Lennox Lewis ducked Chris Byrd

So how did you have the fight scored at the time of the stoppage? Sure, Vitali had a harder-than-expected time landing significant punches, but that was to be expected when dealing with a much smaller, lighter runner that relies on evasiveness and movement more than actual fighting to secure decisions.

 

There was more money for Bowe fighting George Foreman than there was for the matchup against Lewis. He was simply underpaid.

 

He could have made the fight last year but instead wasted away the whole time fighting east touches to avoid that work.

Again there have been far more blatant ducks in boxing history and Lewis was not avoiding an absolute killer (unlike Bowe who ducked him). Lewis beat so many top guys in his career, I think he can forgiven for not fighting Byrd.

 

That's ridiculous. Vitali won all but a single round, maybe two if you're being generous to Byrd. At the time of the stoppage the judges scorecards read (88-83, 88-83, & 89-82)

 

Byrd only won two rounds at best. The scorecards were fair.

 

On that long ago evening in Germany, when the backpedalling Byrd was given a fluke victory by virtue of injury, even the honourable and unofficial HBO American judge, Harold Lederman had the fight 88-83 at the time of the stoppage.

 

Some rush, NO reward fight for LL

 

It was the least exciting fight, against the peskiest opponent of Vitali's career, and no one was clamouring to see the rematch since their first match was such a one-sided affair, besides, Wladimir was able to dominate Byrd a month before Big Brother Vitali returned to the ring from his surgically repaired rotator cuff, making a rematch between them an even less attractive option.