LL was on the verge of stopping him in the 5th & 6th. Possibly it could have went to the 8th but that's stretching it
vitali had good chin, he would have lasted longer than 8. but he would be swimming in his own blood all the way, no way can he cope with lewis arsenal. lewis hits him at will, and vitali does his best wlad impression for the rest of the fight, running, clinching and floundering.
Are you sure that Lewis would have been able to get up from his stool for the 7th round? Looked to tired to stand on his feet to me.
Probably another 2 maybe 3 rounds at most. Lewis had Vitali hurt at the end of the 6th and had him holding on desperately. Lewis shots were grinding down Vitali, while Vitali's shots were no longer having the same effect.
No he didn't, Lewis only won rounds 3 and 6. I think what Lewis and Steward said after the fight was correct, Vitali was deteriorating and he would have gone down in a round or 2. Nobody can question Lewis' heart or chin after this fight.
You'd be wrong. There was no KO looming for Lennox that evening. The fight unfolds as follows. Round 7/8 25 % chance Lennox gets stopped. 75 % chance that blood for Vitali's eye reaches the sixth row each time Lennox connects. Round 9/10 (If the doc has foolisly not stopped the bout) 5 % chance Lennox gets KOd 95 % chance that Vitali's eye falls out. Thinking it's his mouthpiece, the ref retrieves it from the canvas, recoils in horror and passes out. Wlad throws in the towel. But seriously folks... A good stoppage. TKO 6
Out of the two I'd think it would of been Lewis who looked to be the one who was going to be stopped. Vitali had taken the best that Lewis could throw at him and Vitali was the stronger man in there imo. Lewis showed character in there that night, something the yanks didn't think he had, but he was lucky to come out the winner.