Vitali Klitschko would've beaten Lewis

Actually, in many cases what ages a fighter is simply getting older. Not everyone just because they are a professional athlete and eat right and exercise are assured a slowing of the hands of time. Those genetic "internal clocks" don't tend to co-operate with one's mere wishes or preferences. You can be "young of mind" and still be "old in body". Lewis could have been more worn than he was if he had taken more punishment over his career - sure. Taking less punishment and being less worn than you think he might have been doesn't make him young or unaged, though.

Under different circumstances, he could have been right in the mix in '92 - '95 (even more than he was - and he had a major belt in '93 - along with Tyson, Bowe, and Holyfield) and notwithstanding the McCall loss, there was a lot to be said about that younger prime version of Lewis with better mobility and speed than the later version. '03 was a long way away.

 

How impressive he looked against those guys or how good you FEEL they were is irrelevant. The argument is about wear and tear and those were tough fights. You also ignored his long amateur career.. And the comment " other than" his tough fights with Rahman and McCall isn't the reality. Those knockout losses were devastating and a lot of men wouldn't have rebounded thew way that he did.

Fair enough.

 

The crux is that Vitali would have had to continue with the facial damage, all caused by legal punches.

And it wasn't just the cuts above and below the eye, but the slash on the cheek, the fat lip; Lewis' punches were do something nasty to Vitali's complexion.

Though the champ was tired the final round showed Vitali easier to hit, or was Lennox becoming more wily, either way, things were changing in a tough fight, and that is when experience counts.

If it carried on there's a possibility that Vitali picks up another cut. A few more Lewis' bombs likely produces a mercy stoppage.

 

The main thing that screwed up Vitally’s career was not Lewis failing to give him a rematch, it was developing a serious injury at a time when in hindsight, the division was at his mercy.

 

Not really the point. The issue is how much punishment these guys took. Frazier and Marciano had grueling wars with journeyman, while Lewis was able to coast to victory over top 5 guys like Tua without getting a scratch.

 

If Vitally had not been injured, he might have rounded up most of the belts, before his brother got his act together. In that scenario he becomes the dominant guy of the era, and his brother is the poorer relation. I guess younger brother would always have outlasted him.

 

So many crying hysterical klittards around.
The 37 years old,fat,slow Lewis destroyed the prime vitali klitschko's face.
Lewis deserved the win and vitali deserved the loss.
These klittards excuses can't change the boxing history.
Keep dreaming klittards !

 

um lennox lewis made vitali see a plastic surgeon bro tko in 6 deal with it why cry / vitalis lucky the fight ended right there or he may have never fought again / end of story

 

It was a great fight. The ending was unsatisfactory and flukish. The boxing public and the WBC demanded a rematch. Lewis didn't want it.

 

At the end of the day this ends up being the bottom line.

 

His wife basically said to him, it's me or boxing. He was smart enough to know that it's pretty hard to get laid in the ring.

 

No. The point was my addressing Bummy's statement that Lewis had a "short" career. You came in and started a different argument "about wear and tear". I stand by my position that his career was not short.

 

Lewis retired because the WBC ordered a re-match, and it was the only belt he had. Its well known he wanted to arrange matches post Klitschko.

His mother ( whom he lived with as heavyweight champion of the world ) and wife did not prevent him from boxing.

Here’s another fact. Lewis himself said there were a few times when he was almost lured out of retirement.