A guy that is knocked out by two different fighters that should not have been a problem for him kind of makes people think he had a weak chin.
He is certainly not an iron jawed warrior.
There are fighters who were never knocked down, let alone out so those guys have great chins, not Lewis.
Lennox Lewis took those multiple flush shots to the chin from Vitali because he saw the punches coming unlike when he fought Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman ,after the only two knockdowns in his pro career ,he was not in condition to continue so i don't think Lewis had an underrated chin.
I do think Lewis' chin was somewhat underrated. He took some good shots from some good punchers like Vitali, Razor Ruddock, David Tua, Michael Grant, Tommy Morrison, and Frank Bruno without going down. Unfortunately though, he suffered 1 punch KO's twice and lost the title both times in the process to Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman. Though he avenged both losses, that stigma remains with him and that's why a lot of people think he didn't have a good chin.
The bigger they are the harder they fall. Oliver Mcall was big puncher. Rahman could punch, and Lewis was not in good condititon for the first Rahman fight. Lewis was often a slow starter and Mcall, a big puncher came out as the atomic bull that night. Whilst I wouldn't say that Lewis had an iron jaw and all that he certainly didn't have a glass jaw. Lewis is too often criticized I think. Mostly by Americans.
I'm taking part of this from a question I answered earlier. It's amazing you ask this question because I believe you're correct.
it's possible that Lewis might have weathered the storm after that titanic right he took from Hasim Rahman, had he been in shape. Lewis did everything but train for that fight, one of the few times he ever showed up out of condition.
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While attending meetings with Nelson Mandela and touring South Africa, Lewis left little time for training. Anyone who knows him knew he was in poor shape before the Rahman fight started. You see what he did to Rahman in the rematch, when he was in the best shape of his career.
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Look at the other right hand that put Lewis to sleep. Oliver McCall is clearly one of the hardest punchers in division history. Also, Lewis was still developing as a heavyweight as this was very early in his career and McCall was in his prime.
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I watched live sparring sessions between McCall and Mike Tyson. I can tell you that the sparring sessions were quite scary. I can see why McCall was politely asked to leave Camp Tyson. You see what Lewis did to him in the rematch.
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It's certainly possible that Lewis could still get knocked out. However, it would be harder to knock out the over-30 Lewis than the under-30. Lewis matured late and became a much stronger fighter after age 30.
Lewis had more of a defense issue, then a jaw, in his early career. He had a European defense style, and left his hands down, and was a slow starter, and got caught twice for it. Once he had years with Emanuel Steward he tremendously improved, and became one of the Greats.
Lennox had at best an average to below average chin, both McCall and Rahman KOed him.
I don't think it's his chin as much as it was his maturity. Lennox Lewis was an inconsistent fighter, he would come in and dominate one day but the next day he would be obliterated by a not so great fighter. Against Vitali, Lennox was out of shape but he was focused so he saw the punches coming, but not in other points of his career.
He got knocked out twice in 44 pro fights.
Wladimir Klitchko got knocked out 3x in 64 pro fights.
If Lennox had a good chin than Wladimir has a GREAT chin. Wlad hasn't been knocked out in 19 title fights, i can't say the same for Lennox
Indeed Lewis's chin was the most underestimated
I don't now why it always mentions his fight with Rahman, in this fight Lewis was the attitude of "I'll see how bad I have to be to win the other me"
In the fight with Vitali was exciting security posture of Lewis on his victory
Took multiple flush shots from Vitali, maybe 15 in the 2nd round alone. He is an iron jawed warrior.
