Vitali Klitschko: “I sent Lennox Lewis into retirement"

Lennox had been talking about retirement since 2000 and was 38 when he announced his retirement. He only hung for a Tyson fight and wanted a Tyson rematch because of the huge sums of money he would make. The offer to fight a tough rematch against Vitali wasn't the same type of payday that Lewis thought was worthwhile as he knew he was past it after the first fight. Kudos to Lewis, he beat every man he ever faced and retired with millions in the bank and his faculties in tact

 

OFCOURSE he sent him to retirement... lewis KNEW that a good heavyweight scrap like that would have mad demand...so lewis spit some bull**** and said thats it he quits cuz if he had to do the **** again, it will be his ass on the floor that sits....so vitali klitschko didnt want to let that ***** go.. but lewis refused, didnt wanna loose, so he pursued to retire cuz he didnt wanna get caught in the fire and get murdered by an even meaner version of vitali's desire !! if it wasnt for the cut, klitschko wouldve wooped that but, and the only reason lewis ended on top was by luck, oh ****... the beguining to an neverending search for the next great heavyweight that ****ing drives me bizzerk, cuz these to ukrainian brother have put in more work than any recent ****ing heavyweight athlete today on this earth...so put em together, and the talent will scroll for ever, steel and iron behind leather, and give us remarkable highlight reels for us to remember... viva klitschko.... - jermz (freestyle)

 

Sorry I can't find it... I'm only getting articles about Lennox coming out of retirement. Maybe I'm wrong, I recall reading about it a couple years back, maybe it was hearsay... don't know.
Maybe next time you talk to him, you can ask him about it.

 

OMG Vitali is proud of going life and death with a shot, over the hill and under-trained Lewis. Prime Lewis schools him and I am one of those who believe that Lewis was beginning to take over the fight and would have eventually KTFO in the 10th round.

 

If an out of shape, undermotivated, old Lennox busts up a super motivated, prime, highly tuned Vitali? What would an inshape Lennox have done in the rematch?

Steward and Lewis had the ability to adjust in rematches; their combined ring intelligence would merely have accentuated Lewis' strengths and targeted Vitalis weaknesses e.g. "land one left hook and he'll go down" - Lewis comes out lands one and wobbles Vitali immediately!! Imagine if they had three/four months to work on a gameplan!

N.B: Larry Merchant deserved a dig for being such a ***** in the postfight interview

 

Lewis could no longer stand the sight of blood after opening up VK's face like that. His onset of squeamishness turned him into a Buddhist and he had to retire. It's just that simple. VK ****ed him up that badly by bleeding and winning the event.

 

A bit of reverse psychology then.

 

If LEwis was the fighter he was 3years earlier he wouldn't have retired. Vitali made him realise he couldn't do the same things anymore and he was getting hit more, he realised his legs and stamina had deserted him. If that was a younger Lewis with youth and hunger there is no doubt he would have come back and rematched Vitali

Lewis didn't even have to rematch Vitali and stay around, he could have beat up on Ruiz/Byrd for their belts or fought Wlad, who at that stage was scared to death when in the ring with a puncher like Brewster, he'd have a heart attack against Lewis

In reality Lewis had little to gain and everything to lose, now being an old man in boxing terms he'd lose sooner or later

 

At the end of the day, Vitali had his chance to beat Lewis, but he blew it.

And Lennox Lewis was there to get beat - he was past his best and out of shape.
There is no controversy: Lewis TKO6 Vitali. The fight was stopped on cuts, which came from Lewis punches. If ever a fight had to be stopped because of cuts, this was the one. Had it continued, there would be a high risk that Vitali had suffered career ending injuries.

 

OK. Did you ever follow Lennox career?

Every time he fought a bigman, a leaner, or a pusher, he always showed up with an extra 10-20 lbs on him. He was prepared to fight Kirk Johnson, who is big, and a leaner and a pusher, so it makes sense for him to come in with the extra 14 lbs.
Sure he didnt look in the greatest shape, but Im sure he wasn't expecting to feel those hard punches from them angles like he did against Vitali.

Vitali would beat Lewis in a rematch, and age could not be an excuse. Foreman was champ at 45. Vitali is what 40? Holy is still vying for a strap at 47. Lewis was 37 when he fought Vitali, and wouldve been 38 for the rematch.

Vitali sent Lewis PACKING!:deal

 

doesn't matter. Lewis was no longer at his best at that point anyways and he still beat Vitali the first time.

I am a big Vitali fan but Lewis >> Vitali

 

Hatton: "I sent Floyd Mayweather into retirement"

 

Jesus wept - Vitali is still talking about this? He's a terrific fighter in his own right and I wish he'd just move on. An out-of-shape Lennox beat the best Vitali fair and square.

 

Vitali let it go. U had your chance and blew it. A lewis on the slide busted up your face real bad and u failed to get the job done. I swear Vitali thinks the whole world of boxing have given him some imaginary win over Lewis which never happened.

 

Vitaly and Vitaly's fans just can't get over this, this will haunt Vitaly till his death. Lewis beat him cuz was not able to defend himself properly and Lewis was near retirement anyway. This is getting ridiculous.