The one thing that Tyson often struggled against was a boxer who was significantly taller and established a good jab.
Tony Tucker was probably the best example when Kevin Rooney was still training Iron Mike.
Berbick never used a jab and tried to go toe-to-toe with Tyson. Tyson easily won those type of fights..
Spinks' expression when he entered the ring against Tyson was one of fear.
I think a prime Tyson could have probably taken out the Lennox before Emanuel Steward was brought in as trainer. Lewis appeared very unbalanced pre-Steward, but once the Kronk Meister came on board I doubt a prime Tyson would've been able to get past Lewis' jab.
If Rooney had still been training Mike, maybe. I'd pay to watch but I'd still bet on Lennox.
Lewis only lost when he lost focus and felt he had an easy opponent. Against Tyson he never would have looked past him.
I go with Tyson, both in their primes. The old, out of shape, washed up Tyson could go 8 round with Lewis! 8 rounds, that's longer than a prime Frazier vs a prime Foreman, while Lewis hits only slightly softer than prime Foreman! Here's the comparison between prime Tyson and prime Lewis:
Tyson: Power: 98 Lewis: Power: 95
Chin/Endurance: 90 Chin: 65
Stamina: 65 Stamina: 80
Speed: 99(Ali is 100) Speed: 70
Agility: 97 Agility: 65
Footwork: 95 Footwork: 70
Will to win: 80 Will to win: 70
Intimidating Factor: 100 Intimidating Factor: 80
Defense: 90 Defense: 80
Tyson would be much faster than Lewis. He destroyed Frank Bruno and Brunos chin was harder than Lewis, he was around the same size as Lewis and Brunos power was almost as strong as Lewis. Lewis on the other hand has a better defense than Bruno.
I go with prime Tyson, knocking Lewis early out. You can't go in the ring with a prime Tyson, having a bad chin and being slower than Iron Mike, that would be deadly for every heavyweight.
Tyson by 1st round KO
Hey! Michelle Tyson and Lennox Lewis sparred a few times when they were young. Whatever happened during the sparring sessions, Michelle didn't want none of Lewis for many years, period. So stfu. Michelle was a hype job, and only when his career was practically over, he took the fight with Lewis for money and thanked Lewis for it. Lewis was real. See how horrible Michelle Tyson looked vs the boxer douglas, no excuses. He knew he couldn't beat a real boxer and was feeling down about it.
Lewis by UD, if both were prime.
Tyson would of been much more competitive, in his prime, and if Lewis came in flat like he did once, and a while, he could get caught. I just think Lewis, under Steward, was a jabbing machine, that used his size correctly. He would of jabbed Tyson's head in, and took a tough decision.
First of all, keep in mind that in boxing, styles make fights. Regardless of skill, strength and athleticism, styles usually determine the outcome of a fight. Take for instance Ali, Frazier and Foreman. George Foreman knocked Joe Frazier out twice, knocking him down 6 times in their first fight alone. Ali, of course, knocked out George in Zaire. But Frazier was Ali's toughest match-up. He got beat up by Joe in the first fight, knocking him down in the last round. Ali would win the next 2 fights, but each one was very tough and very close. How then would you explain that Ali had a hard time with Frazier, who was easily knocked out by Foreman, who, in turn, was knocked out by Ali? It's their styles my friend.
Now, with Tyson and Lewis, Lennox has the style to beat Tyson, whether prime or not. He got that long left jab that's one of the best in heavyweight history alongside that of Larry Holmes, Ali and Sonny Liston. Lewis could box using that jab, which he also used to set up that sledgehammer of a right hand. Tyson had problems with big guys who could box, e.g. Tony Tucker, Razor Ruddock and Buster Douglas. And Lewis is bigger and better than any of these guys. As with Evander Holyfield, I think Lewis would beat Tyson 4 times out of 5.
It is possible for A version of Mike Tyson to beat A version of Lennox Lewis but timing would have to be a huge factor. Lennox Lewis was a smart fighter and it's likely that he would use his intelligence and tools to render Tyson defenseless before stopping him.
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If Tyson ever had a chance to beat Lewis, it would have been early in their respective careers. Although Lewis is nearly 9 months older than Tyson, fighters don't peak at the same time. Tyson reached his prime long before Lewis reached his. Also, Tyson's prime lasted a much shorter time than did Lewis'.
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For example, ALI was an old man by age 38. That's because you could count the number of days he actually trained for a fight, between 74 and 79 and have fingers left. After winning the title from Foreman, ALI became a world figure and training is something he just didn't take seriously.
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By contrast, Vitali Klitschko ruled the heavyweights at age 40. The only fighter who had even a remote chance of beating him was the one he would never face, and with good reason, his brother.
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Tyson was done as a serious force in the division long before his 30th birthday. Lennox became dominant after turning 30.
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The best chance for Tyson to beat Lennox Lewis would have been before he went to prison. He was stronger after prison simply due to maturity. However, he seemed to have forgotten the defensive abilities he knew before. He was never the defensive wizard that Kevin Rooney would have you believe. Still, he used speed along with power.
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Before the second Ruddock fight, even despite the loss to Buster Douglas, Tyson was still a formidable force in the division. During this time, Lewis was still a relatively unproven fighter, having developed much slower than did Tyson. This period ended the small window in which lies Tyson's best chance to beat Lewis.
By the time Tyson exited prison in 1995, he became a one dimensional banger and his team wanted no part of Lewis. He fought a group of weak fighters while Lewis improved. The more time progressed, the stronger and more experienced Lewis became and the more ridiculous Tyson's career became.
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By the time they fought, Lewis had transformed from a slender 230 lb. fighter to a 245 lb. juggernaut. He was bigger, stronger, smarter and armed with everything needed to defeat the now pudgy 233 lb. Tyson.
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Tyson's best chance for a win over Lewis would have been a puncher's chance at best. He had that puncher's chance between 1988 and 1991. Politics, and the fact that Holyfield was a bigger name, kept the fight from happening.
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I think it depends on which Lewis comes in. Lewis was a very inconsistent fighter. One night he would do everything right, the next fight he would do everything wrong.
If Lewis didn't come in at his best he would get destroyed.
If Lewis was at his best I think he would have gotten a decision against prime Tyson [with allot of clinching of course].
Tyson is overrated by the public but Lewis is overrated by many so called ''experts''.
Lewis was undisputed for a very short time and he hardly defended the title.
I have heard some say Lewis was a big Joe Louis!
Joe could get dropped and he would get up and dominate, something Lennox NEVER did.
Joe beat bigger men than Lennox beat. For example; Carnera was 270lbs of muscle & former undisputed champion. Lewis biggest opponent was a 260lbs nobody.
Joe had a surprise loss to Schmeling but Schmeling was a veteran, former undisputed heavyweight champion and a wiz in the ring. Lennox had surprise losses to 2 nobodies.
The comparison is absurd.
Tyson would lose.
And I am a Tyson fan.
Tyson had three weaknesses:
1.He really struggled with awkward styles.
Just watch the James Smith fight....he just barely won, and was hurt in the latter part of the fight, which went the distance...at Tyson's prime. Tyson needed predictable stances in order to be effective with his hooks and uppercuts. The Smith fight offered him no such opportunities, and he looked mediocre at best.
2.He struggled with those who stood up to him or even took the fight to him and were not intimidated.
Holyfield is the best example, along with Douglas. Tyson used intimidation as a prime weapon....and part of this intimidation tactic was to swarm his opponent. However, if aggressively tied-up, counter-punched, or simply out-gunned, Tyson would fall apart. Watch the Holyfield fights and you will see this over and over. That is why he got so frustrated (along with Holyfield's head-butting, of course). This is also why he avoided Foreman.
3. He was in trouble with boxers.
(I am not talking about an out of shape aged Holmes).
Buster Douglas is the poster-boy here. He showed how Tyson would fare against Ali or Lewis. Tyson's peek-a-boo style was so energy intensive that avoiding the repeating left jab of a boxer just sapped too much energy....and that is what happened with Douglas. Also, the long reaching jab put Tyson in the awkward position of having to go under the jab in order to strike.
So, with Lewis, Tyson faces a much larger and skilled boxer with a long reach who is not in the least intimidated, and would jab, tie-up, and out-gun Tyson. (Lewis had a devastating right).
I admire Tyson's boxing, but against an Ali or Lewis, he would not have a chance.
Lewis beat Tyson easily, and would do so at any point in his career.
However, Tyson was a top-fifty heavyweight, and as I wrote before, he was a champion boxer. But not an unbeatable one.
Tyson at his peak against lewis at his peak tyson was faster hit much harder great body movement good jab every punch hurt lewis would be lucky even on his best night to make it past 3 rds
Everyone sounds so slow when they say lewis would destroy tyson if tyson was in his prime. Look at how slow tyson was when he fought lennox and look at tyson when he fought trevor berbick or michael spinx. Why doesn't anyone believe that a prime mike tyson could beat any version of lennox lewis
In his prime, Lewis would annihilate Tyson, no doubt about it. Anyway, he still beat him, without any problems.
Tyson would easily won this if he is in his prime. KO in round 3 or round 4.
Tyson was 5'10' and 205 pounds, Lewis was 6'5'' and 250 pounds.
