Lennox: "Vitali is better, I'd knock Wladimir out."

atsch

This has been done to death, but it seems nobody will ever get their facts straight.

Byrd/Lewis was on the plate after the Tyson fight. Byrd was Lewis' #1 contender but he got special permission to fight Tyson first as long as he defended against Byrd within a reasonable amount of time later that year(I want to say Nov.). Lewis waited until the deadline and dropped the title. Lewis cited, "a Lion can't fight a Bird" or something stupid like that as his reason.

After Byrd defeated Holyfield, Lewis told ESPN that he was wrong about Byrd and would now be interested in finally facing him. Instead Byrd got the run around a second time and Lewis/Johnson was signed.

Its certianly one of the few black spots on Lennox's career. Everyone has them I suppose, the Byrd situation is ugly though. Its worse than Holmes/Page to be sure. Byrd is possibly the best and most consistent contender during Lewis' reign and has always been willing to fight anyone.

And all this well sourced and factual. I've done the digging before, if you doubt me, dig for yourself. I'm done with that game.

 

Yup it makes sense fight Bryd for way way less payday and only be on regular hbo over a huge huge payday on ppv vs the biggest name in boxing history in Tyson? Mostly everyone from real boxing fans to casual boxing fans wanted to see Lewis vs Tyson. I guess you don't understand the business sense at all. Didn't Vitali wanted to fight Tyson so bad but was pissed cause Danny Williams ko Tyson?

 

now now..you asked me what i would have preferred and i answered...ofcourse i know what makes more money..did byrd retire after lewis beat tyson??did byrd only become a pro as lewis wanted to finally fight tyson??beat it fs

 

You mean ibf number 1 contender to fight Lewis? Well incase you forgot Tyson in that time was the number 1 contender for the wbc belt. So Lewis has to decide which number 1 contenders he should fight first? Hmm hard to decide huh? Lol Well duh of course he choose Tyson cause it's the fight the whole world wanted to see in which it did over a million ppv buys and was a sell out. Lewis vs Bryd would be like watching Wlad vs Iggy cause Bryd will run and fight scared does Lewis will win in a boring way.

 

hey ray hogan, who's that boz-eyed tranny in your avatar?

 

Bitter Lewis should just shut up about Klichkos.

 

Again fighting Bryd over Tyson is not good business sense at all. Bryd style is soo boring it's not even funny. Should have Lewis fought Bryd after beating Tyson? Of course to keep his ibf but he decided not to cause Bryd style is flat out boring. Imo Lewis should have fought Bryd after facing Tyson to get the ibf mandatory out of the way in which Lewis even have second thoughts but at the same time it's still not a good business sense and didn't Lewis was waiting for Tyson to fight him again for the rematch cause the first fight was a huge success that it brings 40 or 50 million dollars on Lewis pocket? And lets say Lewis did fought Bryd after beating Tyson and Lewis easily beats him? Would Lewis go way up? I say hell no cause the boxing writers will say Lewis beat a former a much smaller fighter that has feather fisted and was a crusierweight.

 

Real boring a small skinny fella beating all them big boys.

 

-Again, the "ducking" allegations from the media, writers, and fans came after the Tyson fight.

-I disagree. Byrd/Ike, Byrd/Tua, Byrd/Golota, and Byrd/McCline are some of the more exciting fights of the 00s. The Golota and McCline fights in particular have found their way on many best of the decade lists. Byrd had his stinkers but was generally pretty entertaining.

-Well now mid-post you seem to understand this came about after the Tyson fight. I don't buy the "boring" excuse and most writers at the time didn't either.

-Lewis was the only person demanding that match. HBO wanted Lewis/Byrd in November but ended up with Holyfield/Byrd with Lewis at ringside praising Byrd and promising to face him. HBO than tried to push Lewis against Vitali and Wlad in a HUGE three match deal with the option to face Tyson in the last bout of the deal. Lewis dismissed the brothers as no challenge, and Tyson basically told them to **** themselves, he didn't want a Lewis rematch for any money.

-Read what the writers were saying at the time and form your own conclusion. Lewis got trashed heavily for not facing Byrd and stringing everyone along for a year before finally announcing Kirk Johnson as the only worthy contender.

 

I respect the hell out of Wlad. I like him as a bloke too, a lot.

Fact remains, Wlad is a great boxer. Lewis was a great boxer and a great fighter.

 

vitali can never be greater then lennox because he loss to lennox get over it

 

:good

 

Bryd vs Mccline was one of the exciting fights? lol. It was an ok fight but not one of the most exciting fights. Bryd vs Tua wasn't one of the most exciting fight. If it was then it was cause of Tua pressure style made it an exciting fight. Golata vs Bryd was a very good fight but Golata was pure robbed in that fight in which i thought he beat bryd. Bryd has been on 2 or more gift decision wins over Golata and Oquendo. And lets not forget that after beating Holyfield, Bryd has said he will for now on will stand and trade more cause he knows to be reconize as the best heavyweight and get more attention, he needs to be more of close to a fighter that will want to trade instead of stinking up the joint. Bryd has gotten lucky breaks with wins over Vitali who had a shoulder injury that almost end his career after Vitali was winning the fight. Bryd got a break with like i said gift decision wins over Golata and Oquendo.

 

Maybe, but Byrd gets props just for fighting at heavy, and had some very good wins, and is respected as a gentleman regardless of those close fights. His fights with Tua and McCline were crowd pleasing.