Lennox Lewis vs Vitali Klitschko

Discussion in 'British Boxing Forum' started by rebboxer, Dec 26, 2016.



  1. Terminator

    Terminator Active Member Full Member

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    Normally i’d agree however it is an argument in this case, as the bout was stopped primarily because of the state of Vitali’s eye.

    The cut was caused by a legitimate punch. Lewis threw every punch with the intent to maim and hurt his opponents. You could argue that his exact intention when he threw the right hand was to cut Vitali. It was more a failure of Vitali himself, as he came out at the start of the round sloppily. Lewis caught him napping, and punished him.

    Having said that though obviously luck plays a role in any sport, and I wouldnt argue there was no luck at all involved
     
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  2. Terminator

    Terminator Active Member Full Member

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    I’ll make it clear again, I have no problem with Vitali at all and have not made any of the arguments you just wrote. You are putting words in my mouth
     
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  3. Safin

    Safin Boxing Addict banned Full Member

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    I didn't say that it was an illegitimate punch. It was a grazing punch whereby Lewis missed the target and a small portion of the outer material of the glove grazed the skin of Klitschko. Lewis, nor anybody, practices such a thing. It was very lucky. That's all there is to it.
     
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  4. Terminator

    Terminator Active Member Full Member

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    Wrong choice of words I admit. Although Lewis was the heaviest in his career, out of shape and certainly slower and more plodding than he was 5 years before when he fought Golota. Despite this he still severly maimed the next best heavyweight, who was in his prime at the time
     
  5. Puroresu_Fan

    Puroresu_Fan Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    I mean his most vulnerable in the fight. The first 3 rounds was where Lewis was at his worst. After that the fight become a lot more even and by the end of the 6th the fighter landing the bigger more hurtful power punches was Lewis.
     
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  6. Terminator

    Terminator Active Member Full Member

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    Truth to that. Part and parcel of the sport though I’m afraid. Lewis legitimately beat a prime Vitali Klitschko while out of shape and past his prime himself
     
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  7. Safin

    Safin Boxing Addict banned Full Member

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    You're not wrong, but you're omitting context, seemingly selectively, when you state "Lewis legitimately beat a prime Vitali Klitschko while out of shape and past his prime himself". Pete Sampras legitimately beat Mark Philippoussis at Wimbledon in 1999 - but he done so by way of Philippoussis hyperextending his knee coming down from a smash, and had to retire from the match while one set to love up. Sampras wasn't the better player, he was a set down, just like Vitali was up on the cards. Unfortunately tennis doesn't allow for rematches in the way boxing does. Sampras went on to win the tournament and Lewis retired.

    We've already gone over why context is imperative, particularly in long-term retrospect (with the refusal of a rematch), when we reflect on this bout.

    I think I've already pointed out the biggest irony of all, with how Lewis himself and his worshipers continually remind everyone of how he "beat every man he ever faced", thanks to two rematches. Lewis was "legitimately beat" in both, conclusively, and rematches in both were less merited than in the case of Lewis Klitschko, yet Klitschko was denied. He was denied for a reason. What would Lewis have said had McCall and Rahman done a runner, retired and come back and avoided Lewis? McCall, who fought Lewis some time after, could easily have done so. Lewis and his enormous mouth would have never let it go.

    Sometimes in sport the stars align (and indeed life), and Lewis' grazing punch that turned the bout on its head is a prime example. A punch that missed its target achieved a result that most certainly would not have been possible had it landed.

    The whole point of a scoring system is to determine who the better athlete is during any given match - and of course a scoring system cannot or is unlikely to be perfect. This is a bout that did not determine who the better boxer was, due to the context that has been provided throughout the last couple of pages of this thread. Lewis did legitimately win the bout, but that does not mean that fans should recognise that he was the better man on the night. That much was undetermined and that is why everybody lusted for a rematch - except Lewis.

    Fair play to both for their efforts, but Lewis' conduct and pompousness never shone brighter than it did that night, and still to this day he has been unable to display any genuine humility such is his enormous ego - and I say that as someone who thoroughly enjoys listening to Lewis' commentary and punditry.
     
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  8. Puroresu_Fan

    Puroresu_Fan Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Is that really the same? If the cut is caused by a headbutt and it goes to the cards we would all say there was no real winner.

    If a fight is stopped due to the damage done to ones face from his opponents punches then I don't see how it causes so much controversy. It's only controversial if one believes the doctors somehow don't know **** and stopped a fight in error.

    I would argue a rematch would have been much more deserved if for instance Vitali was clearly the dominant fighter and was beaten by a cut.

    For all the "Vitali was ahead on the cards" talk those people really do ignore which fighter by the end of the 6th was landing the better harder shots. Being ahead on the scorecards after 6 rounds isn't a reason for a rematch.

    Some people had BJS ahead vs Canelo but it would be ridiculous to suggest a rematch should happen because of that.
     
  9. Odins beard

    Odins beard Fentanyl is one hell of a drug.... Full Member

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    It was a great fight, it’s Lewis’ best fight to watch since the Mercer fight imo.

    Also I thought Vitali had taken everything Lewis had and thought Lewis looked done when he went to his corner after the final round, again only my opinion.
     
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  10. SnoopyboyM

    SnoopyboyM Active Member Full Member

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    Lewis was on his way to winning imo what an uppercut the last round
     
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  11. Glenn McKrory

    Glenn McKrory M&S luxury pudding Full Member

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    You can tell times are hard on these boards when we're talking about a fight that happened nearly 20 years ago.

    Like many, I think that Vitali may have won were it not for the cut, but who knows? It was a great fight either way and I suspect Lewis didn't fancy the rematch as he had everything to lose and nothing really to gain.
     
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  12. Terminator

    Terminator Active Member Full Member

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    I see your point and its a good one. The way I would argue this is that tennis is a different sport to boxing. In tennis the objective is not to injure your opponent to win. I imagine this is not permitted in the rules. In boxing this is exactly the case. Sampras did not intend to injure his opponent, Lewis did and, lucky or not, succeeded.

    I have not made a comment on anything you have said in this part of the reply.

    These are ifs buts and maybes in my opinion. There is no evidence to suggest that if the punch did land properly it wouldnt have caused Vitali damage, or that Lewis couldnt have landed a future big shot that would have had the same effect.

    I get what you’re trying to say and would agree if it was a clash of heads, but Lewis acted totally within the rules. He punched his opponent in the head, and lucky or not, caused a cut that changed the fight. He was the better man on the night when he did huge damage to his opponents face, legally, causing the fight to be stopped.

    I have no comment on Lewis as a person and never have made one
     
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  13. MarkusFlorez99

    MarkusFlorez99 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Are there mental patients still coping with the fact that a 37 year old overweight sluggish Lennox Lewis beat Vitali Klitschko on 2 weeks notice ?

    The cuts Vitali sustained had nothing to with luck because Vitali sustained 4 different gashes on different parts of his face, not just one.

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    4 clearly visible seperate cuts. One on his eyelid, one on the eyebrow, one on the cheek and one on the upper lip. Lewis was punching his face off the entire fight but ah yes "luck". Lewis found his footing at the end of round 6 and was roughing Vitali up on the inside while Vitali's face was peeling off and he had 6 rounds to go LOL

    How stupid can you get
     
    Last edited: Jun 23, 2021
  14. Surrix

    Surrix Boxing Addict Full Member

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    You really are manipulator or do have some memory problems. Lewis did not had fight with 2 weeks notice. 2 weeks notice had Vitali not Lewis. Lewis had scheduled another opponent and Vitali just was short notice replacement.

    I will talk with you more because you are bragging with fun about how looked Vitali face etc.
    There is no evidence that Lewis might be able to win nor rematch nor another fight with Vitali if he was younger.


    I actually initially did not had intent to put these facts for lads like you in the face.
    Lewis had been dropped down by McCall in 1994 th and Rahman in 2001th.
    Fight with Vitali who was for Lewis short notice replacement opponent was in 2003 th.
    There absolutely is no evidence that Lewis might had dropped Vitali if Lewis was 2 or 9 years younger.

    There is another evidence: Vitali never had been dropped down in his pro career. 47 fights.

    So, sit here, call people here as mental patients:p, brag about these cuts and enjoy that Lewis had rematch clauses with McCall and Rahman.
    Maybe you will also brag how cool was that he looks that did not had fight vs Byrd. ;)

    I will repeat: Lewis had been on canvas in 2 pro fights from 43 pro fights.

    So, funny how you sit here and post about these cuts and have fun here.

    I really have fun with ppl like you: you even attempt to represent that Lewis was someone who had fight with 2 weeks notice, while this was Vitali who had 2 weeks notice as short notice replacement boxer.

    You have good imagination level and play with ppl here.
     
  15. MarkusFlorez99

    MarkusFlorez99 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Cry about it. Rahman KO'd an overweight unfocused Lewis, why couldn't Vitali ? He couldn't pull it off and he got half his face punched off in the process. Now imagine if Vitali fought the prime Lewis that surgically outboxed, outmanurved, and dismantled Andrew Golota in 1 round. LMAO it would be a demolition job



    Although since Vitali has a iron chin he'd get TKO'd on cuts even quicker while being down on the cards
     
    Last edited: Jun 24, 2021