Lennox Lewis vs. Vitali Klitschko II.

It isn't the case because it never happened. we will never know. All we do know is that Lennox stopped Vitali.

 

History and at the time current events show that Lewis came into the fight into poor condition and has a history of doing better in rematches.
It s literally impossible to think Lewis does any worse in the rematch,so I disagree,Lewis imo would have been rightly favored in the rematch.

 

Nonsense.

Lewis still went into his usual camp at the outset.

He was past his best and heavier because he was at the final stages of his career.

He wasn’t contemplating retirement.

He’d wanted to fight Tyson again and he was looking at other fights.

He spoke beforehand of having maybe another 3 fights.

Had he have committed to a rematch, yes, he may have been more motivated. He could possibly have been a few pounds lighter. But he wouldn’t have been technically any better. And he’d still have been past his best and faded, against a prime, younger fighter.

Of course Vitali had the tools.

Get real.

He was winning the fight and Lennox was relieved that the fight was stopped.

If Lennox had’ve thought that Vitali had got lucky and that he hadn’t have had the tools to have troubled him, then he’d have rematched him.

The whole boxing world craved a rematch.

Lennox initially said that he’d rematch him.

He then changed his mind and retired.

There was a valid reason for that.

 

I’m not saying anything.

Nobody is crying.

I’m merely telling you that Vitali gave him a shock.

He gave him the realisation that it was time to let go.

He wanted Tyson again.

He wanted a huge pay day against Roy Jones.

He was motivated to potentially sign a 3 fight deal.

After he’d fought Vitali, he decided to retire.

 

I think it's pretty obvious that Vitali would have won the rematch and that it's pretty obvious that Lewis knew it too, which is why he declined it.

As to who is 'greater', clearly Lewis.

 

Good gawd, this again. Lewis won (fact), Vitali lost (fact).
Lewis always retooled and was MUCH better in a rematch.
Lewis would have won easily but busting up the other side of Vitali's face or beating up his Brother wasn't his priority and he retired.
Vitali is fighting bravely in Ukraine. He moved on and so should some of you.

 

But the reality is there wasn’t a rematch because Lennox didn’t fancy it. So it would had to have been a version of Lennox in a completely different mindset.

His history in rematches isn’t important to me because this was a late 30’s Lewis at the end of the road.

Why is literally impossible to think he’d have done worse in the rematch?

Vitali was up and winning the fight.

Lewis was exhausted and absolutely relieved that the fight was stopped.

Yes, he could have been in better shape, but how much better?

Can we not say that Vitali could also have come in in better shape?

He’d have entered the rematch with huge confidence after that first fight.

 

Lewis would have won easily?

Based on what?

Crawling over the line in the first fight?

 

No,he “didnt fancy it” implies he ducked him and fought someone lesser.
He retired.
It s impossible because Lewis didnt train approprietely,he had a camp for Kirk Johnson-who he clearly didnt take seriously and didnt chsnge his mindset once Klitschko signed on as a replacement.
He obviously wasnt at his best even at that age.It s clear to me by all that went by before the fight and the fight itself.
So evidently is a return bout had happened Lewis would have trained for Klitschko not Johnson or anyone else and would have evidently taken it more seriously.Thus impossible to think he does any worse.
Klitschko was a 365 day athlete so I doubt he could have physically been anu better maybe better as far as confidence as you say.
Dont know what difference does that make.

 

Reading through this thread shows that not be the case. Plenty of people struggling with what happened
How did he shock Lewis?
Vitali was stopped and lost.
Was it a tough close fight? Yes but Lewis had taken control by the time it was stopped.
Well you say it was time to let it go and then state he wanted Tyson and Roy. Well Mike was a husk and had just been battered and Roy was straight back down to Light Heavy so neither of those were really viable.
I've stated consistantly through this thread that he already had one foot out of the door before the Vitali fight. So I don't have a problem with him retiring after after stopping Vitali.

 

So what if he retired?

He said he’d give him a rematch, before then retiring.

Obviously it was a very tough fight which he didn’t want to revisit.

He did duck him.


Vitali would have gone into the rematch knowing full well that he could have beaten him, as he almost did in the first fight. He’d have had the confidence and the momentum. He was in his prime.

Yes, Lennox could have been in better shape. He may have been just a tad lighter. He may have been more motivated. But he was at his limits. He was past his best and at the end of the road.


Vitali would have had the advantage going into the rematch.

He was desperate for it.

He’d have been even more motivated and in better shape both physically and mentally.

Vitali also took the first fight on short notice after initially preparing for a low level guy.

 

How did he shock Lewis?

Lewis barely beat him.

Yes, he won legitimately, but he won via a doctor stopping a fight that he was losing.

He wasn’t in control.

He was hanging on.

He was absolutely relieved at the end of the fight.

He was going to fight possibly another 3 fights.

He then retired.


Yes, Mike was shot.

Roy was a LHW.

Lennox wanted to fight them but wouldn’t rematch Vitali.


I’m saying that he knew it was time to let go instead of going to war again with Vitali.

 

I stopped reading after ducking.

TKO6 forever brother.
Almost 20 years later and you still cant get over it.

 

I understand your position but I respectfully disagree.
Why does he have to go to war exactly?
He beat everyone in his era and as you conceed he beat Vitali by stopping him. I don't think he needed to prove anything at that point he'd made his money. still had his health and was commentating. As I said earlier in this thread if the stoppage was from a foul then I think it would be different but it wasn''t. People going on about handing the torch to Vitali are talking nonsense. Why would anyone put themselves in that position when they have already won? I just think that is unreasonable considering the win was legitimate. It's also irrelevant who was up if the fight doesn't go the distance. many boxers can be down in the fight but if they have heavy hands it's a moot point. What matters is getting the win through adversity and that's exactly what Lennox did.

 

I don’t have to get over anything.

I respected both fighters but wasn’t a huge fan of either.

Yes, he ducked a rematch.

He said that he’d have one and then thought the better of it and retired instead.

Yet he’d have happily have fought the remnants of Mike again.