How Different Would HW History Look If......

[Mikhnienko]

Lennox Lewis had not lost in the 1984 Olympics? He wanted to win Gold and failed to do so when losing to Biggs in 84, what if he had won and turned pro at 20 in 1985 just like Tyson?

Scenario 1: I don't imagine that he would have been brought along as fast as Tyson was. It took him 4 years before he fought for the WBC title in 1993 so lets imagine that he's brought along at a similar pace winning the European and British HW titles within a 1 - 2 years and defending them for at least another year before stepping up to the World stage.

So it's 1988 and Tyson is the Unified Champion having won Titles from Berbick, Tucker, and Spinks. How does a 1988/1989 fight unfold between the two?

Lennox hasn't been "exposed" by a Mccall type loss so he's still fighting in his previous style without the authoritative jab and is more willing to mix it up. I would envision Tyson being able to get inside and eventually catching Lewis with a Mccall like career changing shot. How do you guys see it?

Scenario 2 :

Lennox hooks up with Stewart after the Tyson loss and they have a rematch in 1996 after Tyson is released from Prison and Lennox (instead of Bruno) is holding the WBC belt. (i know Bruno won it from Mccall who won it from Lewis so like all time travel scenarios things get tricky but just for the sake of it)

I'd say Lennox UD 12 Rounds in the Rematch.

Thoughts?

[The_Demon]

Interesting thread

I think scenario 1 is the most likely.Like you said Lewis before the mccall loss was less cautious and that would be his downfall against iron mike imo

[PittyPat]

Lennox had a horrendously dangerous style prior to the McCall loss. I often look at that, as well as the Bruno fight, and think to myself "What the hell is he doing out there? That doesn't look like him at all!"

The absolute best version of Lennox was '97-'00. I don't think anyone in recent history could've beaten him then - not even prime 'monster' Tyson. So yeah, both sequential scenerios in the OP are the likeliest.

[omarinbox]

Kid Dynamite would have KO'd a Lennox that had not honed his skills. But the window you put us in all sortsa crazy stuff is going on and what happenned with Douglas is just as likely to happen with Lennox.

Depends on who is training Lennox at this time. Has he hooked up with Manny Steward?

Given that I woud say Lennox has a chanceof winning it then falling apart and maybe crashing and burning cos his hunger gets satisfied.

[Mikhnienko]

Lennox had a horrendously dangerous style prior to the McCall loss. I often look at that, as well as the Bruno fight, and think to myself "What the hell is he doing out there? That doesn't look like him at all!"

The absolute best version of Lennox was '97-'00. I don't think anyone in recent history could've beaten him then - not even prime 'monster' Tyson. So yeah, both sequential scenerios in the OP are the likeliest.

Thanks for posting those Eubank-Benn fights btw. I tried giving you green but it wouldn't let me.

[PittyPat]

Also, to expand upon the 'dangerous' style Lennox had prior to Steward - he always looked off-balance because of his footwork, in that he planted his feet in a straight and narrow line. Bruno took advantage of this in their fight when he landed his right hands, and as a result Lennox was often stumbling around the ring just from being off-balance.

In the McCall fight, too, one can see during those 2 rounds that Lennox's feet had virtually no separation from his centreline - meaning any shot could've knocked him off-balance. It's bad, bad, bad practice. Mayweather and Pacquiao can get away with it (for now, at least), but not a huge HW like Lennox. Tyson would've had a field day with that version of him.

Thanks for posting those Eubank-Benn fights btw. I tried giving you green but it wouldn't let me.

No worries. I'm just glad that people can see them in such good quality at last.

[Mikhnienko]

Kid Dynamite would have KO'd a Lennox that had not honed his skills. But the window you put us in all sortsa crazy stuff is going on and what happenned with Douglas is just as likely to happen with Lennox.

Depends on who is training Lennox at this time. Has he hooked up with Manny Steward?

Given that I woud say Lennox has a chanceof winning it then falling apart and maybe crashing and burning cos his hunger gets satisfied.

Yeah when and if Lennox hooks up with Stewart is the big question. Without Ste***** influence i don't see him beating Tyson, perhaps even a 1995/6 version.