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Lennox, and it's not even close.
Aside from the obvious physical disadvantages Frazier would have, stylistically he would be one of the easiest matchups for Lennox who, when he was motivated and prepared (which I'll assume is the case here), had very little trouble with shorter stocky puncher types. Frazier would be one of the gutiest and most relentless fighters he's fought, but far from the toughest or hardest hitting. He would also not be the trickiest fighter Lennox has fought either, and after a feeling out round I can see Lennox starting to time uppercuts straight into Frazier's grill whenever he tried to bob and work his way inside. Any one of those shots would be brutal and have a high chance of dropping Frazier, the way they dropped Tyson and nearly dropped Vitali. At the very least they'd bruise and possibly cut Frazier up, which would not help his cause any.
Frazier, on the other hand, would have to get inside to do damage, but even if he did start having some success there, Lennox would be able to switch up his game and box keep him on the backfoot. Frazier's head movment would allow him to slip some of Lennox's shots, but not all, and he'd have a hard time getting his own shots off. Lennox was good at modulating his punches to suit his opponent's rhythm, and if he found his big shots missing he'd probably hang back and start pestering Frazier with his jab, or just sticking his glove in Frazier's face, before pivoting and dropping in a heavy right hand. He would also be leaning on him heavily in the clinches, and that would take its toll on Frazier's legs. Frazier would hold his own for a round or two, but by the mid-point I can see him looking battered and bloodied and way down on the cards, if he hasn't already been stopped, still game but taking tremendous punishment from a fired up Lennox. Either the ref steps in to call a halt to the fight, or Frazier gets taken out by an uppercut/big right hand sometime in the eighth or ninth.
Lest anyone say that Lennox has never seen anyone like Frazier, the opposite is just as true. More so, since the closest Frazier came to a Lennox type fighter was Foreman who beat him twice, whilst Lennox took on several shorter fighters harder hitting and more resilient than Frazier, though lacking his phenomenal heart and drive to win, and handled them with ease.
Big respect to Frazier, but Lennox takes this.
Aside from the obvious physical disadvantages Frazier would have, stylistically he would be one of the easiest matchups for Lennox who, when he was motivated and prepared (which I'll assume is the case here), had very little trouble with shorter stocky puncher types. Frazier would be one of the gutiest and most relentless fighters he's fought, but far from the toughest or hardest hitting. He would also not be the trickiest fighter Lennox has fought either, and after a feeling out round I can see Lennox starting to time uppercuts straight into Frazier's grill whenever he tried to bob and work his way inside. Any one of those shots would be brutal and have a high chance of dropping Frazier, the way they dropped Tyson and nearly dropped Vitali. At the very least they'd bruise and possibly cut Frazier up, which would not help his cause any.
Frazier, on the other hand, would have to get inside to do damage, but even if he did start having some success there, Lennox would be able to switch up his game and box keep him on the backfoot. Frazier's head movment would allow him to slip some of Lennox's shots, but not all, and he'd have a hard time getting his own shots off. Lennox was good at modulating his punches to suit his opponent's rhythm, and if he found his big shots missing he'd probably hang back and start pestering Frazier with his jab, or just sticking his glove in Frazier's face, before pivoting and dropping in a heavy right hand. He would also be leaning on him heavily in the clinches, and that would take its toll on Frazier's legs. Frazier would hold his own for a round or two, but by the mid-point I can see him looking battered and bloodied and way down on the cards, if he hasn't already been stopped, still game but taking tremendous punishment from a fired up Lennox. Either the ref steps in to call a halt to the fight, or Frazier gets taken out by an uppercut/big right hand sometime in the eighth or ninth.
Lest anyone say that Lennox has never seen anyone like Frazier, the opposite is just as true. More so, since the closest Frazier came to a Lennox type fighter was Foreman who beat him twice, whilst Lennox took on several shorter fighters harder hitting and more resilient than Frazier, though lacking his phenomenal heart and drive to win, and handled them with ease.
Big respect to Frazier, but Lennox takes this.
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