I have a number of problems with the idea that Lizard can beat Deathstroke, here they are in no specific order:
Lizard can overpower Slade with brute force.
How and why is that a line of reasoning? How many times have people faster and/or stronger than Slade lost to him? We're talking about a few tons difference in strength and I've never seen anything from Slade that would put his speed and reflexes below Spider-Man. People always talk up Spider-Man, he's always used as a measuring stick for street-levelers. But he's as inconsistent as any other character and so is Lizard. Slade has high and low-end feats too. But consider the Nth-Metal enhances his physicals even further and his reflexes/dodge feats were easily as good as Peter's before that upgrade.
I've seen a lot of scans of Peter's agility, reflexes, etc. Bring them out if you want but I haven't seen any proof that puts him above Slade outside of the handbook/on paper physicals. In terms what they actually do in comics, they're at least even to me.
Lizard's intelligence will allow him to outwit or outthink Slade.
A lot of intelligent, cunning, and tactical opponents have gone up against Slade. Batman, an entire Outsiders line-up, numerous iterations of the Teen Titans, etc. None of them have out-maneuvered Slade. I remember Dick Grayson surprising him once, but Slade calculated a counter strategy in the same panel. I don't really care how smart Connors is. He's a scientist, not a tactician and he has had no formal combat training of any kind. Don't compare him to what is probably the greatest tactician in comic books. Deathstroke's fighting skills are really high and combined with his enhanced intelligence and physical stats he does not deserve a lowball. People always talk about 'Deathstroke with prep'. That's nice but it involves outside factors that never come into a battle forum situation like that. Deathstroke is so good in these battles because his mind works superhumanly fast. It means he doesn't need prep to come up with incredibly good solutions to problems. He can come up with something on-the-fly better than most people could with prep time.
Lizard can even penetrate Slade's armor.
No one brought this up specifically but I'd like some evidence to suggest he can. Nth Metal isn't just a hard metal like titanium. It's from another planet and it's magical. It's the same stuff Hawkman's weapons are made out of and he beats up remarkably superhuman foes without damaging those weapons. That at least implies an extremely high level of durability. What does Connors have that can cut through that? Are his natural reptilian claws able to cut through similarly durable substances? Adamantium? Vibranium? Where is the proof he even has a shot at hurting Slade?
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