Step back in Time.........Lennox Lewis versus Dr Vitali Klitschko

Vitali won the event.

 

I think something should be noted:


Neither fighter was fully prepared. Yes Lewis was only expecting Kirk Johnson, but also Vitali was only expecting.... no one even remembers his name, some nobody. Vitali sure as hell wasnt training to fight the champion.

Lewis looked more tired than Vitali to me. The stuff about Lewis getting a second wind, Im not buying it.

I think it was a fair stoppage, that was a horrible cut. But it is also luck on Lewis's part. You cant plan to stop a fight on cuts, its just luck. The cut was started from a punch he did while holding and then followed up with a headbutt. Lewis used his skills afterwards to land on the cut as much as possible to open it up more.


But I think these people who cant admit that Lewis was one lucky son of a ***** to get the cut, are in denial.

 

Did you see the last round? dr fist was holding on for dear life, i have absolutley no doubt vitlay would have gottem ko'd in the 7th.

 

Relent you have to admit that it could have been either way but I agree that Lennox had the advantage because of the cut on Vitali's eye.

 

He was training for a local Atlanta guy Cederic Boswell who got injured and then went on to get knocked out by Jameel McCline if that tells you anything. I believe the fight would have been different had Lennox and Vitali been training for each other for a whole training camp.

 

I remember seeing this bout at the time and most, unanimously, even the British press, thought Vit was the better and it was a real shame that the fight got stopped on cuts for Lewis to win.

People now appear to view it very different.

 

I agree that lewis was not 100% fit and on the slide. However I think the reason he was not dominatin the fight after Vitali developed that cut was because he saw how bad it was and and knew that it would be easier to open up than try to KO the big fella. He wasn't effective at throwin his jab, shiftin to his right and throwin that overhand right, and thats realy all he was attemptin. He did the smarter thing in my oppinion. Land a few jabs on the damn thing and dont get hurt in the mean time.

 

You cant plan to stop a fight on cuts but u can sure as **** can hope and try. And try did Lewis with all the forearms and elbows coming into the clinch. I reckon "cut" was heavy on Lewis' mind.

 

How do people call this stoppage luck ? Does Vitali's eye need to be rolling around the ring for some of the people on here to realize how badly Lewis injured him ?

 

It had been quite a while since I watched this fight.

What got me is that Vitali hit Lennox with everything he had and wasn't able to put him down, came pretty close in the 2nd round, but still didn't get it done. And this was against a visibly out of shape Lennox.

I can't say for certain that either fighter would have KO'd the other had the fight continued, but the amount of damage to Vitali's eye made it more likely for Lennox to land an unseen right hand to get the KO.

 

The fight's on the tread, the first thing I did was watch it again. What a Battle Royal that was..As Merchant said, Ward-Gatti on the highest level. Gotta admit now after seeing it again after several years, that but for that cut, Lewis likely would have lost. That said, it was a legal punch that caused the cut and therefore Lewis won the fight fair and square.

 

It was a fair stoppage. The doctor did a good job. Lewis won the fight by TKO.

 

I hate it when people say Lewis was training for Johnson and wasnt prepared, well **** me Vitali wasnt preparing to fight Lewis either so they started off equal.

I thought the fight was awful to watch and Vitali took away Lewis jab for the most part, and that is whaty i believe you have to do to beat Lewis.

 

If the fight went on Lewis would've stopped Klitschko, both his eyes were severely damaged and the excessive bleeding would've gotten to him. Lewis won the fight so he was the better fighter that night, prime for prime Lewis wins it as well.

 

Agree with you on their primes.

What really pissed me off was the British media namely Ian Darke and Glen McCrory claiming Lewis's win over Tyson was his greatest and most complete victory, he was a man head and shoulders above the division, he was still in his prime.

Then.......

He struggles and in my opinion looked awful, then Darke and McCrory where claiming that he was past his prime blah, blah. If that was the case how far away from being shot was Tyson?

Then, Lewis doesnt rematch Vitali:fire Vitali should have taken him to court and make a ***** move like Lewis used to.