Originally posted by K-DOGG
....Right, okay. Here we go; this is how I see their initial math of three.
The factors to consider in this match-up are speed differential and height difference as well as flaws in both fighter's make-up. Mike had much faster hands than Lewis; but Lewis also had a tremendous reach advantage and was physically much stronger than Mike, which would help him tremendously on the inside in preventing Mike from unleashing those blazingly fast combinations. Also, Mike would have to get past those long arms of Lennox's. Weaknesses: Mike was prone to fall into clinches once his momentum spent itself in the first 4 to 5 rounds. Lennox had a tendency to be lazy with his jab and wasn't a great infighter.
Mike would come out, guns blazing, looking to take Lewis's head off; Mike never heard of the concept of a "feeling out process" and Lewis would be ready for this, keeping his left extended, trying to keep Mike at the end of it and catch him coming in with that big right. Mike, realizing he couldn't just walk in to pay-dirt, would begin bobbing and weaving, looking for opportunities to launch a four punch combo. Seeing Lewis's exposed ribs, Mike would begin pounding away and as Lewis attempts to grab, Mike squats lower, under his arms, and leaps up a couple of shots that just miss before Lennox folds those huge arms around him. Mike would be pounding Lewis's side with his free hand...probably the right...until Mitch Halpern separtates the two.
The first three rounds would pretty much follow this pattern, with Mike occasionally landing on Lennox's head and rocking the big man enough to where Lewis would be forced to tie him up. Lennox would find Mike next to impossible to hit, early on; but would keep Mike at bay off and on with a snappy jab. Lewis would then begin working Mike's body a little in order to slow his movement down. Going to Mike's body, however, leaves Mike an opening to Lewis's jaw and sooner or later, he'd hurt Lennox; but remember, THIS Lewis is prepared to be hit and hurt, unlike the ones who underestimated Rahman and McCall. Lewis, when hurt, would alternately tie up his opponent and fire back with some stout stuff of his own as he did against Mercer.
The argument can be made that Lewis would be the one ahead in the scoring by round 5; but I don't think so. Tony Tucker was as big as Lewis; but was younger and throwing more punches in his early rounds against Mike...and that Mike was younger and less experienced than the one we're using. Lewis would be biding his time, trying to gradually get Mike to fight his fight, rather than fighting Mikes. By the fifth, Mike's head movement would only be sporadic and Lewis would begin catching him coming in. Lewis wouldn't be able to throw any pitty-pat punches with Mike though, or he could be countered as he was earlier. He'd have to get Mike's respect and land something solid and odds are sometime between rounds 3 and 5, one of those big shots of Lewis's would connect on Mike's head, which would cause him to show a little more caution....and set the pace for the remainder of the bout.
The middle-rounds would consist of Lewis getting back into the bout with solid jabs and right hands and uppercuts and then tying Mike up by the time he got inside. After a while though, Lewis would lose his focus and begin pushing his jab instead of snapping it, inviting an overhand right counter....which Mike would throw and land, stunning Lennox. Once Mike smells blood, his work-rate always increased automatically because he knew this was a chance to end things. However, he wouldn't end matters; but he would win the round.
This pattern would repeat over the final rounds with Mike working Lewis's body on the inside and occassionaly ripping a shot upstairs; but rarely landing more than one at time because of Lewis's defensive expertise.
In the end, Mike would win a close decision in their initial encounter....more or less on sheer aggression. Odds are Lennox would have stunned Mike on occassion somewhere in the middlerounds; but this Mike didn't quit...and would come back even stronger in the next round to get his respect back. So, it would be an exciting affari in which neithr of the the participants would hit the canvas, IMHO. Final score, probably something like Mike by two to three poins.
Now, to keep it short...the rematch and the rubber-match would both go to Lewis based on his problem-solving skills. All of th mistakes he made in the first match, he would have corrected by the rematch, which would enable him to win either a pretty broad UD or by a late round stoppage. The third fight would resemble the second; but with Mike probably getting stopped or stopped sooner, depending upon how the second fight ended.
That's how I see it, anyway. Sorry 'bout the length.
The factors to consider in this match-up are speed differential and height difference as well as flaws in both fighter's make-up. Mike had much faster hands than Lewis; but Lewis also had a tremendous reach advantage and was physically much stronger than Mike, which would help him tremendously on the inside in preventing Mike from unleashing those blazingly fast combinations. Also, Mike would have to get past those long arms of Lennox's. Weaknesses: Mike was prone to fall into clinches once his momentum spent itself in the first 4 to 5 rounds. Lennox had a tendency to be lazy with his jab and wasn't a great infighter.
Mike would come out, guns blazing, looking to take Lewis's head off; Mike never heard of the concept of a "feeling out process" and Lewis would be ready for this, keeping his left extended, trying to keep Mike at the end of it and catch him coming in with that big right. Mike, realizing he couldn't just walk in to pay-dirt, would begin bobbing and weaving, looking for opportunities to launch a four punch combo. Seeing Lewis's exposed ribs, Mike would begin pounding away and as Lewis attempts to grab, Mike squats lower, under his arms, and leaps up a couple of shots that just miss before Lennox folds those huge arms around him. Mike would be pounding Lewis's side with his free hand...probably the right...until Mitch Halpern separtates the two.
The first three rounds would pretty much follow this pattern, with Mike occasionally landing on Lennox's head and rocking the big man enough to where Lewis would be forced to tie him up. Lennox would find Mike next to impossible to hit, early on; but would keep Mike at bay off and on with a snappy jab. Lewis would then begin working Mike's body a little in order to slow his movement down. Going to Mike's body, however, leaves Mike an opening to Lewis's jaw and sooner or later, he'd hurt Lennox; but remember, THIS Lewis is prepared to be hit and hurt, unlike the ones who underestimated Rahman and McCall. Lewis, when hurt, would alternately tie up his opponent and fire back with some stout stuff of his own as he did against Mercer.
The argument can be made that Lewis would be the one ahead in the scoring by round 5; but I don't think so. Tony Tucker was as big as Lewis; but was younger and throwing more punches in his early rounds against Mike...and that Mike was younger and less experienced than the one we're using. Lewis would be biding his time, trying to gradually get Mike to fight his fight, rather than fighting Mikes. By the fifth, Mike's head movement would only be sporadic and Lewis would begin catching him coming in. Lewis wouldn't be able to throw any pitty-pat punches with Mike though, or he could be countered as he was earlier. He'd have to get Mike's respect and land something solid and odds are sometime between rounds 3 and 5, one of those big shots of Lewis's would connect on Mike's head, which would cause him to show a little more caution....and set the pace for the remainder of the bout.
The middle-rounds would consist of Lewis getting back into the bout with solid jabs and right hands and uppercuts and then tying Mike up by the time he got inside. After a while though, Lewis would lose his focus and begin pushing his jab instead of snapping it, inviting an overhand right counter....which Mike would throw and land, stunning Lennox. Once Mike smells blood, his work-rate always increased automatically because he knew this was a chance to end things. However, he wouldn't end matters; but he would win the round.
This pattern would repeat over the final rounds with Mike working Lewis's body on the inside and occassionaly ripping a shot upstairs; but rarely landing more than one at time because of Lewis's defensive expertise.
In the end, Mike would win a close decision in their initial encounter....more or less on sheer aggression. Odds are Lennox would have stunned Mike on occassion somewhere in the middlerounds; but this Mike didn't quit...and would come back even stronger in the next round to get his respect back. So, it would be an exciting affari in which neithr of the the participants would hit the canvas, IMHO. Final score, probably something like Mike by two to three poins.
Now, to keep it short...the rematch and the rubber-match would both go to Lewis based on his problem-solving skills. All of th mistakes he made in the first match, he would have corrected by the rematch, which would enable him to win either a pretty broad UD or by a late round stoppage. The third fight would resemble the second; but with Mike probably getting stopped or stopped sooner, depending upon how the second fight ended.
That's how I see it, anyway. Sorry 'bout the length.
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