Revisiting Lennox Lewis v Vitali Klitschko (2003)
- Thread starter alonso
- Start date
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2005
- Messages
- 133,661
- Reaction score
- 32,529
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2005
- Messages
- 3,998
- Reaction score
- 3
That fight helped vitalis career more than hurt it..up to that point ppl would refer to him as quitter cause of the Byrd fight I think? Either way this fight showed his heart
GhostBlade
Brown Belt
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2007
- Messages
- 2,782
- Reaction score
- 0
With Lennox out of the picture, the heavyweight division was a free path for Vitali to conquer. I also think the Lennox fight gave Vitali a ton of confidence and he learned a tremendous amount from that experience and gained worldwide fame overnight in the boxing world.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2004
- Messages
- 12,474
- Reaction score
- 2,272
It was a great fight, and a shame they couldn't match up again with full preparation. They came to throw leather and that's what happened. I shake my head every time I think of this fight. It was beautiful and a shame at the same time. If ever a fight screamed rematch, this was it! (Well... Foreman-Ali anyone?) Oh well, solid fight for both guys and a fun one.
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2008
- Messages
- 1,650
- Reaction score
- 0
That may be the only time I've ever heard a call for a rematch of the rumble in the jungle. Am I wrong?
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2004
- Messages
- 12,474
- Reaction score
- 2,272
Well. I ain't that old. But I always wondered why Ali-Frazier happened 3 times and Ali-Foreman once. Experienced fighter outfoxes a hungry unpolished younger one. Younger one learns a lesson, but never gets another shot.
Ali-Foreman
Vitali-Lewis
Ali-Foreman
Vitali-Lewis
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2011
- Messages
- 11,869
- Reaction score
- 5,837
Vitali couldn't beat a fighter that was in essence already retitred and not motivated for the fight. Lewis lost the other 2 fights he didn't take seriously. He Had the early rounds but the stoppage was correct (he need 60 stiches) and lewis was landing the uppercut at will in the last round. Vitali was getting KOd if he ate many more. Both Lewis and Holyfield would've schooled and KOd Wlad in their primes imo. 2 Great fighters where as Wlad is a very smart fighter but ruling a piss poor division; as bad as its ever been
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2012
- Messages
- 2,289
- Reaction score
- 283
Lets get right down the point of what this is really about....as a British man with Jamaican parents who spent his teenage years growing up in Canada, Lennox was never loved by the people of the country where the money was, America.
Fans, commentators and the whole American boxing community in general was always against him and willing him to fail. The politics in boxing in America kept him out of the title picture for a long time whilst he was the best the whole time, but eventually he could not be ignored any longer.
The bias shown against him says everything. Lennox never ducked a man in his life but when he beat Tyson and Holyfield when he eventually was allowed the big fights the 'out of prime' excuses came. When an obviously out of shape, past his prime Lennox Lewis with one foot out the door in to retirement loses a few rounds on his way to stopping the next best boxer out there, the whole country explodes with bias bull shit and commemorators act like complete jack asses. 'Out of prime' doesn't come in to it then.
Lennox has said it himself, he was behind on the scorecards but he wasn't in there to win a decision. He turned Vitali's face in to one of the worst states seen in a boxing ring with three fight ending cuts. If the doctor had let it continue Vitali could have gone blind.
Facts are facts;
He beat every man he ever faced.
He never ducked anyone
He's the last undisputed heavyweight champion of the world
The only tarnish on Lewis' legacy is the sad little pricks that flat out refuse to accept the obvious; he was the greatest heavyweight boxer of his era.
Fans, commentators and the whole American boxing community in general was always against him and willing him to fail. The politics in boxing in America kept him out of the title picture for a long time whilst he was the best the whole time, but eventually he could not be ignored any longer.
The bias shown against him says everything. Lennox never ducked a man in his life but when he beat Tyson and Holyfield when he eventually was allowed the big fights the 'out of prime' excuses came. When an obviously out of shape, past his prime Lennox Lewis with one foot out the door in to retirement loses a few rounds on his way to stopping the next best boxer out there, the whole country explodes with bias bull shit and commemorators act like complete jack asses. 'Out of prime' doesn't come in to it then.
Lennox has said it himself, he was behind on the scorecards but he wasn't in there to win a decision. He turned Vitali's face in to one of the worst states seen in a boxing ring with three fight ending cuts. If the doctor had let it continue Vitali could have gone blind.
Facts are facts;
He beat every man he ever faced.
He never ducked anyone
He's the last undisputed heavyweight champion of the world
The only tarnish on Lewis' legacy is the sad little pricks that flat out refuse to accept the obvious; he was the greatest heavyweight boxer of his era.
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2007
- Messages
- 10,453
- Reaction score
- 166
Ugh...I had a $100 on Vitali at 7-1 in his fight against Lennox.
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2011
- Messages
- 11,869
- Reaction score
- 5,837
Good Post. I'd agree that he was the best HW since a prime Tyson, by a country mile. He was never really accepted by a large section of the british public either, though I was a big big fan. I rinsed my mates who would always bacjk against him, especially in the holyfield/tyson fight (made
You must have low confidence if other people's opinion are bugging you that much. I also highly doubt that you can judge a persons characteristics based on their opinion on boxing / sports.
Mike Tyson WAS way out of his prime, he was further away from his prime than Lennox in 2003.
Holyfield, it's a fact that the Riddick Bowe fights took a lot out of him. I wish him and Lennox would've met earlier. The rematch showed Holyfield's tactical strenghts.
Tactical strengths?????He still got beat handidly! Lennox was just a superior fighter throughout his career.
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2012
- Messages
- 2,289
- Reaction score
- 283
Who said it bugged me so much? It kind of bugs me as a fan of Lennox that people try to deny his legacy...but don't make out I lose sleep over it bro, it's an internet forum and I'm giving an opinion.
I didn't deny Tyson and Holyfield were not past their primes, I'm a fan of both guys also. The points being made were 1. that the same people who harp on about the past the prime argument with those guys ignore it in the case of Vitali vs Lewis because the boots on the other foot 2. Had Lennox been snapped up by Don King in his mid 20s he would have probably have fought Tyson earlier...it's not really his fault boxing politics delayed the fight and kept him down.
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2012
- Messages
- 2,289
- Reaction score
- 283
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2007
- Messages
- 2,354
- Reaction score
- 0
he was 37 at that time, more than a year layoff 2 weeks to prepare and he was winning prior to the stoppage, even floyd mayweather was losing to shane in the second round before he took over, same with the great lennox once he knew how to deal with vitali he was winning deal with it. Lennox showed heart even if he was really wobbly in the second round.
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2011
- Messages
- 11,869
- Reaction score
- 5,837
^ You're way oversimplifying.
Where's your evidence that Lewis' heart wasn't in there? I could also say that Muhammad Ali had no heart throughout his career. But can I prove it? I can only judge what I see, and what I saw was Lewis getting outboxed.
By the way, I usually don't sit in the Klitschko row. When you read this thread, you'll notice that most people are pro-Lewis. So I don't know where that "Lewis hatred, nobody likes him because he's jamaican / british whatever" statement comes from.
Where's your evidence that Lewis' heart wasn't in there? I could also say that Muhammad Ali had no heart throughout his career. But can I prove it? I can only judge what I see, and what I saw was Lewis getting outboxed.
By the way, I usually don't sit in the Klitschko row. When you read this thread, you'll notice that most people are pro-Lewis. So I don't know where that "Lewis hatred, nobody likes him because he's jamaican / british whatever" statement comes from.
Not you again. That's how you typically try to bait someone into an argument.
