Lennox Lewis vs Michael Spinks

[Kid McCoy]

I’m a big admirer of Spinks, but primarily for what he did as a light-heavy, not heavy. What he did at heavy was just the icing on the cake for a Hall of Fame career.

I don’t really see what Spinks did at heavy to suggest he’d beat Lewis. Prime Lewis is not a 35-year-old Larry Holmes, he’s not Gerry Cooney, and he most certainly is not Steffen Tangstad. The first strong, prime heavy Spinks did face mowed him down in a round. If Spinks had fought and beaten Tony Tucker instead of taking the money fight with Cooney he’d have a much stronger case, but he didn’t.

Spinks had decent pop at heavy, but not the kind of one-shot power of a McCall or Rahman. He never put a serious dent in Holmes in their two fights, and needed about a million flush shots to put Cooney away, even Tangstad got up a couple of times, so I see a Spinks KO win as pretty unlikely.

My pick is Spinks’ herky jerky style to make it competitive and awkward, before Lewis eventually catches up to him for a mid-rounds KO.

[StarshipTrooper]

Does anyone really think Spinks beat Holmes either time? While an excellent LHW, and managing to be competitive against an older Holmes at the end of a impressive title reign, there is no way he lasts the distance against a puncher like Lewis.

I thought Spinks edged an unmotivated and out of shape Holmes in the first fight. I thought Larry CLEARLY won the second fight and got hosed by the judges.

Poet

[Abstraction]

Just because Spinks was KO'd by Tyson does not mean Lewis would KO him...

Larry Holmes was hardly over the hill though was he. OK he wasn't at his peak, but he was still the top man at HW. Don't forget, Holmes went on to be successful for like a further decade.

Holmes had one of the best Jabs in history. Far Far better than Lewis, yet it was not enough to keep control of Spinks.

If Spinks can get passed Holmes' Jab, Lewis' Jab would not be that much of a problem.

As for the two bouts, they were close yes, but Spinks took them.

[Kid McCoy]

Holmes looked dreadful in the first Spinks fight, barely throwing anything but jabs all night, and a lot of those missed. His jab wasn't the same weapon it had been a few years earlier. I thought he won at least 10 rounds of the rematch, though.

[Southpaw Stinger]

laughable analysis .. the version of Mike Tyson who Spinks fought would have taken any fighter who ever lived out very quickly that night... Tyson ment business, the look on his face as he entered the ring was terrifying, he looked like he was gonna murder.. Spinks had excellent footwork whereas Lewis had two left feet, no way Lewis beats Spinks

When of course that isn't laughable at all, is it?

[Sugarj]

I've never really considered this matchup. Poor Spinks seems to be forgotten outside of the light heavyweight division. The performances against Holmes were respectable even if you saw them going either way. He also got a good result over Gerry Cooney who lets face it was a big and heavy puncher. That said, I dont remember Cooney really detonating that night as he did against Foreman in 1990.

The Mike Tyson fight was sickeningly one sided, Spinks clearly freezed and didn't have his usual wily guile. He wasn't the only Tyson victim to do this!

Even if the Mike Tyson fight didn't happen I still would find it hard to pick Spinks in a matchup with a prime Lewis (1997 IMO). It might well be a fight Spinks could do well in or win, but I see a prime Lewis as a tougher opponent than the 85/86 version of Holmes, partially down to size, the prime Lewis was faster than the 85/86 Holmes and also had a considerable advantage in sheer hitting power.

I'd plump for a decision for Lewis with a late stoppage very much possible, Spinks may well win rounds and make things very difficult but I dont think he had the power to stop Lewis.

[Abstraction]

Don't see why Lewis would only lose by stoppage.

Spinks had many 15 rounders. Larry Holmes is enough imo.

Spinks UD

[Silencers]

I think Lewis wins this by decision, Spinks didn't prove too much at heavyweight apart from beating a faded Larry Holmes in close, somewhat controversial decisions, especially in the rematch so I think Lewis would have won on the outside using his jab and keeping distance, clinching when Spinks gets in close.

[NakiFan]

Spinks got Destroyed by the Mental Midget Tyson.

Lewis would DESTROY him

[sonnyboyx2]

I've never really considered this matchup. Poor Spinks seems to be forgotten outside of the light heavyweight division. The performances against Holmes were respectable even if you saw them going either way. He also got a good result over Gerry Cooney who lets face it was a big and heavy puncher. That said, I dont remember Cooney really detonating that night as he did against Foreman in 1990.

The Mike Tyson fight was sickeningly one sided, Spinks clearly freezed and didn't have his usual wily guile. He wasn't the only Tyson victim to do this!

Even if the Mike Tyson fight didn't happen I still would find it hard to pick Spinks in a matchup with a prime Lewis (1997 IMO). It might well be a fight Spinks could do well in or win, but I see a prime Lewis as a tougher opponent than the 85/86 version of Holmes, partially down to size, the prime Lewis was faster than the 85/86 Holmes and also had a considerable advantage in sheer hitting power.

I'd plump for a decision for Lewis with a late stoppage very much possible, Spinks may well win rounds and make things very difficult but I dont think he had the power to stop Lewis.

i think it would be a tough fight to win for both men, i agree Lewis has a big advantage over Spinks and Holmes in hitting power, but i dont think Holmes was as washed-up as many seem to think, he fought on and had many good wins over the next decade yet Spinks licked him and licked him good in their first fight, Spinks is one of thee greatest ring tacticians in ring history and that includes Larry Holmes, Spinks could go 15rds blind-folded, he was a very very good fighter and as we seen against Cooney he could hit with incredible speed, power and accuracy, he beat Tangsted who some ridicule yet i have lots of fights of Tangsted and i would rate him far better than Mavrovich who Lennox Lewis defended his title against... This match-up is not the cakewalk for Lewis that some seem to quickly think it would be, if Spinks landed the `Spinks Jinx` on Lewis chin at anytime during this fight i see Lewis hitting the canvas, the same would happen if Lennox landed his big right hand on Spinks, IMO Spinks ringcraft wins this fight