Lewis: "I didn't want my last fight stopped either... Just needed 1-2 more rounds."

If there were any decent opponents and Vitali was willing to fight them,no one could complain if he started to deteriorate at his age and put in a poor performance(like the one against Chisora) but Lennox is one of the miniscule number of elite fighters who went out at the right time,yet some people try to deride him for it.
Do you really want to believe that your boy was stopped by an ageing,overweight and over the hill fighter?
Of course not.Parallel fantasy universes are much more fun.

 

I come across as if I know someting about boxing, because I KNOW A LOT about boxing. So that, my good man, is a 100% accurate observation :good

"Bumlicking" my favorite boxers? I don't think so. . . Do I have my favorite boxers? Of course! EVERYBODY DOES. . . That's what makes boxing so fun. . . So of course sometimes I'll take a stance in favor of my guy, and support it. . . How boring would it be if everybody agreed on everything? I WILL NOT, however, "nuthug" one of my favorite boxers to the point of not being in touch with reality. . . Unless I'm just in my "joking" mode, which is pretty obvious I'm just trolling, and having a good time. . . I think it's pretty clear I'm kind of in that mode when I'm talking mad **** about Lewis.

REAL BOXING TALK MODE, though: NO REAL BOXING FAN can sit here, and say that Lewis did not owe Vitali a rematch, and defend him for bitching out like that. . . Did Lewis win? Yes, but by "default," only according to the rules. . . BUT, did he "beat" Vitali? The answer there is a RESOUNDING NO. . . If you can say with a 100% straight face that Lewis is better H2H than Vitali, based on their fight, then you don't deserve feet. . . Lewis forever robbed boxing fans of a piece of history, and an EPIC fight. . . Sorry, I guess I just prefer to see a clear winner, rather than a winner be declared in such fashion.

 

ANd it's just how Lewis carried himself afterwards, not even acting like Vitali wasn't beating him. . He goes around acting like he is the better man than Vitali. . .

You'd think he actually did "TKO6" Vitali. . .

 

I'm wondering.. why did Lennox wait 1 year after winning against Vitali to announce his retirement? Why did he ask Vitali to get multiple doctors check-ups ('I can't fight him until I know his eye is good'), then wait for Vitali to fight Johnson, then let Vitali see the doctors again: This time in London ('I don't trust his German doctors, I want my own guy to do a check-up on him'). Of course all doctors cleared Vitali to be fit to fight. Then Lewis said 'I am not interested in Vitali, I am looking at other opponents too'. Then the WBC declares Vitali the mandatory challenger for Lewis.

Then Lewis goes into hiding and stops giving interviews. Then he waits until the last possible date before being stripped by the WBC and only then he announces his retirement. Why didn't he save the world 10 months of waiting around and retire like a true champion would?

If Lewis 'went out at the right time' then why the 12 months long farce of playing hide and seek with boxing fans world-wide? Lewis hesitation while retiring was just terrible to witness. Everybody was just wondering 'What on earth is wrong with this guy? Retire or fight, make up your damn mind'.

And the best: When the WBC announced the Vitali - Sanders fight Lewis became the promoter for Corrie Sanders and told 'The Sun' that he'd teach Sanders some tricks so he can beat Vitali. I mean wtf was all that about? You don't want to fight yourself but you send in your buddy? Like the K brothers send in the other brother after they get beaten? That's hilarious.

Lewis entire behavior after winning against Vitali was highly irrational and downright embarrassing. That's how the world remember Lewis now. And that's what Lewis is pissed about today.

 

FEAR. . Makes a man act funny.

 

First off,I didn't think that was your absolutely genuine thoughts,but it disappoints me to see you ride on the back of some of the most notorious trolls on ESB.Take from that what you will.
I feel Lennox knew the game was up,and if more followed his example,our sport maybe littered with a few less tragic stories.He didn't owe anybody **** all.Should he have signed up for a rematch when he got through the first fight with the skin of his balls?:huh
I tend to think not,despite my belief that he was starting to warm to the task in the first fight and was coming on strong.The history books suggest he beat Vitali,are you suggesting Vitali "beat" Lewis? This was no robbery,only an unsatisfying conclusion.
Lewis did the right thing if his body and mind were letting him down.I only wish more would do the same.
Therefore,are you suggesting I'm not a REAL BOXING FAN?
Be careful which bandwagons you travel on.Even in jest.Bad choices can result in you being branded as a nuthugger with no grasp on reality.
Think back KK,I'm sure you'll find I've never showed any malice towards you.But bull**** is bull****,even with a pink ribbon on it.:good

 

To be perfectly honest, I was irate with Lewis at the time for those shenanigans and I believe he won the fight legit. Boxing fans typically want great fights though. I can't say with a straight face that Lewis still would've retired had Kirk Johnson miraculously defeated Vitali in the WBC Eliminator.

 

That's not how everyone remembers Lewis.Only the ones who choose to believe that do so.
You're generalising and taking a group of people/Klitscko fans/Lewis haters and suggesting that they make up the "world"
With all due respect,that's not the case at all.Whether you like it or not,Lewis will be far more fondly remembered by boxing historians than Vitali will.

 

Lewis BEAT THAT ASS. Get over it.

 

Maybe, but it depends on what area of the world the historian is from.

Vitali's comeback from injury and a three+ year layoff to regain the WBC title and be so dominant defending it is a feat that is impressive not just in boxing, but in the world of sports in general. It hasn't happened in boxing very often, and the only ones who have done something similar are the greats: Sugar Ray Leonard, Ali.

So that alone, and being in that company, is going to distinguish Vitali in the record books, along with other stats like his KO%, never (so far) being knocked down, never trailing on the scorecards at the end of any of fights (including the two losses), etc.

Lennox Lewis was not well thought of, and was even hated, by many Americans and even some Brits, back when he was active. His reputation has grown over the years since he retired, in part because the people who loathe the Klitschkos see him as the man who could (and did, in Vitali's case), beat them.

Likewise, when Vitali is gone for a few years, he will also be more highly thought of and compared in a positive fashion to whoever takes over in the HW division, b/c that is just how boxing fans are. They never like what is right in front of them as much as they like the past.

 

You've never showed any malice towards me, but you have came at me a few times, and tried to be underhand slick about suggesting I'm something I'm not.

The "official books" will show Lewis won, yes, but the real boxing fans will remember it as a no contest. I'm definitely not suggesting Vitali "beat" Lewis, because he didn't, but I also don't believe Lewis "beat" Vitali either. . . And Lewis ROBBED the fans of finding out who the "REAL WINNER," would have been by refusing the rematch. (THAT HE PROMISED)

Jeez, you act like Lewis was shot, and he needed to retire well before the Vitali fight. . . It's not like he'd been out of his prime, and getting his ass kicked before the fight. . In fact, you could argue mentally he was at the highest point ever in his career - coming off the win, and PPV record (at the time) with Tyson. . . AVENGING his defeat to Rahman. . . He was on top of the world. Physically, I don't think he was "100%" primed, but he was close enough. And he CERTAINLY was not "shot", not even close to it. Age wise, he was only like 5 years older than Vitali?


I like to have fun on here sometimes. . . It doesn't really bother me what some people on here think; if they're not smart enough to see through humor, than they can **** right off. . . It is just the internet after all.

 

He was probably reluctant to give up all the money, fame and his legacy. No boxer is ever quick to retire. From the moment he beat Vitali until his retirement, he would have thought about a lot of things, I'm sure, but ultimately, he would have relaised his body wasn't up to it.

 

Yeah Vladmir23 is as genuine as it gets :rofl :rofl

 

I agree. Still doesn't make most boxing fans warm up to Lewis and how he pissed on their sport in his last 12 months as the king of the hill.

Lennox' track record is leaps and bounds better than Vitali's. That's not really the issue at hand. People wonder why Lennox is bitter about the Vitali aftermath and I think he knows deep down inside that he acted like an idiot after winning and he could have behaved much differently. He's an educated man after all, not some low-life trash.

 

There was no problem with his body -- it was his mother Violet who nixed the rematch.