Lennox Lewis v Vitali.. Round 7

Vitali would have stopped him

 

Lennox makes him quit

 

Lewis knocks him out.

 

Really hard to say.

Lewis was definitely tagging him more in round 6, and it seems clear enough to me that the cut was playing a big role in that.

That said, at the end of the round Lewis looked like he was about to die of a heart attack. He was running on fumes.

If Lewis managed to find a teaspoonful of energy for 7, he may have torn Vitali's face right off. I don't think Vitali could see the incoming.

If Vitali cleared his head a little and managed to tag Lewis with a good one or two, I think Lewis was ready to collapse. He might just have KO'd him in 7 for a dramatic end to a dramatic fight.

On the medical front, however, one can't really blame the doc for stopping it. That cut was horrendous.

I think it gave Lewis a case of the cold feet for a rematch when Vitali was still ready to rumble with half his face peeling off. I honestly think Lewis wasn't ready for another life-or-death bout at that age with an ATG career behind him, and that's why they never rematched.

 

Lewis continues to target the cut.

At some point the doctor decided that he can’t put off the decision to stop the fight any longer.

Not much changes.

 

At the end of the final round Lewis seriously hurts Vitali with a right hook to the side of the head. Vitali stumbles into Lewis staggering. The round ends with a vicious uppercut by Lewis. One can ONLY speculate how tired Lewis was but we can SEE the damage being done....not only the cut but by punches that are hurting Vitali. Absolutely no doubt Lewis stops Vitali in the next round.

 

And yet, he retired.

 

I think I know a tired guy when I see one, thanks.

 

Both men were tired. Only one was cut, only one was staggering at rounds six end.

 

I think the most likely outcome would be a cut stoppage during or at the end of round 7. A KO was unlikely as Lewis was completely exhausted and his punches lacked the steam necessary to drop Vitali, same with Vitali who at that point was just throwing clubbing arm punches. I remember at the time thinking it was a bad stoppage, but watching it again later you can literally see the cutman's fingers disappear into the enormous gash on Vitali's eyebrow. That cut was nasty and the fight couldn't have been allowed to go on much longer.

 

the doctors would be sacked on the spot.

and then tko7.

 

yet you raise this point knowing every hw champ in history had done it younger.

argue with them.