Tyson of 1988 versus Lewis of 1999

[Hornfinger]

I think this is an interesting matchup. Obviously the Tyson/Lewis that we saw was a joke fight and had no particular meaning outside of the gullible and the ego of Lennox Lewis, but imagine if these two could have squared up in their seeming primes. I am not convinced I have the prime of Lewis nailed as I have never really enjoyed his fights, but it was around this time that he was racking up the wins and was seemingly on a roll.

Personally, I think the young Tyson steamrollers him and knocks him unconscious in about 3 rounds. Lewis wouldn't be able to tame the ferocity that would be coming at him and his chin would not stand up to the ferocity of Mike Tyson for too long. The grappling and holding that Lewis eventually used against Tyson would not have worked because the young Tyson would have landed 5 before the grapple became effective. Tyson was done after 1 and had forgotten how to move his head in 2002. 1988 was a different Tyson and different world.

I think Lewis would have been slaughtered in brutal fashion.

Who you got?

I think prime lewis would have found a way. He'd got tyson passed the 4th then worn him down.