Lennox Lewis: "Vitali paid off Kirk Johnson to cancel the fight with me"

[irishny]

Originally Posted by WiDDoW_MaKeR

No, he should have simply rematched Vitali and retired. He was offered over 25 million dollars. It was the fight that all fans wanted to see. Boxing needed it, the fans needed... and their first fight left nothing but questions. It was the biggest talk in boxing... and Lewis decided to retire as soon as the WBC ordered that he fight Vitali.

Before Lewis fought Vitali, he was saying that he was going to fight at least 4 more times. He said that like a fine wine, he gets better with age. He was considered to be at the top of his game... much like Wlad is at nearly the same age right now. Even after the fight Lewis promised Vitali and the fans that he would get the rematch.

I wonder what changed his mind? I think we all know.

Did it ever occur to you,that a man who by the time the rematch happened would be 38,who had 10s if not 100s of million in the bank. Acheived EVERYTHING in boxing, just didnt give a shit anymore??

The money meant nothing to him at that point. Maybe he just didnt want to have to go through yet another training camp, get up at 6 and go running.

I mean he clearly wasnt training hard for Johnson. Its clear that his motivation was waning.

If he had fought Vitali,the second time and beaten him,and then retired, people would say he was ducking Wlad etc.

Hr retired at the perfect time.

No point ghoing on and eventually getting beaten by someone he shouldnt have, while weighing 270 or something.

Vitali HAD HIS CHANCE!!!!

He fought the heaviest,oldest,least active Lewis that ever set foot in the ring and couldnt beat him.

He has to deal with that forever.

Lewis has his legacy.

[WiDDoW_MaKeR]

Originally Posted by irishny

Did it ever occur to you,that a man who by the time the rematch happened would be 38,who had 10s if not 100s of million in the bank. Acheived EVERYTHING in boxing, just didnt give a shit anymore??

The money meant nothing to him at that point. Maybe he just didnt want to have to go through yet another training camp, get up at 6 and go running.

I mean he clearly wasnt training hard for Johnson. Its clear that his motivation was waning.

If he had fought Vitali,the second time and beaten him,and then retired, people would say he was ducking Wlad etc.

Hr retired at the perfect time.

No point ghoing on and eventually getting beaten by someone he shouldnt have, while weighing 270 or something.

Vitali HAD HIS CHANCE!!!!

He fought the heaviest,oldest,least active Lewis that ever set foot in the ring and couldnt beat him.

He has to deal with that forever.

Lewis has his legacy.

Lewis didn't give a shit anymore? That's why he retired? Hell, Lewis STILL gives a shit. He still can't live it down, and he still tries to explain what he could do in the division and tries to argue his place and accomplishments. While he was commentating on Wlad's domination of Rahman, he had to make comments about how he beat a younger Rahman, ect... it's honestly pathetic.

[irishny]

Originally Posted by WiDDoW_MaKeR

Lewis didn't give a shit anymore? That's why he retired? Hell, Lewis STILL gives a shit. He still can't live it down, and he still tries to explain what he could do in the division and tries to argue his place and accomplishments. While he was commentating on Wlad's domination of Rahman, he had to make comments about how he beat a younger Rahman, ect... it's honestly pathetic.

Yeah, and none of that requires him to actually train. Thats really giving a shit.

In fact,in comparison to many ex champs, he rarely on TV. Seems happy with his lot and who could blame him? Every time someone sticks a microphone in his face hes asked to defend himself about a fight he won in 6 rounds.

The guys a legend, he can go on about his accomplishments all he wants.

Im sure he cares greatly that some keyboard warrior thinks he's pathetic.

[WiDDoW_MaKeR]

Originally Posted by irishny

Yeah, and none of that requires him to actually train. Thats really giving a shit.

In fact,in comparison to many ex champs, he rarely on TV. Seems happy with his lot and who could blame him? Every time someone sticks a microphone in his face hes asked to defend himself about a fight he won in 6 rounds.

The guys a legend, he can go on about his accomplishments all he wants.

Im sure he cares greatly that some keyboard warrior thinks he's pathetic.

I said that it's pathetic how clearly jealous and bitter he is toward the Klitschkos. He brings it on himself.

Of course he had a great career, and he is allowed to retire whenever he wants. Just like boxing fans are allowed to be completely disgusted for the way that he sat on the title for 8 months after that fight... promising everyone a rematch... and then spit in the face of the boxing world by not giving the fans what they want. Yet, I'm sure he would have fought Tyson or Roy Jones Jr if he could have during that time. Just as it was pathetic for him to call all of Vitali and Wlad's opponents while he was still active and try to give them advice on how to fight them. It's really simple... it's because Lewis himself didn't want to fight them.

If Lewis didn't care what us fans thought, then we wouldn't still hear him constantly talking about it.

[irishny]

Originally Posted by WiDDoW_MaKeR

I said that it's pathetic how clearly jealous and bitter he is toward the Klitschkos. He brings it on himself.

Of course he had a great career, and he is allowed to retire whenever he wants. Just like boxing fans are allowed to be completely disgusted for the way that he sat on the title for 8 months after that fight... promising everyone a rematch... and then spit in the face of the boxing world by not giving the fans what they want. Yet, I'm sure he would have fought Tyson or Roy Jones Jr if he could have during that time. Just as it was pathetic for him to call all of Vitali and Wlad's opponents while he was still active and try to give them advice on how to fight them. It's really simple... it's because Lewis himself didn't want to fight them.

If Lewis didn't care what us fans thought, then we wouldn't still hear him constantly talking about it.

Im sure he would have fought Tyson or Jones. He could have beaten them weighing 270 and eating chicken wings in between rounds.

Vitali, he may have had to train for,and why did he need that??

And why on earth would he be jealous of people that he acheived more than? And who he ranks higher than in nearly all ATG listings?

[WiDDoW_MaKeR]

Originally Posted by irishny

Im sure he would have fought Tyson or Jones. He could have beaten them weighing 270 and eating chicken wings in between rounds.

Vitali, he may have had to train for,and why did he need that??

And why on earth would he be jealous of people that he acheived more than? And who he ranks higher than in nearly all ATG listings?

Lewis achieved more than Wlad? How so? With a less dominant, shorter title reign?

[irishny]

Originally Posted by WiDDoW_MaKeR

Lewis achieved more than Wlad? How so? With a less dominant, shorter title reign?

By beating better fighters and by being undisputed.

Could you imagine Lewis fighting someone like Mormeck for a title?

[WiDDoW_MaKeR]

Originally Posted by irishny

By beating better fighters and by being undisputed.

Could you imagine Lewis fighting someone like Mormeck for a title?

Lewis beat better fighters in your own biased opinion. Certainly not in mine.

So, Lewis was Undisputed without ever winning the WBO title, and having vacated the IBF and WBA titles to avoid his mandatory challengers, and went 1-1 against Rahman during his very short reign. So... while Lewis was Champ, we had Wlad holding the WBO, Byrd holding the IBF, and Ruiz holding the WBA and he split wins with Rahman.... That's undisputed... but Wlad holding every title except the WBC title isn't? Not only that... he has held those titles intact, and didn't vacate a single one of them, and hasn't been defeated since becoming Champ. Beyond that... the WBC title that Vitali holds was won against an opponent (Sam Peter) that Wlad already beat.

The WBC title means nothing. Wlad is undisputed, which is a useless term to begin with... in reality it means absolutely nothing. The titles mean nothing as well, unless they are held by the best in the division.

Lewis was the true Champ after his win against Holyfield until retirement, I agree. Wlad is also the true Champ, and has been ever since he beat Chris Byrd, who was longest standing Champ and #1 ranked heavyweight by ring magazine at the time. Especially considering the fact that Wlad beat the undefeated Sam Peter, who was considered the next champ of the division and the most dangerous man that Wlad could have possibly faced in order to get that title shot.

[C.J.]

Originally Posted by guncho

whata bitter cunt lewis is after 8 years he says it? It's clear that he didn't want to retire when he did.

Lennox Lewis is one of the nicest guys in bixing. He is also the best HW champ since Ali. I have never heard him say anything about johnson being bought off apparantly it only came to light long afterwards. Strange Johnson did get a shot though isnt it?
Lennox wife & his Mother were both begging him to retire. What did Lennox have left to prove he beat a 100% ready Vitali when only 80 %himself.
Lennox retired at exactly the right time he is a very content, happily married wealthy guy I wish him well in retirement he deserves it

[C.J.]

Originally Posted by WiDDoW_MaKeR

Lewis will never get over being chased out of the sport by Vitali. Kind of fitting that his name was "The Lion"... because he cowered away like an old, weak lion when a tougher, more aggressive lion entered into his territory.

You must be a comedian you sure dont know a thing about boxing
A barely 80% ready Lennox nearly took Vitali's face off TKO 6 Just imagine what a !00% ready Lennox would have done to him.
Long Live Lennox The Lion Lewis

[theboy_racer]

Originally Posted by ITSMACHOTIME

No... Lewis said he was planning to fight johnson after having a year off after the tyson fight. But with only 10days to the fight he finds out Vitali payed johnson to step aside saying he's been training for two years and will beat lewis,after he promised to give johnson a crack at the title...

Unfortunately for Quitali he underestimated the strength of a shot lewis and got his shit pushed in and half his face ripped off.. Que an angry vitali running around the ring crying like a little girl , plans in tatters and out of pocket ..

[box4life11]

Originally Posted by C.J.

You must be a comedian you sure dont know a thing about boxing
A barely 80% ready Lennox nearly took Vitali's face off TKO 6 Just imagine what a !00% ready Lennox would have done to him.
Long Live Lennox The Lion Lewis

The right thing since he promised would be to give a rematch

[box4life11]

Originally Posted by C.J.

You must be a comedian you sure dont know a thing about boxing
A barely 80% ready Lennox nearly took Vitali's face off TKO 6 Just imagine what a !00% ready Lennox would have done to him.
Long Live Lennox The Lion Lewis

I mean since he's so easy to beat that is..

[JAB5239]

Originally Posted by guncho

whata bitter cunt lewis is after 8 years he says it? It's clear that he didn't want to retire when he did.

Is that why he was talking about retiring before the Tyson fight?

[box4life11]

Originally Posted by JAB5239

Is that why he was talking about retiring before the Tyson fight?

Vitali's been saying that for years and?