Should Lennox Lewis have given Vitali Klitschko a re-match?

The facts:

It was generally viewed as one of the best heavyweight fights in since 2000. That alone is reason enough for the re-match. Vitali was in the lead 4-2 on all cards. Lewis won on cuts via a doctor's stoppage. In the history of boxing, I can not recall ANY title fight where the man up on points lost on a cut. Another reason for a re-match.

No one can say what the 7th round would have looked like.

During the post fighter interview ( Where Lewis grabbed the mike away from an old Larry Merchant ) Lewis said on air he would offer the re-match. He also told the press multiple times he would re-match Vitali. It is a fact Lennox wasn't thinking about retirement, and he tried to makes matches with Roy Jones and Kirk Johnson after the fight with Vitali Klitschko.

At least 18 million was there for Lewis for the re-match. The boxing world was buzzing in anticipation. Lennox was certainly was acting and talking like he would re-match. After the passage of 8 months with Vitali beating Sanders and Johnson the WBC ordered it, and without any other belt, Lewis had the option of taking the re-match or being stripped of his last world title belt. He quickly retired.

 

No. I think Lewis knew he was past his best. The rematch may have been a step too far for him. Go out on a win. Fair play to the boy

 

He said he would, he should have kept his word.

 

This.

Could have been VERY interesting had Lennox had a camp for Vitali & really got himself into shape.

That said, it was a great ending to his career (as dubious as it seemed).

 

To be fair, it is any boxers prerogative to retire. They take the blows, sacrifice their childhood and hopefully know when to call time on their own career. Legacy wise a win would not improve Lewis' record. Financially he did not need it either.

If Lewis continued his career and ducked the rematch then there would be more of a case for it.

But it's a bit selfish for us as fans to demand fighters come out of retirement for entertainments sake.

Every time a champion retires healthy it should be seen as a blessing.

 

Since when has it been a crime to retire. Lewis owed Vitali nothing. He owed it to himself to decide whether he should fight on and he made the right decision.

 

I wish he had. I think he'd always best Vitali. To beat Lewis you have to be an excellent boxer, or have very good power. Two qualities Ivan Drago lacks.

It only affects Vitali that there was no rematch. He had as good a chance as ever to win, due to the subpar condition Lewis was in, yet he blew it.

TKO6.

 

Then why did he run his mouth and say he would? Why did he try to fight on with two other opponents? Lewis wanted to fight on, he just did not want to re-match Vitali. He knew better, but if there was any fight that deserved a re-match, this was clearly one of them.

 

To be fair when u not motivated to train, your body start feel pain, & your passion is not in boxing anymore.. better to retired.

 

Its simply this. If he never said anything there wouldn't be an issue !

 

Who said it's a crime to retire, shouldn't have given out false promises should he.

 

I'm not convinced he was as out of condition/motivated as much as people say. I think he might of had his big head on again, that always affected Lewis's performances. For the record I have Lewis at his very best h2h no1 ever !

 

I think the evidence is in the fight. He looked very poor compared to how he CAN look.

The lack of respect he showed for Vitalis punches is the only real thing of value that can be taken from the fight. Well, that and how open to being hit Vitali is when fighting someone with a quantum of quality.

 

Lewis went on to make challenges to Mike Tyson and Roy Jones AFTER Vitali. He then retires 6 months after he fought Vitali when, who Vitali becomes Lewis mandatory ( something Lewis didnt anticiapate happening so soon) ?

so he not only breaks his promise to give Vitali a rematch he then states its time to retire even when after the klitchko fight he persued other guys and one not even a HW in the process totally ignoring Manny steward pleading with him to finish off his legacy and not rob the fans or his own career on that note of a questionable fight that was unfinished business?

 

You cant change your mind? By retiring he opened the way for Vitali to challenge for the title again anyway, so he still got another bite of the cherry, Lennox robbed him of nothing.