Lennox Lewis retained his WBC and IBF Heavyweight World Titles by stopping Mike Tyson in 2002 in Memphis, Tennessee. Many have wondered how the challenger would have fared in his prime years.
Lewis largely dominated proceedings, utilising his superior size, reach, and technical skills to keep Tyson at bay, while landing powerful jabs and combinations. Though Tyson remained a threat with his aggression and power were nullified by ‘The Lion’s tactics.
Tyson’s rise in the heavyweight ranks in the mid-eighties was hard and fast and most regard his best days as those under Cus D’Amato and Kevin Rooney and before a stint behind bars kept him out of the ring for four years.
2002’s Tyson looked slower, weaker and was perhaps in the sport for the wrong reasons. He was also three fights (one win, two losses) away from retirement.
Of course Lewis wasn’t far off hanging up the gloves either, and he remains adamant that he would win the match-up no matter what version of ‘Iron’ Mike was in the opposite corner. He told Good Morning Britain:
“Yes [I would’ve won ten years earlier] – I’m a five-dimensional fighter and he’s a one-dimensional fighter.”
It’s something that another heavyweight great in George Foreman agrees with. When he was asked to predict the bout prime vs prime, Foreman highlighted two attributes that would be in the Brit’s favour forever.
“I’d [say] Lewis. So much height and reach.”
Whilst Lewis has remained happily retired, Tyson recently returned to the ring for an eight-rounder against Jake Paul in an extremely lucrative but controversial bout. He lost widely on the scorecards having failed to make a dent in the man 30 years his junior.
