Why didn't Lewis and Wlad ever meet? They were both HW belt holders at the same time for a brief while. In 2001 and 2002 Lennox Lewis was the Ring Magazine Champion and Wladimir Klitschko their number one ranked contender. I know who my money would have been on.
Didn't following boxing back than? Wladimir was up and coming but ran into some issues along the way.
Yes, I did thanks. As said, Lennox was ranked Champion and Wlad number 1 by Ring for two years. A: Since when did 'up and coming' equate to World Title holder? B: I'd check your date on the Sanders fight for a start. It's probably more to do with Lewis wishing to rematch Rahman (to claim he'd beat anyone he'd ever met) and get Tyson on his record no matter what state he was in at the time. For the record, Wlad was the title holder at the time, Vitali was ranked lower and yet to claim one when he met Lennox.
Mandatories (I think Tua was a mandatory for Lewis) and losses oh and a Tyson payday came along... Wlad loss to Sanders and Lewis' to Rahman certainly fudged things up
Wlad called out Lennox Lewis after his fights with Barrett and Byrd in 2000, after his fights with Jefferson and Shufford in 2001, and after his fights with Mercer, Botha, and McCline in 2002. [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoUxBBq2n0g[/ame] Just before the Sanders fight, Wlad had been trying to get a fight with Lewis and several other big names. He was bored with fighting lesser HWs and not properly focused or prepared for his fight with Sanders, he hadn't even sparred with southpaws (bad mistake).
Horse****, he wanted it as soon as after the 1st Byrd fight in 2000. It was more about their promoters who didn't agree, and Lewis wanting Tyson before the dangerous Wlad. In the end Lewis took the Vitali fight, who was considered the weaker brother, and the one to give him the least trouble.
Even though Lewis was planning on defending against Kirk Johnson. I've always found it amusing that Lewis was intending to retire regardless, yet stuck around to see who won the WBC eliminator between Vitali and Johnson before being given a deadline. Does Lennox turn down $30, 40 million or whatever bookoo ****ed figures were out there.... to fight Kirk Johnson?