Do you view a Lewis vs Klitschko rematch was really necessary?

Lewis beat Klitschko you dumb ****er !!!!!

Why drag up old fights with fighters Lewis outclassed in re matches , he was KO'd by fellow HW's , its HW boxing it happens , doesnt it ??!! :huh

 

Necessary? Not really.

Damn good fight that Lennox basically denied his legacy and the fans by whiffing on? Yes.

He probably made the right call though. He looked and acted like a guy who didn't give a damn any more that night, and if he really couldn't summon the will to train anymore, Vitali would have embarrassed him in the rematch. I give him credit for knowing when to say enough his enough.

 

Busting up a prime Vitali's face and stopping him remains Lewis' career best win.

 

Lewis is a truly great champion and that's why it is OK that he got a somewhat lucky win and avoided the rematch. I don't know why this debate always has to be negative on either Lewis or Klitschko.

Fact is, cuts don't necessarily determine who the better fighter was. The can come from a glancing blow or inside glove and it was likely an inside glove that cause the cut in this fight (watch round 3 in slow motion). Vitali was well in the fight and Lewis collapsed on his stool dead tired after winning two rounds but Vitali came back strong at the end of the round. Either man could have KO'd the other. Lewis was KO's by lesser fighters than Vitali. Vitali never fought someone of Lewis' level. The rematch would have been great, but a great fighter like Lewis should be forgiven for not taking it.

 

Not really arguing that with you. Still, with the hindsight of ten years, tell me it wouldn't be even better with a truly dominant win over Vitali on it. I'm not saying he didn't win legitimately, but the way he was gassing out is really why this debate still has any legs at all.

 

I would liked to have seen a rematch but Lewis had earned the right to retire after a long and very distinguished amateur and pro career. He had nothing to gain by carrying on, and his legacy would have been tarnished if he'd lost to Vitali. Besides, I'm not sure Lennox's fists could take any more punishment from Vitali's face.

 

Lewis always did better in rematches, besides being the better, more accomplished fighter.
No doubt Lewis would have prevailed in a rematch.

 

As does Michael Spinks / Larry Holmes with Mike Tyson , and your point is ???

 

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Yes Lewis was scared! Vitali would KO him in a Rematch!

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Total Punches

Lewis: Thrown: 222 Landet 102
Vitali: Thrown: 432 landet 156

 

I don't think there is a problem personally. Winning a fight on a cut caused by a punch is a perfectly valid way to stop an opponent. And after the cut Lewis found his range and hammered it more than once to make it worse. I don't see why there is that much debate. If a fighter has lost most of the rounds of a fight but then knocks his opponent out in the last 10 seconds it is regarded as a valid come from behind victory. Why should cutting a guy badly and then bloodying his face be any less valid? If Vitali's face couldn't hold up that's his problem - and Lewis took advantage. It wasn't like it was a dodgy decision. Yes Vitali was doing well before the cut but he still got hit repeatedly in the same place for the cut to happen.

 

My point is that I'm sick of listening to people how terribly out of shape Lennox was. It is immaterial and refuted by his incredible in-ring performance.

Regardless of how past his peak you think Lennox was, this remains his overall best performance by a fair margin. In no other fight has Lennox shown this amount of heart, chin, determination to win and simply outslug his opponent by taking him into the bloody trenches.

With the exception of Vitali, all the other victims of Lennox were either past their best and went nowhere after being defeated or they were hyped-up contenders who were exposed by Lennox. No other opponent than Vitali in Lennox' track record was in his prime and went on to higher accolades after losing to Lennox.

That's why this remains Lennox best win and if Lennox was 15 lbs heavier or not is completely irrelevant. If you look at heart, mental strength and determination, this was by far the best Lennox we've ever seen.

 

Because it was a lucky grazed punch, that cut the eyebrow. vitali outbox lewis, that why he leads the scorecards! lewis ducked the rematch!

 

I think thats fair to say , given that Lewis seemingly did lack heart , determination , durability and a good chin , during his early reign !!!

Edit ; and looked to apply his skills to outclass most of what was put in front of him back then , as oppose to squeezing out a close / ugly / hard fought one , something we hadnt seen before