What If Wlad Klitschko Had Fought Lennox, Instead Of Vitali?

I think Lewis would have been too much in 2003. But maybe if Wlad could land the shots Vitali did he could have hurt Lewis so there is a punchers chance.

 

Betting on Wlad to win in the same year he got sparked by sanders would have been a huge risk.

 

Wlad was yet to refine his strategic approach and even a past prime, out of shape Lewis would be favoured to match the results achieved by Sanders and Brewster. Wlad would have had a live punchers chance, though. There's a big difference between taking flush right hands from Wlad, than there is from Vitali.

 

Wlad's chances are greater because of his one-punch power to Vitali's chances but by then, greater than his own later chances would be, by having not honed a strategy that would not have ultimately worked on Lewis anyway. This is a who's first issue more than anything. It wouldn't go anything like Vitali. It ends in three, one way or the other. The orb that I have consulted has said so. I lean Lennox but Vitali's chances are frankly blown out of proportion for a potential rematch and just in H2H in general at their best(s). Ultimately, he wouldn't knock Lennox out before Lennox and Steward got down to understanding it's always Lennox's to lose by stepping up into the wheelhouse and roughing Vitali's face up. With Wlad, it's just whoever presses the button and Lennox has more variety of button-pressers he's likely to unload by one (uppercut).

 

Obviously anything can happen, but Lennox is all wrong for 2003 Wlad.

Lewis’ strength was underrated, as was his ability to make things physical, bend the rules and rough people up. For all the talk of Lewis as a chess player, he was often more effective when he was aggressive and physical; Golota, Grant, even Akinwande to an extent. Lewis was more vulnerable to getting caught in that mode, but very difficult to handle.

Wlad had real trouble with stamina, avoiding being roughed up, and his chin was always a weakness. Not just his losses which everyone knows about, but even in wins like against Peter there was that physical vulnerability.

Wlad hit harder single punch than Vitali, so he could land something. But it’s more likely to resemble Lewis-Grant than it is Lewis-Rahman I.

Lewis didn’t look great against Vitali, but he still put him under intense pressure physically. His chin held up, but his skin didn’t.

Wlad became a much more effective fighter later on, and was able to tie fighters up, keep his composure and avoid punishment. That version has a much better chance against Lewis.

 

Either he gets chinned and knocked out, or he managed to hit Lewis with his right hand and Lennox gets KOed. I would go with the former tho, 70/30.

 

Wlad would have taken a nap.

 

Lewis would win, but not on points.
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I got Wlad by knockout. Sanders was a southpaw that was super aggressive. Different matchup. The Lewis that fought Vitali had no judge of range and was getting hit clean left and right in the opening two rounds. Wlad would have sparked him with his power. I know that’s the unpopular sentiment here but that’s how I see it.

 

Instead of bleeding out, Lennox puts Wlad's lights out.

 

Lewis sparks him out early.

 

That version of Lewis was getting lit up like a christmas tree by Vitali, who is much less powerful than his brother. I mean, I guess even tubby Lewis had the power to switch Wlad off, but I think that the reverse is even more true. If it had been Wlad landing that stuff on Lewis ... naptime.

 

The issue would have been, which type of Wlad would it have been?

In real time, the fight would have been just 3 months after the demolition job by Sanders.

 

Yup, I agree.