Vitali vs Lennox: Post fight altercation

Lewis knew he was lucky.

He retired rather than fight again.

 

Such a brutal fight. A modern classic.

 

Its the other guys shredded face you should be looking at. inside half the fight distance, that is.

total incompetence, couldnt manage to even just survive with someone good.

 

I hadn't watched that fight since it happened. Wow, what a dreadful performance skill-wise by both fighters. That is the worst I have ever seen Lennox Lewis look. And, that includes his losses to Rahman and McCall. Clearly Lennox did not show up ready to fight. That being said, he won the fight fair and square. Vitali's face was hamburger. And, that cut came from punches and not a head butt.

 

Vitali took the fight on less than two weeks notice and had a no-name 10 rounder on his schedule. And the fight only happened because Lewis and his company Lion Productions signed to meet Vitali. Vitlai was ready to sue.
Lewis landed a backhand ( illegal ) just before the cut. Fight news says loose tape caused the cut, not a clean punch.

It was a little sloppy, but Vitali made Lewis miss and wasn't at his peak skill wise. He would become better after this fight. Even Lewis himself who was in denial said Vitali was hard to hit.

We all know the details. Vitali was up 4-2 on all cards. Lewis was tired at the end of the 6th. A doctor halted the fight on cuts. We all saw how much energy Vitali had left once he learned the fight was stopped.

The demand was huge for a re-match. Lewis said he would give one several times, but in truth, he tried to make matches with Roy Jones ( who declined ) and Kirk Johnson. Lennox had zero interested in the rematch. It was all talk, or if you prefer a lie. When the WBC order the re-match, Lewis who had given up his other belt to fight someone else besides Chris Byrd had to put up or shut up. The WBC was the last belt he owned. The chips were on the table. the money was up. The boxing world was buzzing.

Lennox knew he was lucky in the first fight, and after Vitali's seeing performances over Sanders and blow out over Kirk Johnson, for the first time in his boxing career became very quiet and suddenly retired.

It's too bad we never saw the re-match. You could say the way it ended raised the stock of both men. Vitali is the best win Lewis has, better than an older Holyfield ( Some felt Holy won the re-match ) or a washed up Tyson. And no one out boxed Lewis except for Vitali.

Since we have seen this thread before I'll save some time and type in the obvious replies from some:

TKO6 on cuts. Okay, but no rematch and a TKO6 on cuts is far better than a KO2 or KO5 loss.

 

It looked like he was asking for a rematch and wanted Lewis to agree to one in front of the cameras but Lewis refused in the moment and it angered him.

 

A 37 year old Lewis, with his record of accomplishment, and having just fended off a young, strong challenger owed the world or his most recent challenger nothing.

Was it Georgie Benton who said, when his losing fighter in the locker room asked to have another chance at his conqueror, "You just had your chance."

 

tape doesnt cut noone.

WHAT CUTS THEM IS BEING INCOMPETENT AT DEFENDING AGAINST AN ATG.

vitali was prime. lewis was worrt ever.

hard to hit apart form his face, I 'm sure you'll agree. Vitalis face does.

then why are you writing them. Becos noone knows them except you.

let me get this straight - lewis opted out, after seeing vitali struggle against a 38 year old retiree who wasnt good enough to challenge lewis when in his prime?

just like every HW champion before him who was 38 or approaching that age. funny that. ACCORDING TO MENDOZA THEY WERE ALL WRONG TO RETIRE.

Its too bad vitali wasnt good enough even slightly to contest a close decision to warrant a rematch.
All it told us was vitali would get wrecked against ATGs.

 

vitali was staggering into lewis all through the last round. he was finished.

But yeh sure Mendoza is interested in energy he has AFTER THE FIGHT.

 

Hahahahaha great posts Herol

 

Vitali gave is a great effort. He's definitely the sort you could go to war with...

But let's not overstate his results in that fight.

 

Look who was pushing who around at the very end of the round.

Lewis was gassed. He crashed down hard on his stool at the close of round six. Lennox was not the type to score later round stoppages.

Max Kellerman who was anything but Vitali Klitschko fan ( he was a detractor ) said he never saw Lewis so tired. He's correct.

Even Teddy Atlas, who hates the Klitschko's gave Vitali his props.

Everyone focuses on the Vitali's cut, okay, but Lewis' face actually had more swelling, his cut was on the nose, not the eyes.

 

And one look at Vitali's destroyed face gives one the impression that Lewis DID deserve to win.