Lennox Lewis: "I am not returning to the ring!"
********** Gets It Straight From The Horses Mouth!

By G. Leon

January 23, 2005 - Former undisputed heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis released the following statement to **********.com, "I'd like to address the stories that are circulating in the press regarding my return to the ring. I want to reiterate what I said when I retired in February 2004 that I was fortunate to leave the sport on my own terms and that I will be one of the few heavyweight champions in history to retire on top and stay retired. I boxed professionally for many years and there will always be an attraction to the sport, but I am not returning to the ring. The recent attention given to the possibility of a comeback is flattering and evidences the public's desire for someone to establish a legacy similar to the one I left behind as the true heavyweight champion of the world," said Lewis. Much more to follow. (9:25 PM ET)-**********.net

Wow,all day I have heard hes coming back and just like thats its over. :mad:

all well lewis is a chicken for avoiding vitali

I guess we, boxing fans, got owned again. ****.

Did'nt I just say 21 million pounds is too good to be true?

I'm disappointed but at least he is sticking to his word which is more than we can say about him than most people in the boxing business

all well lewis is a chicken for avoiding vitali
chickening out is out of the question... he said before that it was his last fight and will retire, so it stands that way... i am sorry for vitali cause he won't get his rematch...

Wow,all day I have heard hes coming back and just like thats its over. :mad:

I would wait until the "official" word that the comeback is dead. I find it hard to believe that Lewis would put himself out there like that. To say he wants to fight Klitschko again and needs the money, only to then say the comeback rumors are false is odd. He started the comeback rumors so it only falls on him.

I would wait until the "official" word that the comeback is dead. I find it hard to believe that Lewis would put himself out there like that. To say he wants to fight Klitschko again and needs the money, only to then say the comeback rumors are false is odd. He started the comeback rumors so it only falls on him.
I hope you are right Rick, but something tells me that he aint coming back and just playin us. Also as one of the posters said $40 million just sound surreal.

I would wait until the "official" word that the comeback is dead. I find it hard to believe that Lewis would put himself out there like that. To say he wants to fight Klitschko again and needs the money, only to then say the comeback rumors are false is odd. He started the comeback rumors so it only falls on him.
The paper that apparently "broke" the story was a paper called the Daily Mirror which is a Tabloid paper in England. I would be more likely to believe **********s website than that particular publication.

The paper that apparently "broke" the story was a paper called the Daily Mirror which is a Tabloid paper in England. I would be more likely to believe **********s website than that particular publication.

A tabloid paper with obviously a lot of pull as every single news outlet reported their story, including Fox, ESPN, CBS, AP, Reuters and thousands of others.

A tabloid paper with obviously a lot of pull as every single news outlet reported their story, including Fox, ESPN, CBS, AP, Reuters and thousands of others.

just like the tyson story last week, no-one can confirm that either. I've heard he hasn't been to McGirts gym?

He'll be back. Mark my word on it. THey all do. Sure there is the exception like Hagler, and Marciano, but the smart money is on the return. I've watched boxing for many years, there is an old saying, boxers don't retire, they just kind of fade away. Trust me , he WILL be back.

I'm disappointed but at least he is sticking to his word which is more than we can say about him than most people in the boxing business

no matter what he does he'll be sticking to his word..
-if he comes back, he's sticking to it when he told VK he would give him the rematch..
-if he doesn't, he'll be sticking to it when he said he was done..
:D

I would wait until the "official" word that the comeback is dead. I find it hard to believe that Lewis would put himself out there like that. To say he wants to fight Klitschko again and needs the money, only to then say the comeback rumors are false is odd. He started the comeback rumors so it only falls on him.


I'm tellin you!!! It's like they're toying with VK and trying to test his mentality..

"..your dreams are true, no they're not, yes they are, no they're not... now GO GET IN THERE and Fight Rahman!! "

:p

He should shut his mouth instead of fooling everyone. That's very unprofessional of a person like Lennox Lewis.

just like the tyson story last week, no-one can confirm that either. I've heard he hasn't been to McGirts gym?


On espn2 during the Eteinne fight, they had confirmed Mike was working out at Mcgirts gym and was even training with Clifford. But who knows how reliable that one is though.

Lennox wont come back, his retirement was formal and the tabloids over here are always coming out with stuff like that. We have heard the prince naseem is coming back about ten times over the last couple of years.

Lennox is not a chicken and anyone who says he is clearly knows nothing about his career, he is on e of the few fighters that avoided noone at any stage. He fought fighters that at the time were thought to be dangerous (tua, grant, klitshko, ruddock, akinwande, golota) at times when other fighters like holyfield would not. In fact i remember reading in magazines like the ring and ko before the tua and grant fights predicting that he was about to lose!

he would be stupid 2 make a comeback, he know that, he dont need the money its a wise choice not to go back in and mess up his reputation its not necessary

heres in quote
''I'm making a comeback later this year. The money is up to 21 million pounds ($39.3 million US) right now and I simply can't turn that much cash down."

now hes not coming back??? good for him, stupid ungrateful bastard

A very wise decision indeed! :)

Although his permanent retirement is a tremendous loss to boxing. :( Now we're left with the likes of Ruiz and Byrd. I don't think there's anybody in the HW roster who's capable to inject new life and excitement to HW boxing, not even Vitaly I think. :o

Good thing we have a lot of explosive, colorful and exciting boxers in the lesser weight divisions to keep boxing alive and kicking! :)

lennox lewis is wetawded if he comes back. his legacy has already been made. he will never really be regarded as one of the top best ever heavyweight champs but as a very good champ. his career will be remembered by most as the guy that wanted so badly to retire undefeted that he wouldn't keep his promise for a rematch to a guy who gave him a beating but lost due to a cut. so if he comes back now and gets his ass whooped again but this time loses then it only solidifies that vitaly was truely better. the smart man would stay retired and settle for being a chicken **** instead of a loser. at least if your lennox lewis.

Lennox got KTFO twice by mediocre journeymen. He promised Vitali a rematch and then (wisely) thought better of it. It will come down to 2 points of consideration. 1. Is the money too good to turn down even if it means taking a humiliating assbeating. 2. Does he really believe he can defeat Vitali and silence the critics.

If he truly believes he can beat klit he will be back. He'd solidify his legacy, silence the critics and make a fortune at the same time. If he doesn't think he can beat him then it will come down to how bad he needs the money and how important retiring the Champ are to him.

This flip-flopping leads me to believe that he doubts he can beat Vitali in a rematch.

LL should just keep retired its no use to come back, we will never ever see him in top form again, his age and layoff are the nails in the coffin if he comes back ...

chickening out is out of the question... he said before that it was his last fight and will retire, so it stands that way... i am sorry for vitali cause he won't get his rematch...

He also promised a rematch.

I just wish LL could stop the bull****, its mean to say he`s coming back whe he aint, i was so happy yesterday and im so happy today.

I just wish LL could stop the bull****, its mean to say he`s coming back whe he aint, i was so happy yesterday and im so happy today.



IF EVEN LEWIS COMES BACK TO FIGHT HE WILL KNOCKEDOUT A REPEAT OF RAHMAN-LEWIS 1. LEWIS IS GOING TO GET HURT IF HE FIGHTS VITALI

yeah cos his face was to cut to **** when he last fought him wasnt it.

kinell ive never read such biased tosh in my life.
its no walkover for vitali.
Not that i think lewis will return.

Lets get this straight a prime lennox lewis deals with Vitali inside 4.

Get some perspective people.

yeah cos his face was to cut to **** when he last fought him wasnt it.

kinell ive never read such biased tosh in my life.
its no walkover for vitali.
Not that i think lewis will return.

Lets get this straight a prime lennox lewis deals with Vitali inside 4.

Get some perspective people.


LEWIS VITALI I GUARNTEE YOU THAT LEWIS WILL GET KO'ED, AND ALSO HE WILL GET HURT LEWIS WILL NOT BECOME ON TOP AGAIN SOON SO U CAN FORGET IT LEWIS FAN, LOL IM A TYSON GOLOTA AND VITALI FAN

whatever mate, thanks very much for your insightful and analytical prose on the subject.

whatever mate, thanks very much for your insightful and analytical prose on the subject.

Thought you were gonna get sucked in then mate :D

NAH MATE ITS TOO BORING FOR WORDS.
i mean if i read another Pacman is the greatest featheweight of all time or Vitali will kill lennox lewis and did so in the first match if it werent for the rules and the fact his face looked like a jam rag during off games week, im gonna ****ing puke. :D :D

NAH MATE ITS TOO BORING FOR WORDS.
i mean if i read another Pacman is the greatest featheweight of all time or Vitali will kill lennox lewis and did so in the first match if it werent for the rules and the fact his face looked like a jam rag during off games week, im gonna ****ing puke. :D :D

LOL! I know what you mean though :D

yeah cos his face was to cut to **** when he last fought him wasnt it.

kinell ive never read such biased tosh in my life.
its no walkover for vitali.
Not that i think lewis will return.

Lets get this straight a prime lennox lewis deals with Vitali inside 4.

Get some perspective people.

It wouldn't be a prime Lewis mate. It'd be a 265 lbs, 40 year old, shell of his former self Lewis.

It was Lewis himself who announced and then quickly un-announced his retirement.It's easy to lip off about beating Vitali but when he actually thought about getting hit by Dr Ironfist he had a change of heart.You can call this fight either way but one thing for sure it would be a hard fought fight with some thunderous blows dealt out and Lewis has always done everything to avoid situations like that.

Its Just A Rumor Liwis Is Not Coming Back

Im not sure lets not jump the gun i think this is all for hype. I would still bet he comes back some time this year. We will see.

'who ate all the pies?.... Lenox Lewis, Lenox Lewis!!! '

:rolleyes:

There are too many rumors out there regarding his come-back. Just last night I read an article on this site that quoted Lewis as saying that the money was just too good to pass up. Now I read that he is not returning. Man! who writes this crap? Someone needs to check the facts before posting their story!

Hmmm, it seems that he's said both he is and isnt coming back simulatenously, which seems odd to me.
He was reputed as saying to the daily mail this morning something about 20million being too much money to resist, so he's returning to boxing.

Probably more than likely the Lennox returning article was a hoax and caused him to restate his commitment to not getting the **** beat out of him by Vitali.

That's just LL's way of staying in the spotlight without fighting, he can't stand not being the center of attention.

NO matter how you put it,.... . Out of shape, not focused, too old, no money in the fight, no buts in the seats, lost his lucky rabbits foot. It doesn't matter to me.

He's not coming out of retirement, He's not that stupid. If he truly believed he could win a rematch with Vitali, he would do it. He said himself he wants to retire a Champion. If he thought a rematch with Vitali might result in retiring a non champion, he wouldn't do it. So he would rather hang his fans out to dry and leave them to stick up for him and his legacy. If you read between the lines, he knows he "escaped" with a win against Klitschko. A rematch would probably result in a loss.

I will always remember Lewis as the champion that disrespected the spirit of the heavyweight championship by giving up the IBF and WBA belts to avoid Byrd and Ruiz. Ultimately escaping into retirement like a coward rather than answering the obvious questions he left in the ring in his fight with Vitali.

IMO - It's Lewis that needs the rematch

Lennox got KTFO twice by mediocre journeymen. He promised Vitali a rematch and then (wisely) thought better of it. It will come down to 2 points of consideration. 1. Is the money too good to turn down even if it means taking a humiliating assbeating. 2. Does he really believe he can defeat Vitali and silence the critics.

If he truly believes he can beat klit he will be back. He'd solidify his legacy, silence the critics and make a fortune at the same time. If he doesn't think he can beat him then it will come down to how bad he needs the money and how important retiring the Champ are to him.

This flip-flopping leads me to believe that he doubts he can beat Vitali in a rematch.


well said, he probly wont come back