Haye's Sparring Partner For Vitali Klitschko: Lennox Lewis

Exactly why this win is legit. But I think that it wasn't Lewis getting himself into any position, I think Lennox was just fighting. Smashing his face up was a side effect, that massive gash certainly wasn't in any gameplan, imo.

Its not like we're accusing Lewis of landing a lucky knockout punch, a fluke like he's been victim of. We're saying he was lucky to have sliced Vitali in the way he did, if you want to call in lucky, because it was unintenional. In the end, the cut robbed either man of controversy free win.

 

Ok Mavrovic you have some points in there. :good
But. Since when is being down two rounds in sixth, considered being clearly losing? Especially when your opponent face is bloody mess?
Only one round scored differently and match would have been even.


Lennox also won the last round of that fight, so it was far from being clearly losing. Actualy instead of losing he was on he`s way to TKO victory.

 

[FONT=&quot]So you think cut stoppages are always caused by lucky punch. :?
You must know It is normal strategy to target cuts and that it is Vitalys failure, if he fails to protect he’s face. :deal
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Its clearly losing when the media and a majority of boxing fans cling to the "Vitali was ahead on the scorecards" thing. The majority of Klitschko fans will NEVER let Lewis live down losing those four rounds. Wouldn't that burn you inside? And yes, he won the last round of the fight, but the memory that lives with a fighter isn't when he see's himself on HBO, it his memories from fighting the fight. Lennox feeling like he was on the way to icing Vitali would stem from fighters pride, he wasn't thinking "I hit him with some good jabs in the round, a terrific uppercut, and I controled range and distance real well, which I haven't done up to this point. I made good connection with my right, as well. If it weren't for his face being ****ed up, I'm well on my way to a solid TKO victory!". Please. He was putting himself back together to go do it again, his thoughts on the matter were, I want to keep hitting this son of a *****. I honestly bet that both fighters were kind of thrilled to be involved in such a tough fight.

Honestly, I believe that without the cut nonsense or after the 6th if it hadn't been stopped, what would have happened is kinda asinine, because we just don't know. Vitali and Lewis would have kept hitting eachother with bombs, and kept getting tired. The outcome would have been the outcome, both men we're getting pretty fragile in there. It honestly depends on HOW tired they were, and that, only two men on the planet know.

In the end, the summary of my points that nobody has commented once on is, Lewis wants to see Vitali knocked out clean because he was unfortunate enough to meet him late in his career and couldn't do it himself. Lennox Lewis is hoping to see, before both men's careers are done, Vitali Klitschko out on the canvas. Its not personal hatred, its professional rivalry. The only thing Lennox is bitter about is that he wasn't in or close to his prime so he couldn't do it himself.

 

Not all caused, but in this case, the initial damage was done luckily. Lewis targeted the cut cause it was a vulnerable area, after that, just a fighter in a fight, fighting. No such thing as a lucky punch, it was a right hand, it landed, but it was certainly kismet that said right hand opened one of the worst cuts in boxing history. That fight was inevitably going to conclude after that cut. Not even SRR could throw a punch and say "This punch Im about to throw is going to take 40 stitches to repair!". Its impossible.

And yes, Vitali took too much punishment in that fight and his face got ****ed up. NOBODY is contesting his face getting ****ed up. Im contesting that Lewis wanted a different kind of victory.

 

One thing I'll sneak in here...

Zeljko Mavrovic took twice as many punches as Vitali, went the whole 12 rather than 6, also never hit the deck in this fight or ever in his career, and didn't end up looking like he'd been chewing on a lawnmower. He was up against a younger, fitter Lewis as well, throwing many more hard shots than he did against Vitali.

Why doesn't Zeljko ever get the praise due? Is it because he was behind on the scorecards on that fight, unlike Vitali?

 

The main problem I had with your original post is where you stated Lewis landed lucky punches.It was obviously his intention to land punches as and when he threw them.

The fact that he was down on the cards..I don't neccessarily think that it will hurt his pride,it may just take the edge off the victory.But like you said,only he knows how he feels.He can take pride in the fact that he came through and got the win

You say that Lewis would rather have have won by decisive TKO or KO.I agree,of course he would,who wouldn't?But everyone knows if a fight is stopped on cuts,when the cuts are caused by punches,it is a TKO victory.Therefore,I think LL would be satisfied with the W especially given that he was ageing,out of shape and facing a younger,fresher opponent.

 

I can see where you'd think that. My intention with the lucky, I think Ive clarified, was that the extent of the damage was lucky, there was no lucky punch. It was a right hand, that cause some seriously bizarre over-the-top damage. He can, and should, but he never looked at it that way. He saw himself in a war, a tough fight with a worthy challenger, that he didn't get to soundly finish. He wouldnt of used his age or shape as an excuse for his performance, he never has, just as an excuse to not rematch Vitali. To a boxer and human being of Lennox's caliber, he'd remove excuses from the equation. I in fact know that he has removed them. He wanted to knock Vitali Klitschko out, to conclude an epic fight.

What he got was a whimper, no bang, and a boatload of grief for it.

 

I don't know what Lennox can teach him besides "knock out his eyeball", ""cut his face open" or "make him bleed to death thru his face"!

 

Maybe the extent of the damage was lucky but if you cut and cut badly then thats just tough luck really,something you have little control over(the only way to control it would be to not take the shots in the first place).

I have heard no excuses from Lennox he won no need for excuses but he feels that he would have knocked VK out had the fight gone on and I probably agree with him.I share your view that he wanted to knock him out also but I'm sure he was happy enough or relieved that the fight had been stopped when it was at the same time

 

It'd be stupid if Lewis did want this.

The stronger Vitali's resume is, the stronger Lewis's is.

 

Yeah, its immensely tough luck, and not really at all to do with Lewis. Its an unfortunate blemish on an incredible night.

He was of course relieved, he still wanted to finish him. Not only did he not get the chance to see the fight through to the conclusion of the two fighters finishing it, because of his damn age, he couldn't reasonably agree to a rematch. That would SUCK. The demon Lennox wants to exorcise is to see Vitali beaten soundly, for real, no cuts, no bailouts, no excuses. It'd do him some good, I think.

 

It makes sense, but Lennox can't give the man any credit publically. Why, if it would boost his resume? The most praise Lennox has ever given Vitali was as a hologram before the Peter fight.

 

I reckon Lewis has been wondering if he could pull off a comeback. He wants to test himself against a young fast heavyweight, should be a good sparring partner for Haye :good

 

There will be no comeback for Lewis especially after seeing VK's performance against Peter.He has put on a fair bit of weight and is living comfortably he doesn't need to fight for money