How does Vitali Klitschko do against some of the greats?

Lucky for Lewis it was stopped too. He was dead tired and crashed upon his stool at the end of round six. Don't act like you know what happens in round seven. When the fight was stopped, we all saw Vitlai had plenty left. Vitlai cuts healed quickly, and he was in the ring vs Kirk Johnson a few months later.

Question for you John Thomas. Please explain to me why Lewis said he would give a re-match on air and in print ( more than once ) but did not. The money was there. I beleive Lewis simply felt he would not win the re-match, so he retired.

Lewis won the fight on cuts, but Vitlai won the " event " and certainly proved he was legit in this fight vs an ATG. Since we both rate Lewis highly, I might as well end here, but I do want to read why your analysis on why Lewis did not accept the re-match event though he 1 ) said he would, and 2 ) the money was there.

 

Do you think Lewis needed the money he would get for Vitali tho? It's no win however one looks at it, a win doesn't get Lewis anywhere, Vitali was not that highly rated and Lewis already cut him to the bone.

Personally i think Lewis realised he was ready to be taken. A few years earlier Lewis would have boxed rings around him.

If that's the face of a fighter who won the event i'd much rather be second place thanks. Eek.

 

I agree Lewis was ready to be taken which is why Lewis opted to retire after 8 months of talk. While the money amount was huge ( Leiws would have fought Jones or Tyson again for $15,000.00 ) it was also Lennox's word and honor that was at stake. THe fans wanted to see the re-match too.

Vital's face looks like any other fighters. I think he came out fine.

 

On the subject of Lewis retiring, I think people need to go back and remember he had been on the brink of retirement since 2000, and was really just waiting around for that Tyson fight.
The loss to Rahman gave Lewis a sense of purpose, and after he avenged that, the Tyson fight was made.

On beating Tyson, it was assumed for months afterwards that he'd announce his retrement. He tried to get Tyson to fight him again - which was unrealistic - and I guess he just needed one more fight to see what he had left. Like all fighters, it's hard for him to walk away.

Arranging to fight Kirk Johnson seemed a pointless exercise, and there was talk of building up a more meaningful fight against Vitali Klitschko for November 2003. It seemed like maybe Lewis, who prided himself on being a bit of a thinker, didn't know when to quit, and would not know when to walk away.

When Johnson pulled out, Lewis showed what a great champion he was by allowing the more dangerous Klitschko to step in at late notice. Both Klitschko and Lewis deserve credit here, because they ended up fighting for less money than if they'd' waited for a planned and built-up fight in the autumn.

So, Lewis won the fight, and it was obvious that he was no longer at his best, for whatever reasons.

Still, it's hard for a fighter on top to walk away at the right time, and some thought Klitschko deserved a rematch. So, Lewis, being the proud champion he was, made statements about intending to fight Vitali again. But upon reflection he made the difficult decision of walking away.

The fact that he beat Klitschko the first time probably made him see that there was no real motivation
to continue, another win over Klitschko would add little or nothing to his historic legacy.

The fact that Vitali had given him a hard fight the first time probably made him see how he was slipping, and how he had already lost a lot of his edge, the motivation, the desire to train, the physical gifts he once had.

Lewis should be applauded for walking away at the right time, swallowing his pride and bravado and not giving in to greed for more millions.
Sure, he went back on some statements about a rematch, but it's understandable, we're all human, we all say stuff we later regret.

And while it might have disappointed Vitali Klitschko, I'm sure Klitschko was man enough to know that his own worth as a fighter should not depend on what Lennox Lewis does. Fighters just get on with their careers, and if fights fall through, and the most ideal opportunities dont materialise, then they make the best of the situation.

In truth, what probably disappointed Vitali the most was his own failure to beat Lewis when he had him there in the ring - and I guess he thinks about the extra massive payday he missed out on. But that's life. The shoe was on the the other foot when Vitali disappointed a couple of guys on a few occasions by cancelling SIGNED fights, and announcing retirement.

 

Ali & Holmes would outbox vitali.

 

So what was the offer for the rematch? It was as much as he would get fightng Tyson or Jones? What's your source for the amount he would receive in rematching Vitali?

Plastic surgery has come a loooooooong way. Hell his left eye could have dropped out and they would have fixed him up no worse.

 

I'd back peak Jimmy Young too. Among many others.

 

Superb post. Lewis was done motivation wise as you point out very precisely. It's not like a Holmes situation who fought many more times after having great struggles vs Witherspoon, Weaver, Williams and co without rematching. Lewis retired at the perfect time - how many great boxers can say the same?

 

There are many soruces of money that show Lewis declined a re-match. Here'e one:

This content is protected

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/boxing/2004-02-09-klitschko-lewis_x.htm

So $20,000,00.00 dollars was on the line for a re-match. Holy cow! Who would not fight for that? The wanted to see the re-match. Lewis said he would give it, and when the money was up he balked.

Face it John, Lewis knew deep down he was lucky to win the first time, and would likley lose the re-match. You can say Lewis was older, but I say he was the best 37-38 year old heavyweight in the history of the ring.

Furthermore, I want to point out that Lewis was never eager to fight Vitlai in the first place. Lewis signed a contract to meet Vitlai well before June 2003 via his company Lion Promotions. He picked Kirk Johnson instead. Why? Vitlai took Lewis to court.

Vitlai agreed to take the title match on short notice when he was training for a ten round match. The match between Lewis and Vitali was made on fow two reasons. 1 ) The court case where Vitali's camp agreed to drop all charges. 2 ) The two being in –shape and on the same card.


Lewis wasn’t about to pass up a pay day with a court case agaisnt him looming. Had Vitlai known it was Lewis all along, I think he trains a bit harder for a 12 round contest.

 

Was $20 000 000 the purse Lewis would actually get, or are you being cagey in your description? I would find it hard to believe someone like Klit could command Lewis $20 mill.

Another bit of mindreading to suit the agenda? I fail to see how you read thoughts. Maybe Lewis, after all the talk and offers just could not get excited or motivated about the whole deal and knew it was time to get out. Lets be honest, Vitali is not exactly the most fearsome prospect. It also matters zero if Lewis was the best 38yo heavy ever, he sure wasn't near his best at this time and no amount of smoke screening will get around this point.

Well Vitali wasn't exactly the most exciting bloke getting around, far from it. I see a fine workmanlike upper shelf heavy, you see Jesus reincarnated at 6'7 1/2. He's really not THAT good. Certainly no-where near what you claim.

Lewis is the one in the more difficult position here, not Vitali. I was going to say Vitali was lucky to get Lewis when he did, but then i looked at the picture of his face and wasn't quite so sure.

 

JT,

The money was there for Lewis. Here's another source that says Lewis would get $15,000,000 pounds for the re-match.

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http://www.canoe.ca/StatsBOX/BC-BOX-LGNS-LEWISSTRIPPED-R.html

No misinformation was given. There was a law suit, and that had a lot to do with Vitlai getting the first fight, but it took Johnson pulling out, and the law suit to get there in the first place. Lewis looked at his best vs Rhaman the second fight, so I'm not sure if he could not re-catpure form. It was Vitlai who made Lewis look bad, and Lewis himself said he was hard to hit.

I claim top 20 head to head of all time, and a legacy based on several impressive feats. It seems many disagree.

This topic is closed. Lewis balked at the re-match. Lewis won the fight, down 4-2 on all three cards via a cut stoppage. Lewis's gave his word about the re-match. The money was up for the re-match. Lewis was about to be stripped, so he retired. Lewis decision was to preserve his legacy, and not honor what he said, what the fans wanted, and skip out on 15M pounds.

The end result was Vitlai was left out in the cold, and Lewis retied walking away from a highly anticipated event that included a huge pay day for him. Some feel Vitlai re-tried Lewis.

Had Johnson beaten Vitlai, Lewis would have likely fought on. Indeed there was talk of Lewis vs Johnson in Canada. Lewis would have also fought Roy Jones, as the fight would have been easy for him, But Jones wanted no part of this match.

 

I dont see any sort of victory for Vitali in the argument that Lewis retired because "He thought he'd lose in a re-match" .

If beating Vitali was enough to make Lewis realise he was over-the-hill, then that doesn't say much for Vitali.

Vitali might well have won in a re-match, who cares ? He LOST against a Lewis who no longer had the desire, the motivation, the urgency of his youth. He LOST to a Lewis who was approaching 38, who was coming off the longest layoff of his career, and weighing the heaviest he'd' ever weighed, the slowest Lennox Lewis we ever saw.

Vitali LOST.

Guys like Frank Bruno, Ray Mercer and Shannon Briggs all gave younger versions of Lewis tough fights and got no rematches. In 2003, a dearth of viable opponents made the Lewis-Klitschko re-match prospect the division's most viable event, rather than simply the supposed "controversy" of Lewis punching a bloody gash in Vitali's face.

Lewis retired because he was OLD and OVER-THE-HILL, had nothing to continue for, had a life outside of boxing to think about, and was in a position to retire on top.

If Vitali Klitschko had fought a 1997 version of Lewis, when Lewis was on a mission, there's no way Lewis would have just retired after a tough fight. And, to be honest, I seriously doubt Vitali would have given such a tough fight to a fully-motivated younger Lennox Lewis.

 

According to Johnson Vitali paid him step aside money to fight Lennox instead. So Vitali had more warning of the fight than Lennox did

 

Vitali Klitschko gave Lewis no motivation to re-capture that sort of form.

Hasim Rahman knocked Lewis out, out for the count. He BEAT Lennox Lewis, he took Lewis's WORLD TITLE, he punched a dirty great hole through Lewis's legacy and reputation.

Vitali did not. He just gave Lewis a really tough fight. But he didn't win. He LOST. He won some fans that night, but he lost that fight.

And Lewis's legacy and reputation was so strong, his career so long and epic by this point (following the revenge win over Rahman, and the destruction of Tyson), that the motivation to try to reach a superb peak again at age 38 was just not there - for what ? To beat the guy he just beat ? Get outta here.

 

I disagree. Lewis even at 37 or 38 was still the best heavy in the world.

Lewis weight from 2000-2003 were thus: 247 vs Grant, vs Botha, 249 vs Tua, 253 1/2 vs Rhaman, 246 1/2 vs Rhaman, 249 1/4 vs Tyson, and 256 1/2 vs Klitschko. I don't think he was heavy for his own build at all.

The motivation for Leiws was many felt Klitschko bettered him in the ring despite the victory. Lewis was obvisouly irate after the fight. His interview with Larry Merchant was classless. Lewis would not answer questions and grabbed the microphone. There was also a boat load of money to be made in a re-match. I think Lewis had plenty of motivation and urgency for a re-match. The difference between this fight and the Mercer or Bruno fight was Vitlai was ahead on all three cards when Lewis won on a technicality.

Since Vital turned pro in November of 1996, this fight would never happen in 1997.