got clocked by Hasim Rahman, who not expected to make it out of 5th round by Vegas standards. While it is true Rahman didn't make it past the 5th, it didn't quite go as Vegas odds had planned.

So moral of the story, I think Wlad is in his prime right now, and he is better than McCall and Hasim Rahman ever were in their respective primes. I would pick Wlad over those two if they tag-teamed him in the ring at the same time. So, while I think Lewis would KO Wlad pretty brutally, my heart wouldn't skip a beat if Wlad didn't knock the nap out of Lewis' dreads.

Look, Wlad and Lennox lost to some very capable guys. Lennox beat everyone he faced, Wlad didn't. Wlad did not rematch two of the guys who ko'd him.

Had Wlad and Lennox ever faced off, I would pick Lennox to demolish Wlad. And for the record, lets compare the two at their best, not their worst.

[Frank Ducketts]

Lennox could box, but he could also go flat footed if need be, Wlad can't. That's why I would pick Lennox to stop Wlad in 5 or less. Wlad ain't Vitali. Vitali imo is way better than Wlad.

[nathan_nall]

Lennox could box, but he could also go flat footed if need be, Wlad can't. That's why I would pick Lennox to stop Wlad in 5 or less. Wlad ain't Vitali. Vitali imo is way better than Wlad.

I agree with you. If you put them into the ring ten times, Lewis is going to win 8 of those times. And that's prime versus prime. He beat one of the guys he rematched. McCall beat himself. That was one of the strangest damned things I've ever seen. He had a drug-fueled nervous breakdown in the ring. But you are right, he knocked Rahman into the next century in their rematch.

I'll just leave it at this. I'm a psychologist. People think we just work with head-cases, but that's actually only a very small part of psychology. The largest part is lab testing... conducting experiments for probability... data analyses... all that jazz.

When I consider Lennox vs. Wlad, I don't take into account any personal like/dislike I have for either fighter, like/dislike of their styles, or even how they performed when they weren't "prime". I'm simply looking at the probable outcome if they fought repeatedly in their primes. If Lewis fought McCall and Rahman 8 more times each (for a total of 10 times each) I think he would have won those 8 times. But I would pick both Rahman and McCall to win at least one in ten. I just so happens, that we did get to see the Great Lion beaten like a tribal fourth wife. We got to see those 1 in 10 fights where he gets beaten by far inferior fighter. You can say he wasn't in his prime against them... but neither were they. In fact, even a prime McCall and Rahman should not have been able to beat Lewis on his worst night. But it happened.

To say Wlad couldn't do the same is nonsensical. It is either a personal affinity for Lewis or a grudge against Wlad, but it isn't informed and it isn't objective.

[Earl-Hickey]

Lennox can fight inside, wlad can't. At range they are evenly matched.

It'd be a tentative opening but as soon as Lennox gets close it's over, LL could be really dirty inside, pulling his opponents head down and slamming in an uppercut etc, I just don't see wlad lasting in that sort of physicality

[Simurgh]

Lennox can fight inside, wlad can't. At range they are evenly matched.

It'd be a tentative opening but as soon as Lennox gets close it's over, LL could be really dirty inside, pulling his opponents head down and slamming in an uppercut etc, I just don't see wlad lasting in that sort of physicality

I can agree that Lennox would have a huge advantage if he comes inside, just I am not sure would he be able to.

Wlad has a slightly better jab and he controls the distance better. Also he has a better defense. It's not an easy job to go pass jab, deadly right and excellent left hook and just come inside against as fast or faster fighter. We know Lennox can be hurt and we know Wlad hits damn hard. But he might be able to do it regardless as he was one of the greatest...

My point is it's evenly matched and saying Wlad has no business in ring with him and that he's 'bad man's version' doesn't come from any Lennox's or Wlad's fights.

[nathan_nall]

Lennox can fight inside, wlad can't. At range they are evenly matched.

It'd be a tentative opening but as soon as Lennox gets close it's over, LL could be really dirty inside, pulling his opponents head down and slamming in an uppercut etc, I just don't see wlad lasting in that sort of physicality

Good points. I'm just getting too caught up in this idea of "prime" I think. Because truthfully, just being in your prime doesn't guarantee you'll beat a lesser man. Think of the times we've seen two fighters in their prime meet. Then they rematch with different results. Sometimes they go on to fight a trilogy with an even different result.

So, if they fought enough times... even prime Ali would eventually get beaten by a prime Kevin McBride. If we said "Who is the better fighter in their prime?" It would be Lewis hands down. But when you start talking about who would win... well hell... that depends on a million different things beyond just being the best version of yourself.

[vacon04]

Some people here talk like if Lennox was invincible, which he wasn't. Lewis was one of my favorite boxers and IMO one of the best HWs of all times but he could be hurt, just remember Lennox vs McCall or Rahman.

I think that those fights would be competitive, and even if he could beat both of them I would say that it would take him more than 12 rounds.

Lennox had power and was very skilled, but his chin wasn't granite either and Wlad has massive power, so a fight between them could end in a KO for either side.

[Frank Ducketts]

I agree with you. If you put them into the ring ten times, Lewis is going to win 8 of those times. And that's prime versus prime. He beat one of the guys he rematched. McCall beat himself. That was one of the strangest damned things I've ever seen. He had a drug-fueled nervous breakdown in the ring. But you are right, he knocked Rahman into the next century in their rematch.

I'll just leave it at this. I'm a psychologist. People think we just work with head-cases, but that's actually only a very small part of psychology. The largest part is lab testing... conducting experiments for probability... data analyses... all that jazz.

When I consider Lennox vs. Wlad, I don't take into account any personal like/dislike I have for either fighter, like/dislike of their styles, or even how they performed when they weren't "prime". I'm simply looking at the probable outcome if they fought repeatedly in their primes. If Lewis fought McCall and Rahman 8 more times each (for a total of 10 times each) I think he would have won those 8 times. But I would pick both Rahman and McCall to win at least one in ten. I just so happens, that we did get to see the Great Lion beaten like a tribal fourth wife. We got to see those 1 in 10 fights where he gets beaten by far inferior fighter. You can say he wasn't in his prime against them... but neither were they. In fact, even a prime McCall and Rahman should not have been able to beat Lewis on his worst night. But it happened.

To say Wlad couldn't do the same is nonsensical. It is either a personal affinity for Lewis or a grudge against Wlad, but it isn't informed and it isn't objective.

Now do the same with Purrity, Brewster, and Sanders. Rahman owns a ko win over Sanders too. That's why I said take them at their best. You can't compare what others did. If you do, you have to play both sides.