Was there anything all that controversial about Lewis Vs Vitali?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by lynx_land, Jan 16, 2022.


Did Lewis beat Vitali fair and square in 2003?

  1. Yes

    48 vote(s)
    92.3%
  2. No, Vitali got robbed

    4 vote(s)
    7.7%
  1. lynx_land

    lynx_land New Member banned Full Member

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    People constantly make out that Vitali got robbed, the better man on the night lost etc, but was there really anything amiss?

    It seems like Lewis smashed Vitalis face in to the point that the fight had to be stopped or Vitali was in danger of permanent blindness, that's just the way boxing works isn't it?

    I can understand why people mention the shoulder injury as a mitigatig factor in Vitalis loss to Byrd, I mean it pretty clear who wins that match up 9 times out of ten if the injury doesn't happen, (and I regard Byrd as quite under rated), but I just don't think there are any excuses for the Lewis loss.
     
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  2. Dubblechin

    Dubblechin Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Nothing was amiss.

    Lewis tore the side of his face off. The cuts were caused by punches. The fight was stopped on cuts. Lewis won via TKO.

    It didn't become controversial until Lewis retired. When Vitali didn't get a second shot ... his fans said "he really won" the first fight.

    But he didn't really win it. He was beaten to a bloody pulp.
     
  3. Jennifer Love Hewitt

    Jennifer Love Hewitt Boxing Junkie Full Member

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  4. Limerickbox

    Limerickbox Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Vitali was about 4 punches away from having the entire side of his face fall off.

    So no, perfectly good stoppage.
     
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  5. djanders

    djanders Boxing Addict Full Member

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    There have been many boxing fights almost exactly like that one. Lewis beat him, fair and square. (IMHO, of course.)
     
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  6. Boon

    Boon Boxing Addict banned Full Member

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    An old, completely past prime, out of shape, career high weight of 257lbs and short notice Lennox Lewis beat the brakes of Klitschko. That's all there is to it.

    Lennox Lewis was around 2 month's shy of his 38th birthday.

    Klitschko face was a hot mess by the 6th round. If anyone seriously believes that the fight should have allowed to continue they are nothing but delusional.

    Klitschko had a serious cuts on his eyelid, upper eyelid, just below his eye and on his cheek. His face was like pizza. It took 60 stitches to fix that up.

    Lewis did that to him. TKO all day.

    If a 38 year old fighter decides to retire, then so be it. He earned his dues.
     
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2022
  7. Robney

    Robney ᴻᴼ ᴸᴼᴻᴳᴲᴿ ᴲ۷ᴵᴸ Full Member

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    There wasn't much in the fight, Lewis got a bit lucky in a fight he was losing, but won in a fair way. Lewis tried and succeeded to open the cut more with some grey tactics, but that's basically a thing every fighter would do.

    The controversy was that the promised rematch, for both fans and Vitali, for a smooth transition of the championship never happened.
     
  8. Reg

    Reg Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    I don't think the result is ever argued about. The controversy comes with there not being a rematch.
     
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  9. On The Money

    On The Money Dangerous Journeyman Full Member

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    Except for hitting and holding and deliberate grasing with the glove by Lewis, an inept referee, nah nowt.
     
  10. seansanashee

    seansanashee Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I think Vitali would have gone on to win if the fight continued but possibly at the expense of his career.
     
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  11. jaytxxl

    jaytxxl Well-Known Member Full Member

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    The doctors protected Vitali from himself that night. If you remember he was being labeled as a quitter after the Byrd fight. For that reason there was no way he or his corner would have stopped the fight even with the cut worsening as he felt he had a lot to prove to the US fans.
     
    Last edited: Jan 17, 2022
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  12. Maximus

    Maximus TKO6 Full Member

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    Lewis was pretty much done with his career and had achieved everything possible. Vitali was a young lion that was supposed to topple the champ but he failed, and got his face amputated along the way.

    And don't make me create another video. . .

    This content is protected
     
  13. NoNeck

    NoNeck Pugilist Specialist

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    There was no increased risk of permanent blindness. You made that up. The cut was just really bad looking and messing with Vitali's vision and I think he was swallowing blood.

    Vitali wasn't robbed in the fight, but was robbed of a deserved rematch.
     
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  14. ThatOne

    ThatOne Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Remember in the movie American Gangster when the Thai drug lord told Frank Lucas there's no shame in quitting when you're ahead. Lennox Lewis had nothing left to prove. Lewis was 38 years old. He got to retire with his senses.
     
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  15. Pepsi Dioxide

    Pepsi Dioxide Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    This sums it up well. Lewis won fair and square but it was an exciting, close, competitive fight. I think a lot of people expected a rematch and Lewis seemed open to it at first, then he retired and that was that.

    Its like if there was a really good movie and then you hear about a sequel in the works, everyone's excited for it and then a week before filming it gets cancelled.