Lennox Lewis vs. Chris Byrd.

[El Kabong]

Lewis would have every advantage. He's bigger, taller, longer, and hits harder.

It's like they say, "A good big man beats a good little man".

Absolutely, but Chris Byrd was used to things not being in his advantage. Now yeah I give Byrd pretty much 0% chance of beating Lewis if they fought 100 times Lewis would win 100 times. It's just a matter of which Lewis shows up, the lazy Lewis who beat Frank Bruno or the determined Lewis who beat Rahman and Tyson....really depends. Byrd didn't have the power to hurt Lennox unless he landed a clean shot running across the whole ring, but his head movement and chin paired with a lazy Lennox Lewis, that could see him last the distance....which is pretty damned impressive considering Byrd was a very small heavyweight for the era.


Now Lennox vs John Ruiz that's a demolition job because of the different style. Ruiz was not difficult to hit once you had distance on him and the uppercut would have finished anything Johnny wanted to accomplish on the inside right quick.


Chris Byrd, that's a different style....good slick fighter, class act, always liked Chris Byrd.

[Alpha]

Lewis would have beaten Byrd, but Byrd was always at a disadvantage among the heavies. It is a credit to his ability that he achieved as well as he did.

[El Kabong]

Lewis would have beaten Byrd, but Byrd was always at a disadvantage among the heavies. It is a credit to his ability that he achieved as well as he did.

Sorry I hit the friggin dislike button, my fault, my fault.


Good post, good points.

[Alpha]

All good. I really loved Byrds fight with Tua. Tia came in at an amazingly fit fighting weight and we all knew his power was legit. Byrd fight brilliantly. No running or spoiling. Just excellent boxing. That fight always impressed me.

[El Kabong]

Chris Byrd really feared NOBODY look at the resume: Ibeabuchi, Tua, Holyfield, Vitali, Wlad x2....the guy would fight ANYONE and for a smaller heavyweight with no big time punching power that's very impressive

[Alpha]

Definitely agree with you. I would have liked to have seen him work his way up the weights or even concentrate on cruiser early in his career I think he would have great success. I could see him as a 3 weight belt holder

[Master]

People thought that Lennox avoided him but he could not be bothered to fight against a King fighteror was that Ruiz. Either way Lennox had bigger fish to beat.

[Spicoli]

All good. I really loved Byrds fight with Tua. Tia came in at an amazingly fit fighting weight and we all knew his power was legit. Byrd fight brilliantly. No running or spoiling. Just excellent boxing. That fight always impressed me.

That was really a top notch performance. Probably the only time I've heard Tua literally grunt from body shots as Byrd was just killing it constantly. Byrd faced a lot of stocky squat guys early but the problems came with exactly what Lewis would bring. Height, mass and very strong boxing behind a stiff smart jab. The saddest thing was watching Byrd so convinced he would reinvent his career at the very end. He was unrecognizable at 175 and the years of wear and tear overwhelmed his always positive willing mind in a fight that was near unwatchable. Extremely talented fighter who maximized his strengths against the odds and fought all comers. Wide eyed and sharp as a tack also.

[TitoFan]

I hate to be the spoil sport in this Byrd love fest.

Nice guy and all... and hats off to him for his tremendous boxing skills and probably some overachievement in the HW division given his physical deficiencies.

BUT................... I absolutely HATED to watch any of his fights. I don't know. Maybe I expect stuff out of heavyweights that I don't expect out of other weight divisions. I know it's unfair. But Byrd would put me to sleep. To each his own, I guess. I was spoiled by the Ali's, the Fraziers, the Foremans, the Lennoxes, the Tysons (Mike, not Fury ). Even the Ruddocks and the Tuas. Heavyweight isn't the division for chess playing.

[Spicoli]

I hate to be the spoil sport in this Byrd love fest.

Nice guy and all... and hats off to him for his tremendous boxing skills and probably some overachievement in the HW division given his physical deficiencies.

BUT................... I absolutely HATED to watch any of his fights. I don't know. Maybe I expect stuff out of heavyweights that I don't expect out of other weight divisions. I know it's unfair. But Byrd would put me to sleep. To each his own, I guess. I was spoiled by the Ali's, the Fraziers, the Foremans, the Lennoxes, the Tysons (Mike, not Fury ). Even the Ruddocks and the Tuas. Heavyweight isn't the division for chess playing.

He could be pretty irritating if I'm honest, the whole family in the corner and pushing up religion but hey, whatever makes you strong I guess. Still though when Evander looked at him to just grab a trinket you just knew he would be a nightmare for him style wise.