Where were you when Vitali obliterated and retired Lewis?

TD6 Vitali on my card. :good

 

Yeah...but...those bosoms though...

 

but no one has to deal with your card, since its not valid.

and u still have to deal with tko6, now until kingdom come.

 

everytime u big up vitali, it makes old Lewis's victory better too.

K.S.D.O.A.

 

think part of the issue was the way Lennox handled the fight afterwards, if he showed a bit more class I think people would give him more of a pass for retiring when he did. He did the whole "take on both Klit brothers in one night" thing and in the post fight interview he just wouldn't give Vitali one bit of credit, making out it was an easy fight almost, he just wouldn't acknowledge it was a tough one. If it wasn't tough Lennox then why not wipe him out in a rematch? He shoulda just said it was a tough fight and time to retire, but he lacks that humble attitude. Tyson said it after McBride, He told Grey he didn't have it anymore but old Lennox was too pompous. I agree with his decision to retire but also I get why people give him stick for not taking the rematch, he shouldn't be such an arrogant ****. he wanted it both ways, respect for retiring but also respect for not taking the rematch as he won the fight so clearly, which he didn't.

 

Top post, this one.

If Lennox had said

"yeah this was my hardest fight, I underestimated him, I didn't think he'd be so good. No rematch, chaps, I think I'm really too old for this krap. I'm retiring. Good luck to Vitali he will be a great champion"

... half the outrage would have been diffused. But he won that fight by the skin of his teeth and acted like a pr ick afterwards and made promises that he backed out of. :-( Pity. It was an opportunity to show some class.

 

I don't think he won it by the skin of his teeth - close yes but VK was saved from at least one and possibly two career influencing or possibly ending cuts. A significant portion of VK's eyebrow was cut in several directions which if joined as they would have with more impacts would have detached. Even rubbing was adding damage and Lewis knew it - I cannot think what two more rounds woud have done. Certainly would not have been positive for the sport.


VK acted up a bit for the camera's straight after the fight and also during it at one point. Class would be to not kick up at a offered hand in a boxing fight. People forget VK did that.:deal

 

emeritus means champ in recess - meaning you didn't fight the guy you were ordered to fight.

Is that something to gloat about atsch:nut

 

If Vitali hadn't been cut, he was well on the way to stopping Lewis. Look, Lennox did what great champs do, he found a way to win, hats off to him. But if they'd rematched I'd have put the house on Klitschko.

Yeah, fair enough. I do think Vitali is a sore loser. :|

But maybe from his perspective he thought that he had Lewis where he wanted him, and he'd been robbed of a win. And Lewis did look like he was about to have a heart attack.

But frankly I can't blame the doc for stopping that one.

 

Where was Vitali's class dummy?

Stomping around , banging his chest like a caveman refusing to accept the result. Yeah , real classy. :roll:

 

why would lewis claim a fight he won before halfway was his hardest fight?

You think that lying is some kind of class?

who says they are retiring 100% straight after a fight?

and in retrospect, dispatching before halftime a guy who would go on to be a long term (albeit bitpart partial titlist) titlist isn't a sign you need to retire. The sign he needed to retire was that he was at the age all the other HW champions in history, bare 2 exceptions, had quit defending titles.

why would he claim what he cant predict? vitali had not shown any championship mettle up till now, unless u r a fool who thinks 1990s WBO, as with 2010s WBF counts for anything.

 

Vitali retired Lewis, Gee. Lewis cheated and won a corrupt injury stoppage when the result should have been a TD6 loss given the cut was opened with illegal grazing. Where was he for the rematch? Champions don't walk away from the game with unfinished business. Vitali is the better man, nobody ever put him down, Gee. He was still Champ at 41 when Lewis had been on his fat cheating chicken ass for three years. Not showing up to settle the issue is as good as a forfeit. Lewis was happy to hang around when he was up against fodder guys like Botha and Rahman. Your sack riding of Lewis doesn't stand up to much scrutiny. Only thick casuals think Lewis deserves credit for tko6 and the aftermath.

 

^ This is the alternative view, which also has some merit.

I tend to stay more or less middle of the road on TKO6

 

You must have been real young when you watched it, because I cannot recall Lewis being even close to out on his feet at any stage of that fight. Tired? Yes. Buzzed? Yes. Stopped in his tracks a couple of times? Yes. The same I can say for Vitali, as both of them were blowing out of their asses after 5 rounds, mouths wide open.

What I also recall is Vitali starting well, but Lewis was tagging him and getting hit less in rounds 5 and 6 and starting to take over. It's amazing that people still go on about this fight, Vitali's best fight for which he got recognition for, in a 'losing' effort.