Better 2 Top Wins: Vitali Klitschko or Ike Ibeabuchi

Lennox's plans were already known when that fight happened.

 

Reread what I wrote. Plans.

 

He wasn’t going to rematch Tua or fight Byrd and anyone following boxing at the time knew it.

 

2 seconds

“Lennox Lewis declined a fight with Chris Byrd, the mandatory IBF challenger, in 2002, ultimately vacating his IBF title. He stated that he didn't believe there was "no public interest" in the fight and that Byrd did not pose a significant enough challenge. This decision led to the IBF stripping Lewis of the title. ”

 

K bro. Go find someone else to fixate on.

 

On Byrd and Lewis:

https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/lennox-lewis-ducked-chris-byrd.712984/

 

Byrd is pretty well respected on here it seems.

 

Tua became the IBF mandatory for Lennox after his win against Hasim Rahman. After Tua's loss to Lewis, he remained in the upper 5 ratings of the IBF. After Lennox vacated the IBF heavyweight title, a 4-man eliminator tournament was set in place, the winner to fight Holyfield for the IBF title. The participants of this tournament were: Danell "Doc" Nicholson, David Tua, Chris Byrd and Maurice Harris.
Tua knocked Nicholson out and Byrd won a decision against Harris. And then Byrd outclassed a gunshy Tua and decisioned against Holyfield

 

All this crap about Sam Peter being "washed" and "past his peak."

Sam Peter had just turned 28. He was the reigning WBC champ.

Vitali Klitschko was 37. He had retired due to injuries. He hadn't fought in nearly four years. No tuneup. Needed special permission from the WBC to get the fight because he was unranked and retired.

28-year-old reigning champ going against a 37-year-old retired, unranked former champ, out for many years, with no tuneup fight.

The older guy wins that once in every thousand tries.