A couple of comments he made on HBO PPV the other night made me think he went from the door being definitely shut to probably shut. He is showing signs of caving. His criticism of Vitali has been ridiculous and he has gone to the lengths of training his competitors...and basically saying every one of his opponents will beat him. Then this article from *************.com below.
:)
Boxing: Lewis Itching for Klitschko Reatch
Liverpool Echo - December 13, 2004


FORMER world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis has hinted he could be tempted out of retirement by a mouth-watering rematch with WBC title holder Vitali Klitschko.

Lewis hung up his gloves after a sixth round stoppage win over the Ukrainian in June 2003, when Klitschko was forced to retire on cuts.

But after watching Klitschko demolish Danny Williams in Las Vegas on Saturday night, Lewis admitted he would like to avenge his fellow Briton. "Watching it stirred something inside me, " said Lewis. "I am only nine months from being fully fit and seeing what happened to Danny made me want to step in.

"I wanted to tap him on the shoulder and say 'Sit down, mate, let me take over and finish it for you. Let me show you how it is done'.

"I really felt like jumping in the ring, as when I retired all the B-class fighters like Chris Byrd and Hasim Rahman suddenly became A-class. "Those two may be able to give Klitschko a decent contest. But what he really needs is someone tall and good.

I wonder who that could be, " he said.

Williams, meanwhile, has vowed to carry on boxing in the hope of securing another world title shot.

"I want to continue, " said the former British champion. "Look at Frank Bruno, he lost three times in world title fights and then finally got his title.


(C) 2004 Liverpool Echo. via ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved

He would be a fool if he did.
Comebacks like these usually never end while, you may get the odd exception but its not a good idea. I hope he does comeback and get beat though. Not a fan of his never was never will be.

would he use a warm up fight or just come out swiging? And if he did use a warm up fight who would it be, Tyson, Holyfield, Williams, Byrd?

i dont want to see him back but if he does
i hope he trains long and hard , comes in
motivated..and crushes V-Klit like the
flea that he is.

when he said b-class he should of included
the entie hw division.

theres noone there who lewis cant beat
when hes fighting fit.

just not sure if hed have enough left after
the layoff and his age,
also hes been treating himself like hes
retired.likely to have fattened up.

doubt hell return. hope not too

A couple of comments he made on HBO PPV the other night made me think he went from the door being definitely shut to probably shut. He is showing signs of caving. His criticism of Vitali has been ridiculous and he has gone to the lengths of training his competitors...and basically saying every one of his opponents will beat him. Then this article from *************.com below.
:)
Boxing: Lewis Itching for Klitschko Reatch
Liverpool Echo - December 13, 2004


FORMER world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis has hinted he could be tempted out of retirement by a mouth-watering rematch with WBC title holder Vitali Klitschko.

Lewis hung up his gloves after a sixth round stoppage win over the Ukrainian in June 2003, when Klitschko was forced to retire on cuts.

But after watching Klitschko demolish Danny Williams in Las Vegas on Saturday night, Lewis admitted he would like to avenge his fellow Briton. "Watching it stirred something inside me, " said Lewis. "I am only nine months from being fully fit and seeing what happened to Danny made me want to step in.


"I wanted to tap him on the shoulder and say 'Sit down, mate, let me take over and finish it for you. Let me show you how it is done'.

"I really felt like jumping in the ring, as when I retired all the B-class fighters like Chris Byrd and Hasim Rahman suddenly became A-class. "Those two may be able to give Klitschko a decent contest. But what he really needs is someone tall and good.

I wonder who that could be, " he said.

Williams, meanwhile, has vowed to carry on boxing in the hope of securing another world title shot.

"I want to continue, " said the former British champion. "Look at Frank Bruno, he lost three times in world title fights and then finally got his title.


(C) 2004 Liverpool Echo. via ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved

thats exactly what he would have to do to win. let someone else start the fight so that vit would be tired.

he also said sunday morning......
"I could be ready to fight in nine,10 months," the three-time former champ said Sunday morning. "After watching Klitschko against Danny Williams, I realise that I want to knock this guy out. I was on the verge of doing that when our fight (June 2003) was stopped (in Lewis's favour) on cuts."

yeah right! he tried to tell williams to try for cuts on the superior vitaly so that he could win and that is another thing he would have to do to win. he wasn't on the verge of anything except getting KTFO!

Lewis is all talk. He know he can't comeback. If he does it will take to long for him to get back into the ring and he will go down for sure then. He would have anyway. He's trying to get other guys to fight VK because he doesn't want to because he knows he's going to be eating the canvas. Me I would love to see him comeback to see him go down.

If Lewis really did want to make a comeback, he is still young enough and it is not like he is an old 38.

I think that after Vitaly wins his next fight, perhaps Lewis will come out of retirement and give Vitaly a run for his money before going back to retirement.

If Lewis really did want to make a comeback, he is still young enough and it is not like he is an old 38.

I think that after Vitaly wins his next fight, perhaps Lewis will come out of retirement and give Vitaly a run for his money before going back to retirement.

errr you mean before being put back in retirement by the same guy who put him there the first time. right?

errr you mean before being put back in retirement by the same guy who put him there the first time. right?

What are you so bitter about man? Nothing better to do than hate on the British?

if lewis were to come back, it will have been 2 years since he last fought and he'll be 40 years old.... VK has stayed busy and has been improving during that time....

i like lewis, but lets be realistic, if he came back he'd be in BIG trouble....

Its not a hte thing its just realty.

What are you so bitter about man? Nothing better to do than hate on the British?

actually i love the british. i just don't like lewis. since when does not liking a certain boxer become a bash towards ones country?
if it makes you feel any better i like audley harrison.

You had a dig on another thread about Williams / Eastman too, so I didn't think it was just Lewis. :cool: if you weren't hating on all British fighters.

big pappy is a good lad frank. :cool:
ive had numerous differences of opinion but never a harsh word. :cool:

big pappy is a good lad frank. :cool:
ive had numerous differences of opinion but never a harsh word. :cool:

Fair enough mate. I apologise if I was mistaken Big Pappy. :cool:

I would rather that Lewis not comeback. He was my favorite fighter when he was around, and I'd hate to see him possibly lose in a comeback fight. It's obvious that he hasn't been keeping in shape as he said he was "9 months from being fight fit". I really believe that that will work against him. And besides that, there really is the question of who he's gonna fight as a warm up (it wouldn't be smart to not fight a tune up fight before fighting Vitali again). I wouldn' recommend Tyson, Roach has made him a different fighter than the one that fought Lewis a couple years back. Defeating Holyfield is gonna say NOTHING. It would be interesting to see Lewis comeback though.

You had a dig on another thread about Williams / Eastman too, so I didn't think it was just Lewis. :cool: if you weren't hating on all British fighters.

i think i know the one you are talking about. i'm sorry if you took what i said the wrong way. what i meant was that eastman, if he does well, will become more known and especially with the casual brit fans that don't know who he is now that williams lost to vitaly. not only that but just being able to fight b-hop may boost his status. i think maybe you took that one wrong. :)

i think i know the one you are talking about. i'm sorry if you took what i said the wrong way. what i meant was that eastman, if he does well, will become more known and especially with the casual brit fans that don't know who he is now that williams lost to vitaly. not only that but just being able to fight b-hop may boost his status. i think maybe you took that one wrong. :)

Yeah, that was the one :) No worries man, sorry again.

I would be shocked if LL came back....of all the years he has fought the biggest strength that Lennox possessed was his brain. He is easily the smartest heavyweight champ in the last two decades (might not be saying that much)...had Bowe had Lewis's brain he probably could have milked out a few more years as a champ...

Maybe there is fire still in him...maybe that fire can only come out at ringside while watching the HW championship...it is quite possible that he went home and thought too himself...what the **** did I just say-no way Im comming back or...

There is a good reason why Manny Steward works closely with the Klitchkos and in the next year the game plan against VK will have already been drawn up long in advance.

If Lewis really did want to make a comeback, he is still young enough and it is not like he is an old 38.

I think that after Vitaly wins his next fight, perhaps Lewis will come out of retirement and give Vitaly a run for his money before going back to retirement.

I agree...I would never count Lennox out and if he comes in at his normal weight and takes Vitali seriously then I dont see him having any problem beating him. Just my opinion (and yeah I realize its not the most popular one on this issue :D )

I would rather see Lenny stay retired. I'm a fan of his, but at 40 years old and many Red Stripes later, only bad things can happen. In my opinion, his legacy is secure and has nothing to prove...Let's turn the page on him. He should go down as borderline top ten all time. A very respectable career.

I agree...I would never count Lennox out and if he comes in at his normal weight and takes Vitali seriously then I dont see him having any problem beating him. Just my opinion (and yeah I realize its not the most popular one on this issue :D )


I think Lewis would try to end the fight early. I don't think he wants to take sustainable damage from Vitali. He doesn't want this thing dragging on 8 or 9 rounds. If Lewis failed to get Vitali early and got knocked out in the 6th round or later...I think Lewis would stay down. I don't see him trying to get up at all.

Lewis let himself go too much already. It would take him too long to get back into shape, to do anything significant. There is a difference between a 38yr old fighter and a 40yr old fighter, just ask holyfield.

I think Lewis would try to end the fight early. I don't think he wants to take sustainable damage from Vitali. He doesn't want this thing dragging on 8 or 9 rounds. If Lewis failed to get Vitali early and got knocked out in the 6th round or later...I think Lewis would stay down. I don't see him trying to get up at all.


True, I just hope that it wouldnt go that way. I like Lewis alot and have loads of respect for him..I'd love for him to fight Vitali again (and win) if only for the nay sayers ;)

Lewis isn't dumb enough to come back now. Its all talk.

id love to see lewis come back and beat vitali's ass. vitali brings nothing to the table as hw champ. we need someone like rahman to carry that, someone whos at least an entertaining figure, not just a massive russian who never speaks 2 words

but yea lewis definately shouldnt, he would prob be beat and it would be sad to see lewis go out like that, the same way mike and evander and pretty much bowe did

its good to at least see one that is doing ok and healthy

id love to see lewis come back and beat vitali's ass. vitali brings nothing to the table as hw champ. we need someone like rahman to carry that, someone whos at least an entertaining figure, not just a massive russian who never speaks 2 words

I love the rock too but the problem with him is he always opens his mouth and very rarely backs it up. His performance against Ruiz was dreadful, digusting, disgraceful...Rock is a better talker than he is a fighter. I would rather have it the other way around!

I hop Lennox doesn't comeback because I was happy when he retired as champion at 38. Thats the way it should be.

Lenny will not comeback. He had his chance when they offered him $20000000 but he did not. Do you think he is dumb enought not to understand that 40 years old is too old to fight the baddest man on the planet right now :D

I would be shocked if LL came back....of all the years he has fought the biggest strength that Lennox possessed was his brain. He is easily the smartest heavyweight champ in the last two decades (might not be saying that much)...had Bowe had Lewis's brain he probably could have milked out a few more years as a champ...

Maybe there is fire still in him...maybe that fire can only come out at ringside while watching the HW championship...it is quite possible that he went home and thought too himself...what the **** did I just say-no way Im comming back or...

There is a good reason why Manny Steward works closely with the Klitchkos and in the next year the game plan against VK will have already been drawn up long in advance.


....That's something I may be starting to buy into. The idea of Manny being a kind of plant or double agent. What a great conspiracy theory that makes. Is that Don King peaking from behind the bank depository building? Who is that standing on the grassy knoll BTW?

Dunno about that been true or not but a prime lewis would have kill vitaly IMO.

Vitali is entertaining....I don't know what the heck you are talking about. He doesn't back off and clutch people like Ruiz. He doesn't hit you will little jabs then duck away like Byrd. He has put some serious hurt on his opponents and forced some of them to retire. I think Vitali has more power than you think, and I think he doesn't go for the knockout blow because he has faced heavier, more dangerous opponents, who can take a lot of punishment, like Sanders and Williams. I think had he gone for broke he might have knocked them out earlier, but let's face it, Vitali has won all but one of his 35 fights by KO or TKO. That is what fans want.

there are two different thoughts:

1) if he comes back and loses, or only narrowly wins in unimpressive style then his legacy is tarnished

2) if he wins well then the uncertainty surrounding whether he would have lost to vitali the first time would be eclipsed, and he would be regarded the finest heavyweight of his generation.

on balance i reckon the first is more likely.

why shouldn't he...........earn heaps to fight a hopeless frankenstein........danny williams was right in saying that if klitschko wasn't so tall, he would never have been heard of............and lewis being near his height, would make it an easy pay day..........have you ever seen klitschko throw a three punch "co-ordinated" combination?? of course not..........

lets just hope he returns ...whether he tarnishes his career or not i couldn't care less but that would be one fight i would be dying to see..

i would love to see klitschko/lewis rematch. that fight was very exciting and it would finally shut lewis up. if they did fight a second time and lewis lost would he still have beat evey opponent he faced or what they consider it a loss since lewis would beat klitschko before their second fight?

Yep he is trying to kick vks ass.

Lewis doesnt stand a chance

he will do it.