Heavyweight Division if Lennox did not leave

Maybe Lewis didn't want to fight anymore, Scar. Lewis was in his late thirties. Perhaps he didn't have the motivation. Very few HWs in history can maintain that motivation in their late thirties and still be effective. Why would Lewis be the exception? Don't you recall Lewis came in weighing more than he ever did. Perhaps this was an indicator.

 

Oh yeah, I know that and never blamed him for it. I was going to blame him if he took the fight when he's mentally done only to hit the canvas. RJJ was mentally done with the sport before going in for Tarver II but took it and we saw what happened. Lewis hanged it when he knew it's over, nothing to be ashamed of. At least he knows when he's done and has the ability to get over the addiction by making a strong decision like that. TOO many fighters don't know when to quit.

Regarding his weight for that fight, he was preparing for Kirk Johnson so I can see why he came looking like that. :yep

 

I think if there had been a Vitali-Lennox rematch and (if) Lennox won, Wlad would have a good chance to beat him in the revenge fight at that point (hardly a clear thing, I just think Wlad would have the edge and motivation at that point). That said, I think a Lennox-Vitali rematch would have been a pick 'em fight.

I kinda take that back. If Wlad had to fight Lennox within 12-15 months of Vitali's defeat, then confidence could be a major issue because it would be too soon after Sanders, plus as you pointed out there is the question of Manny's availability/influence

 

Wladimir was supposed to be Lewis' opponent instead of Johnson but the Sanders loss pushed him out of the picture and TOTALLY out of it. Lewis wasn't going to bother and consider Wladimir even if he had a rematch with Vitali and won. Wladimir also went on to lose to Brewster in a come-back attempt and that made things far worse.

 

Thanks. I screwed up the timing of Wlad's re-build from Sanders (didn't recall initially that Sanders loss was right before Vitali lost to Lennox, so I went back and corrected the post above.

 

No worries man, happens to all. :good

 

It is amazing to read how some argue Lewis would simply walk through both Vitali and Wlad like through a Golotha or Botha.

First of all Lewis wouldn't go for an all out attack, he'd actually box with his head in a Vitali rematch or a fight against Wlad. Why?

- because Lewis is a smart fighter that only unleashes all out attacks when he believes risk is very low and he is highly superior to his opponent
- because Lewis knows both Wlad and Vitali are decent boxers. Lewis was aware of that and wouldn't take unnecessary risk opening up from the first bell frantically looking for a KO which would be a super high risk strategy for him. Could work, but he could get caught. IMO he'd have tried to outbox them in the rematches and try to take them out in the mid rounds.

 

Lewis would Knockout Wlad any Time no Problem for Lennox !!!

 

Wow. What a load of hyperbole and incorrect facts.

Tyson and Lewis had a contractually arranged rematch after their first fight.

Tyson and his camp kept putting it off, and the Johnson fight was originally planned as a double header with Lewis fighting Johnson, Tyson somebody else, and then a rematch later.

Lewis had already been talking of retirement, and was quoted around that time as saying something along the lines of he was thinking of retirment, but why do it when there was "easy money" to be had from fighting guys he really didn't rate.

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You're quite right. Lewis's fists had absolutely nothing to do with Vitalys face being in that condition does it?

The fact that after Lewis lost the first couple of rounds that Steward told Lewis to forget trying to box and rough up Vitaly ("take it to the street" I think I read Steward say in a recent interview posted around here).

The fact that he essentially battered Vitaly to a pulp after that is pure coincidence, right? As Lewis himself said after the fight, the "human jackhammer with a chin of mortar" had shot his wad, and was a spent force.

If Vitaly was going to win that fight, he was going to do it Round 2 when he had Lewis hurt, and couldn't finish it. Once that scare was over with, Lewis simply walked through Vitaly. As he would in a rematch.

"A win by default" - or "you've been beat up so bad that there's a chance you could lose the sight in one eye. No way am I letting that guy keep hitting you like he was at the end of the last round."

You're right though, to beat Vitaly would require soaking up a lot of punishment first. Lewis obviously didn't have the desire to do it anymore. That's about the only thing I can agree with on that.

 

if he came back, we would most likely have a direct successor when Vitali beat him. It would just solidate The K bro's claim to the throne a bit more, but it really doesn't look like they need much help at this point in time.

 

Excellent post. Agreed.

 

LL defo picked a wise time to leave the ring..
His decline was showing & his hunger was gone = bad things.
(He was bound to get Rahman'd again)