Could go one of two ways: 1. Vitali capitalizes on Lewis’s deterioration and does better the second time around. Or 2. Lewis shows up in much better shape and Steward prepares him with a better fight plan leading to another victory.
Vitali was a complete sucker for Lennox’s uppercut. In a rematch Lennox would be in better shape and most likely take Vitali out earlier.
Lewis didn't want that smoke, he had his mommy call him out of this one and that's a fact. It was kind of his very own belt dumping, but luckily it was really an era changing and not a same era mandate guy. There was a reason Lewis retired rather than fight VK and Vitali fought on. Vitali UD most likely in a less action packed fight where Vitali uses the effective tools from the first, especially his straight shots and volume to win rounds. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/mar/10/vitali-klitschko-lennox-lewis-mum
It completely depends on whether Lewis can commit to the fight both mentally and physically. If he gets all fired up for one last great performance and comes into the ring in top notch motivated shape it's his, if not it's a struggle.
I get the feeling Lewis felt it was time to move on. He had other things going on in his life, and he was about to start a family, so he probably had no interest in a rematch. Fighters who aren't interested, but show up for a payday, tend to lose - just ask Deontay Wilder.
IMO - Lewis wins again; UD, MD, SD, or cut again. Steward+Lewis would appear in the best form this time. Strategically and physically. Lewis understood that Vitali was not a boogeyman. Regardless, Lewis would retire after this fight. But the ATG List would change; it would be like this: 1. Ali 2. Louis 3. Lewis
Glad to see the tide has shifted to LL on this. For years the Vitklit nuthugggers were out in full force.
My guess would be Lewis via UD or late TKO ... IF he could have gotten himself into decent physical and mental shape, one last time. He tended to do well when he fully appreciated the task ahead of him. And slipped up when he didn't. But as another poster said, Lewis was declining at this point - and he knew it. Vitali was a tough test - tougher than he expected at the time. So it's a hard question to answer in that Lewis was obviously ready to retire. Perhaps we should recognise this and celebrate him for being smart and seeing the writing on the wall, instead of needlessly carrying on, damaging his legacy and being stuck in the game trying to restore it? We've seen that so many times before. After all, he'd shown his guts plenty of times in the ring before.
Agreed. Lewis had a good record in rematches but, at that stage of his career, he really needed to approach Vitali 2 as he had Rahman 2 (as opposed to Vander 2). Lewis in almost any shape would be able to breach Vitali's defense, but a Rahman 2 Lewis would do so with enough venom and regularity to TKO Vitali again in the first half of the fight.
If Lennox is fired up, fit and ready, then Vitali would find out very soon how dangerous he could be.
Vitali was banging Lewis up before the cut changed the fight. Vitali wanted the rematch so badly it burned. Lewis hid behind his mother's skirts and said "Mummy won't let me." And this from a fighter that made a point of it to rematch the guys that whalloped him, even getting mental crisis McCall into the ring. My mental calculator tells me Vitali would have finished Lewis off in the rematch.
Lewis was a monster in rematches...but I think he would have been pushing 40 by the time it rolled around. Might have been a big factor.