Heavyweights: Mike Tyson vs Lennox Lewis

[Kalan]

I love the way people come in and strip away my posts... A boxer's prime is not his peak... A boxer's prime extends to a time when he remains reasonably competent enough to compete in big money fights and draws a lot of betting money from fans and bettors... Tyson was a massive favorite versus Holyfield -- and wasn't a huge underdog versus Lewis... Plus those fights broke all revenue records. So people were hopeful.

[davie]

I love the way people come in and strip away my posts... A boxer's prime is not his peak... A boxer's prime extends to a time when he remains reasonably competent enough to compete in big money fights and draws a lot of betting money from fans and bettors... Tyson was a massive favorite versus Holyfield -- and wasn't a huge underdog versus Lewis... Plus those fights broke all revenue records. So people were hopeful.

Different people have different descriptions of 'prime'
Tyson was clearly a long way from his peak, but I'd also argue he was no longer in his prime years when he faced Lewis, neither physically or mentally.

Age is nothing to do with it. Lewis got better with age and Tyson was done.

I fancy peak Lewis to beat any Tyson but it would have been a far riskier fight earlier in their careers and might have seen Lewis on his back

[Cojimar 1946]

How could Tyson avoid Lewis for 19 years when Lewis did not turn pro until 1989?

[Kalan]

I love the way people come in and strip away my posts... A boxer's prime is not his peak... A boxer's prime extends to a time when he remains reasonably competent enough to compete in big money fights and draws a lot of betting money from fans and bettors... Tyson was a massive favorite versus Holyfield -- and wasn't a huge underdog versus Lewis... Plus those fights broke all revenue records. So people were hopeful.

Different people have different descriptions of 'prime'
Tyson was clearly a long way from his peak, but I'd also argue he was no longer in his prime years when he faced Lewis, neither physically or mentally.

Age is nothing to do with it. Lewis got better with age and Tyson was done.

I fancy peak Lewis to beat any Tyson but it would have been a far riskier fight earlier in their careers and might have seen Lewis on his back

The Earth might be wiped out with gamma rays or a massive asteroid as well... The odds favor Lewis as you imply.

[man]

I think they actually sparred 3 times over a few days, which was supposed to be a week's trip. Old tomato was happy whilst Tyson was trying to rip LL's head off, but as soon as the tide turned and Lewis made Tyson look foolish, by forcing him to miss, then went on to start knocking him around the ring, Arnie Boehm was told the trip was to be cut short, and don't come back.

very interesting. what surprises me is
that lewis peaked rather late compared
to tyson. as teenagers i would have bet
mike handles lennox with ease.

[man]

Tyson got knocked out by Douglas. A fighter witha great chin would have stood up those punches.
Tyson was helpless against Holyfield. A fighter with a great chin would have taken those punches.

Neither Douglas or Holyfield were particuarly hard punchers.

IMO tyson's chin was just fine, but
when you cumulate too much within
a fight, you just go down at one point.

douglas fought the fight of his life and
holy outclassed mike for half an hour
before the knock out punch. neither
loss says anything about tyson's chin.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Dear god, why would you bring this POS thread back to life?

[man]

Dear god, why would you bring this POS thread back to life?

accidental. popped up in my notifications.
i guess that happens when you don't post
too often ...

[Kalan]

Tyson got knocked out by Douglas. A fighter witha great chin would have stood up those punches.
Tyson was helpless against Holyfield. A fighter with a great chin would have taken those punches.

Neither Douglas or Holyfield were particuarly hard punchers.

IMO tyson's chin was just fine, but
when you cumulate too much within
a fight, you just go down at one point.

douglas fought the fight of his life and
holy outclassed mike for half an hour
before the knock out punch. neither
loss says anything about tyson's chin.

I think both fights say a lot about Tyson's chin and his boxing ability. These were guys with good size and strength who had world class skills. Tyson didn't measure up well. History repeated itself when Tyson fought Lewis -- another big, tall, strong, smart, fast and skilled Heavyweight -- a combination of assets that lil' Mike just couldn't adjust to.

[BoxBuzz]

I think Mike probably punched above his weight class until he went to jail. His ferocity level went down after that as well.



He never could have beaten Holyfield.....and Lewis is longshot as well IMHO. Some of the others he lost to toward the end would have probably been chipper shredder material in his earlier days.

[Kalan]

I think Mike probably punched above his weight class until he went to jail. His ferocity level went down after that as well.



He never could have beaten Holyfield.....and Lewis is longshot as well IMHO. Some of the others he lost to toward the end would have probably been chipper shredder material in his earlier days.

The Buster Douglas fiasco took place a long time before Mike was convicted of sexual assault on a teenager and was handed a lengthy prison sentence.. He was just as fierce against Seldon and Bruno as he ever was.. But when he stepped up the quality of Heavyweights he was fighting he had the old problems.

[BoxBuzz]

Wouldn't you credit at least some of that to his emotional stuff, and his obvious lack of discipline...via loss of real management/trainers etc? Combined with Busters forging of his own will?

[Kalan]

Buster Douglas had much more severe issues regarding discipline, work ethic, controlling his eating habits and lust, and just living day by day without going off the rails.. Somehow BD put all of that aside for the Tyson fight... That was all he needed to be happy -- 1 night to shine... The MFer did it.

He got his 25 million for the Holyfield fight and there was no looking back...