What would have happened if Lewis was allowed to continue vs. McCall?

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Always had a tough time with this one. Lewis was obviously badly hurt - but mere seconds after the fight was stopped, it looked like he had his legs back.

I'd say McCall had pretty small window to get him out of there... if Lewis sticks around for a couple more rounds Oliver probably starts breaking down mentally. He always did.

What do you guys think would have happened?

 

Hard to say, but the stoppage was a tad quick, to me

 

Lewis would have turned it on. Stuck the jab in his face and planted some nice right hands to discourage McCall.

 

Agreed.

 

I thought so - HOWEVER, Lewis did clearly lean on the ref at the end of the count. Not sure how that would have influenced a decision.

Still, it reeked of Don King/WBC.

I don't really want this to become an argument over the stoppage though. Say it continued... what happens?

 

Manny Steward trained McCall back then, and he was trying to get McCall to counter. Lewis did indeed have a really wide stance, tended to drop his hands, and slung that right hand from far enough back that he left himself open. He also pawed with the jab and didn't hit hard enough with it to discourage McCall. McCall moved in because he didn't feel anything to discourage him, and this was a guy who was almost coming apart at the seams.

 

So you think McCall finishes him?

 

Reeked? Lewis almost fell onto the ref.

Anyhow, my guess is McCall would have been as dangerous in the later rounds as he was at first. Lewis looked like he was trying to compensate for bad balance by having a really wide stance. It makes me wonder if he had any ankle or knee problems. McCall back then had a very good chin. That's why he was a sparring partner for Tyson---he could take the big shots.

 

Yeah, it was a little stinky.

You really think McCall would still have it in the late rounds? As you said, he was coming apart at the seams. Guy was almost in tears during the intros. That, and he always fell apart over time.

I think Oliver's chance, if the fight kept going, was to go in for the kill immediately. And I think he could have got it.

 

I think McCall would have swarmed and gotten another knockdown. Lewis' legs were gone for a few minutes, and McCall would have kept pouring it on. If it went late, maybe McCall would have retreated into a shell, but Lewis would have had to really drop that jab on him hard. Lewis left himself wide open.Maybe he didn't respect McCall.

I think that was McCall's night, and Lewis was not yet as complete a fighter as he later became. McCall dropped him hard, but even when Lewis was down, it seemed more like a balance thing. He caught himself when he fell backwards. He didn't bang his head violently off the canvas like when Rahman dropped him. Lewis was hurt, but not totally out of it.

It did seem weird to me that it was stopped that quickly, but Lewis didn't help himself by staggering and then leaning heavily on the ref. The ref was inexperienced and Lewis looked to be on queer street.

 

And yes, my final guess is that Oliver would have poured it on and Lewis' legs were done for a little while. Earlier I said minutes, but he might have regained his composure faster than that. Still, in this fight, it didn't look like he had a few minutes---McCall was a fast starter and this was still early.

It kind of makes me wonder just how fragile McCall was. He had a good chin, good power, good stamina, but he looked ready to cry. I think McCall would have sensed Lewis was hurt and kept it together for a little while longer.

 

Lewis looked pretty relaxed there. Almost too relaxed. Maybe he was banking on a long fight?

 

Lewis would have won.

 

I can see that for sure. Oliver had a pretty nice first round too - it's not like the right hand came totally out of nowhere.

Lewis had a bad habit of not respecting opponents - and his skill level obviously wasn't as high as it would become. He was making a lot of technical mistakes in there (that's why he got caught and dropped in the first place)

Really wish he got to see it.

 

If he's able to survive the round, I think that's likely.

 

Lewis had no legs under him. McCall would've simply finished the job.

 

Nah, Lewis would have survived the round and gone onto win.

 

I think there's two separate possibilities.

If Lewis was allowed to continue i think he would have been knocked out in the same round. He was hurt pretty badly and it seemed it was mostly instinct in him getting back up and holding up his gloves.

However he could have surved and made it out of the round he may have went on to win the fight.

 

See it the same way. You think the first scenario is more likely?

 

To be fair, if the ref hadn't kept Lewis up at around the 8 count he would have fallen back forward Trevor Berbick style. I think the ref made the right call.

 

I think McCall would have gone for it and would have gotten it.

McCall had one fight where he broke down. Otherwise, he was sort of a busier version of Tua...outboxable, but very dangerous throughout a fight and he hit like a sob. He wasn't afraid of Lewis, always had a great chin, and looked like he was trying to win this fight.

McCall will always have a chance against Lewis because of his power and chin, but he'd lose to this version of Lewis more often than not and he'd lose to the less agressive version of Lewis even more often. However, on this night, with that big punch landing in the 2nd round...I think he would have gone on to win the fight either right away or later.

 

I can't be totally objective here. I think there is a good chance Lennox bear hugs him and survives the rounds and maybe stinks out a couple rounds and wins the fight. But there was also a good chance that McCall ends it - there was loads of time left in the round. Bottom line I think the ref should have let it continue, and keep a close eye on the action and jump in if Lennox gets in more trouble. it's not as if this was for the heavyweight championship of the world or anything...

 

It really wasn't though. ::

I'm with you though... hard for me to be objective, Lewis is the reason I started watching boxing in the first place etc...

And I spent years blindly saying, simply because I was an LL fan, that it was a BS stoppage and he would have won. But looking at it more clearly (I watched this fight for the first time in over five years this morning) I'm really not so sure...

It was worse for Lewis than I remembered, or I had forced myself to believe in my younger years.

 

Just seen the fight again (first time in a very long while). It appears that my first judgement of the fight was off. Lewis was struggling on his feet. His legs were like jelly. He was very off that night. His balance was not the best. McCall was on top in the fight.

I was wrong. It's very likely that McCall would have got the KO.

 

:bears:

Your earlier posts did seem a little automatic.

 

the fight should have continued. nothing tops the thrill of seeing lewis flat on his back.

 

Bad Initial judgement on my behalf yea.

 

Lewis stumbling onto the ref and him supporting his weight has to be the key moment in terms of the ref stopping it. Lewis probably would have adjusted his feet to stay standing but from the refs perspective he basically caught Lewis. I don't think any ref would've let it continue

 

I don't know about any ref... but that's the key for me too.

 

yes it was. Lennox had every bit as legitimate a claim to being heavyweight champion as Holyfield and Bowe.