Would Vitali have beaten Lewis if he didn't get cut?

You will never get a concensus on this but my opinion is that without cuts it goes all 12 rounds and vitali edges a decision.

The way the fight went though They couldn't let it keep going those cuts were awful. And Lewis would have been more dangerous in a rematch as he always was.

It's a shame vitali had a bit of bad luck a few times in his career as I loved his fights.

 

Quite possible though Lennox was coming on strong,like watching two immortals that fight both taking big shots,sheer will on Lennox part but it does show a gulf in class imo when that unprepared,out of shape Lennox puts some of these modern guys like Joshua to shame in re to stamina.
AJ usually gasses or used to against Whyte ect and it’s just viewed as something normal with him whereas Lennox who didn’t prepare properly or perhaps take Vitali seriously he was going stronger than a fully prepared AJ with all the muscle.
Different era I guess but I would rate Lennox and Vitali above the modern lot like Wilder,AJ and Fury and don’t get me started on Baby Cheeseburger Miller lol.

 

Horrible weren’t they,couldn’t at the time and still have a hard time with the thought that boxing gloves can do this,they were ruled to be from punches weren’t they?

 

Vitali was cruising to an easy KO win.

The cut was lucky, Lewis only landed one good punch OFF A CLINCH the whole fight. Vitali almost KO'd him in round 2. By round 6, Vitali was up 4-2 on all the cards. Lewis would have had to have won 5 of the next 6 rounds against Vitali to get the win. Impossible. Why? Lewis SLUMPED down on his stool after the 6th, and IMO with the way the fight was going he was going to get finished off in either the 7th or 8th.

Lewis then ducked a career payday in terms of a rematch and retired. There's a reason: he was psychologically broken down by Vitali. Lewis knows that 10 out of 10 times he loses against Vitali, unless he gets a lucky cuts victory.

Vitali has never been KO'd or lost a decision, he has only lost by injury. Lewis has been knocked out twice in his career. Vitali has always been the superior H2H fighter.

 

TKO6.

That will NEVER EVER EVER EVER be changed.

 

Ages since I seen it but Lennox didn’t just land one lucky punch,that’s ridiculous as Lennox had one of the best jabs around.

 

RIR37

That will NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER be changed.

And to answer the OP’s question, yes Vitali needed one or two more sharp 1-2’s after Lewis spent himself after the 6th collapsing on his stool. Lol There is a reason why ‘Da Lion’ never... EVER, EVER, EVER seriously considered a rematch with Vitali. WHICH HE PROMISED Instead he ran into retirement at 37 (RIR37)

I thought Lewis “Aged like fine wine. No guy test.” 37 is kinda young ain’t it?!

 

LOL, which cut....

The one in the mouth.....or the one on the lip.....or the one underneath the eye......or the one above the eye.

To be fair, the one above the eye was the worst and he essentially fought one eyed because he could not see the incoming from the damaged one.

Anyway, VK shot his wad in the first couple of rounds and could not get it done despite Lemmie having a borderline glass chin, I guess its strong enough to take VK's arm punches.

The longer the fight went , the more damage the more experienced Lewis did to VK and he was not eating too many of those nasty uppercuts, great chin or not.

It exposed VK as a strict one two arm puncher with zero inside game , rough house tactics or clinching skills......in essence Lemmie carved him up worse than a Thanksgiving Turkey.

However, I agree Lemmie should have taken the rematch in shape and put VK out of his misery but in refusing so VK "won" the event but lost the match.....TK06.

 

Vitali was a gentleman and a scholar, a true Renaissance man. Even competes against world champion Chess players. Has a PHd, great man, great influence, too bad Putin is kicking his arse geopolitically.

 

Too hard to call really, Lewis was warming into the fight so it'd be reasonable to say that he'd have taken over, but at the same time, both were dead tired so it'd probably go down to who's the tougher guy.

 

Pretty much how I remember it but you’re selling Vitali short against arguably one of the best HWs of all time.
Nasty cuts aside he was still at risk of being stopped via taking too much head trauma,good job imo that it was stopped as I’m right for seeing brain damage.

 

Vitali getting cut and stopped was the best thing that ever happened to him. Vitali had no answer for Lennox's uppercut, which would've had Vitali on his back in another round or two.

 

Brutal those uppercuts from both actually,who else could of taken those?

 

Vatali would have been TKO in the late round if he didn't get cut.