Muhammad Ali vs. Lennox Lewis who wins?

Question

Heavyweights 15 rounds.
In their prime.

UNINC- I agee Ali all the way. I want to state that Ali beat Frazier twice and Leon Spinks is no legend in my eyes.

Yeah Brad pretty amazing that some people would think Lewis would win this one

I'm surprised at some of the answers, I really don't even think Lewis is in Ali's class at all, not even close. Before the question expries I will give a detailed answer. Thanks for your input Brent

abat- Lennox Lewis had footwork? If you are able to watch some of his fights especially against Rahman and McCall his footwork is terrible. Ali was always able to handle hard punchers because of his guile and great chin. Granted he had trouble against Frazier in the first fight but he was coming off a forced 3yr. 7month layoff. He handled Liston twice, Cleveland Williams, George Chuvalo twice, Foreman, Frazier twice, Ron Lyle, Earnie Shavers. All hard punchers. Those men listed could knock most of the Heavyweights today out cold. Ali faced the stiffest competition in history of the division and prevailed and he wasn't even in his prime.

Answer 1

Keep em coming Brent F! This would be a pretty interesting bout with Ali being one of the all time greats vs Lewis who thinks he is ha, ha! All joking aside Lewis like Ali does have a very good jab but not nearly as fast as Ali. Also no fighter had better footwork and ring generalship than Ali. I believe that although Lewis would have some moments in the fight that Ali would dominate and win either by a late round knockout or unanimous decision.

Answer 2

There are two boxers that i have always thought that would give a PRIME Ali trouble, one is Larry Holmes and the other is Lennox Lewis both had jabs that would be like being hit with a telegraph pole and i am sure that this would give Ali problems, Liston had a good jab also and couldn't deal with the greatest so it isn't all about just having a good jab but i don't think Liston was out the mould of a Holmes and a Lewis more a Tyson or a Frazier and i see the fighters that would give Ali the most trouble would be the likes of Lennox pretty much how Ken Norton did seemed like the taller, rangier fighters could cause him real problems and i believe that Lennox would be a big problem for Ali, im not saying that Lewis would definitely win against the boxer who i class as the greatest of alltime as so many others do also but i think that if there are two fighters that i would pick to give Ali a serious challenge and maybe beat him because of the stylistic match up then i would take Larry Holmes and Lennox Lewis.

Answer 3

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RE:
Muhammad Ali vs. Lennox Lewis who wins?
Heavyweights 15 rounds.
In their prime.

Answer 4

I guess I am only answering this because I love boxing so much. Yes, everyone (almost) says Ali. It's true. Ali on his VERY best night, is better than anyone ever has been on their VERY best night. No question about it. But there are off nights and surprises, so, thinking in that sense, it is possible Lewis, Louis, Tyson, Holyfield, Marciano, Dempsey, etc could have won on the right night. But in all likely hood, Ali wins over ANYONE on average. To address UNINC above, how can you say Ali only lost to legends, except Berbick? Leon Spinks never did anything after beating Ali... by split decision mind you. After Ali and into retirement, he got a record of 19-17-2 with 14 KOs (total 26-17-3). He also works at Burger King and YMCA these days (true story). Berbick on the other hand has a record of 50-11-1 33 KOs. Has beaten world champions such as John Tate, Ali, Greg Page, Iran Barkley, and went the distance against Buster Douglas when Mike Tyson could not. I do not think Berbick is a "great", but he's a Hell of alot better than "Neon" Leon that's for sure. Spinks only got a fast title shot out of polotics, not because he was bad @ss.. and why do you believe Ali and Frazier went one and one? I thought it was Ali 2 Frazier 1;)

Answer 5

Ali, for the same reason that Louis beats Lewis (which I answered in a previous question): he's just a different class than Lennox. I mean that as no disrespect to LL, but with Ali we're talking about the guy that I consider the best heavyweight to ever grace a boxing ring. Ali was brilliant at adjusting his fighting style to his opponent, He also had a granite chin (which is why he was never stopped inside the distance until Larry Holmes did it late in his career after he should have retired), which Lennox doesn't. He might not have Lewis' freaky height, but his reach was comparable (80" to LL's 84"). I call it Ali by KO/TKO....

Answer 6

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This is a very good question,but you have to remember something both fighters were at their primes at different points in their lives. Lewis hit his prime late when he was in thirties, his experience made him stronger, Ali's prime was around 1966 right before he was banned and stripped of the title, that was when he was in his physical prime. This would be a very good fight because both boxers were very smart in the ring. However i feel Ali would win because there is really no type of boxer that Ali hasn't faced, he faced power punchers,boxers,great jabbers and he always managed to get a win. Ali in his prime was very slick and very elusive in his prime and he was a very dangerous counterpuncher (his counter punches hurt like hell) so Lennox would be in over his head here, i think lennox could have a shot at winning because he was extremely smart and knew how to avoid making the same mistakes twice. But Ali has shown that he could handle a fighter like lennox.

Answer 7

It is a very curious thing that only in the sport of boxing do fans place so much faith in the skills of an athlete from the past and refuse to believe that there ever will be anyone better than him. It would be like saying that there will never ever be a better tennis player than Sampras or a basketball player better than Johnson.

Ali was the best of his era. However, most, if not all of his challengers were lighter and smaller than him - Frazier, Chuvalo, Bonavena, Liston, Patterson, etc. There were heavyweights decades before him who would have seriously challenged him. There already have been, and there will be boxers better than him in the future. In any sport, there is never one "Greatest".

Put aside Ali's personality, charisma and legacy outside the ring and focus on his athletic ability. He was amongst the greats, but definitely not the greatest if you take into account some of the heavyweights in the 80's and 90's. Any of the modern champions would have give Ali serious trouble - Lewis, Tyson, Klitschco's (either of them),

Lennox Lewis was bigger, faster and punched harder than Joe Frazier. He also had a decent chin - look at his fights against Tua, Mercer, Ruddock and Morrison (all hard punchers). Ali never faced a power puncher as fast or tall as himself. It is quite unfair to dismiss a formidable boxer like Lewis as being unable to beat Ali.

A young Ali (pre-Vietnam) had already been knocked down by Cooper (who was smaller than him).
Ali from the early 70's struggled against Frazier (who was much slower and at least 5 inches shorter).
Ali in his later career years was seriously hurt by fighters like Shavers and Holmes.

Why would you place your money on Ali in any of these eras against Lewis or Tyson ?

Answer 8

Definitely Muhammad Ali.!

Answer 9

Brent ~
I was going to stay away from this one, I think that any reasonable boxing fan would know the answer to this one. There's something about this question that kept calling me back. I really don't know if was my total disgust for Lennox or my adoration for Ali.
In their primes, Ali before his suspension and Lennox, well Lennox never really had a prime. Who did he fight? We all know who Muhammad fought and beat and lost to, but seriously Lennox didn't even belong in the ring with anyone Ali fought. It was a totally different time for the Heavyweights in the late sixties and early seventies. The top ten guys were surely the TOP TEN, not like the easy pickings Lennox had, now this is not fault of his, he just fought the bums that were thrown to him, but to place in the ring with a legend such as Ali, there would be no match.
Lennox had a decent jab, we never saw him fight a guy with a better one. Ali's jab was percise and quick and came from all angles. Lennox held his head high and often stepped out of the box with his chin sticking right up there for anyone to poke. Ali would glide on his feet turn his head (roll) with the punch and counter effectively. Lennox had "No Jaw". Ali was all jaw. I would go so far as to give my opinion that even when Ali looked his worse against a young Larry Holmes, he would have beaten Lewis. Don't shrug the thought, im my opinion, it could have happened. Frazier, Shavers, Linston, Patterson, Quarry and even Wepner would have cleaned the ring up with Lennox. Ali in his prime or ten years past would retire Lewis.
I know that it must take you sometime to come up with these questions Brad. I had a hard enough time just thinking to ask the question "What if Chavez vs Taylor was 15 rounds" I would like to tell you that I and most of he true boxing fans here appreciate you taking the time out o ask the who vs who questions, it isn't easy, I know. I'm not writing about these kids that get on here and ask "If a Pez depenser fought a Chicklet who would win?" The questions you ask are tough questions that make the average boxing fan think. Thanks Brent............For those of you that think I'm just trolling for the "Best Answer" here "Save it Sally" toughguy should get the nod here not me. That's not my style.

Answer 10

I don't know who'd win. But Ali is greater in most opinions I'd say. Can't see Lewis outboxing Ali, can't see lewis doing a Frazier on ali as well, pressure wise. Lewis didn't fight like that