BoxRec

saw this last night. Boy did Lewis look a handful. The fight was in 1991 and Lewis looked about half the size that we would come to know him in his prime.

Not seen anybody but a treble-jab together as quickly as that in a while. At times he looked a little bit like a young Ali skipping around. Don't get me wrong as Weaver had not had a fight in a year but still.....you can see why people were excited. Nowadays you don't see many heavyweights that are athletes do you?

the young lennox was indeed very athletic

Yeah, he was incredibly athletic in his 20s. Was a much bigger puncher at 250 though.

The leaner Lewis could still bang, though.

Just so nice to hear Reg Gutteridge again....calling a fight just right and setting the scene perfectly. God that guy was so effortless, classy and good.

I'v noticed boxrec have Lewis down as being 221 for this fight but he was announced as 225.

221 would have been his career low! I remember seeing the previous fight, with Mason, and resolving that Lewis was never going to make it, as he was too clumsy. He proved me wrong and I learned a thing or two about fighter development.

Just watched the fight, hadn't seen it before. I literally don't think I paid any more attention to Lewis after Mason til he stopped Ruddock! He looks a different prospect altogether against Weaver, albeit Mike isn't showing the sort of determination and ambition that Mason did. I think the big thing about his power is that later in his career he measured the big right better; in this fight, he was throwing it short a lot of the time.

SNG wrote:The leaner Lewis could still bang, though.

Oh absolutely.

Karl Jade wrote:

SNG wrote:The leaner Lewis could still bang, though.

Oh absolutely.

I remember during one of Lewis's early fights when he had just scored a good ko,that clown,Colin Hart said that Lewis wasn't a puncher.

bigjack wrote:I remember during one of Lewis's early fights when he had just scored a good ko,that clown,Colin Hart said that Lewis wasn't a puncher.

That man is a boxing Grinch.

Lewis first KD of Rudduck was a thing of beauty. How Rudduck got up I'll never know, look at how his legs get taken from under him.

If you combined the athleticism of early 90's Lewis with the experience and know how of late 90's Lewis, you've got just about the perfect Heavyweight.

stujones wrote:Lewis first KD of Rudduck was a thing of beauty. How Rudduck got up I'll never know, look at how his legs get taken from under him.

If you combined the athleticism of early 90's Lewis with the experience and know how of late 90's Lewis, you've got just about the perfect Heavyweight.

Except when he got knocked out.

mickey1975 wrote:

stujones wrote:Lewis first KD of Rudduck was a thing of beauty. How Rudduck got up I'll never know, look at how his legs get taken from under him.

If you combined the athleticism of early 90's Lewis with the experience and know how of late 90's Lewis, you've got just about the perfect Heavyweight.

Except when he got knocked out.

And then avenged both defeats,one of them with the most perfect punch ever thrown in his whole career

bigjack wrote:

mickey1975 wrote:

stujones wrote:Lewis first KD of Rudduck was a thing of beauty. How Rudduck got up I'll never know, look at how his legs get taken from under him.

If you combined the athleticism of early 90's Lewis with the experience and know how of late 90's Lewis, you've got just about the perfect Heavyweight.

Except when he got knocked out.

And then avenged both defeats,one of them with the most perfect punch ever thrown in his whole career

Seen it, mate.

wait- Lewis rematched Rahman and won?

I love Lewis but he was far from the perfect heavyweight. He bulked up and then struggled with the pace of a beer barrel (Mercer) and a man in the grip of a wasting disease (Mavrovic), actually blacking out after the latter. He was unimpressive both times versus Holyfield.

Holyfield is one of the greatest ever at any weight. The fact Lewis beat him comfortably both times in Holyfield's home country counts in his favour, not against him.

A focused 97-01 Lewis doesn't get beat by any HW in history.

Lewis certainly did not beat Holyfield comfortably in the rematch. Check your BM. A significant number of the ringside journalists went for Holyfield.

The second was definitely closer, but he won the draw comfortably

Tuan_Jim wrote:Lewis certainly did not beat Holyfield comfortably in the rematch. Check your BM. A significant number of the ringside journalists went for Holyfield.

Much as it still pains me to say it, I definitely thought Holyfield won the rematch, Lewis just didn't turn up & only got the decision as it was a formality due to the robbery in the first fight.

The first fight was a worldwide scandal, and the scorecards for the rematch were effectively filled out beforehand. I love Lewis but he lost the rematch, narrowly, to Holyfield. Not a popular stance to take on the insular and nationalistic British boxrec forum, but a view that was held by many and recorded in BM - the most partisan Lewis paper there was.

BM.

Karl Jade wrote:BM.

Oof! A laughing emoticon - I consider my hash thoroughly settled.

For the record - BM were reprinting the writeups of numerous major global media publications - therefore you are scoffing at world opinion, O oracle that is Karl Jade.

stujones wrote:Lewis first KD of Rudduck was a thing of beauty. How Rudduck got up I'll never know, look at how his legs get taken from under him.

If you combined the athleticism of early 90's Lewis with the experience and know how of late 90's Lewis, you've got just about the perfect Heavyweight.

Except for the fact that he was demolished by two journeymen with a single punch. No other great heavyweight has ever been crushed in that manner.