Surely I can't be the only one who saw Lewis winning that fight comfortably before the stoppage?
Just finished watching it again, Lewis was taxing Vitali's ass at times and landing the heavier shots by far. Besides the early scare I nearly scored every round to him.
You're not the only one, I had Lewis comfortably ahead.
It was close in most rounds. Klit had LL hurt in the second; Lewis had Vitali almost out on his feet and holding on to stay up and the end of six. Lots of nasty hammers in between.
Personally I felt Vitali was winning 4-2, *however*, Lewis would have KOd him or got the TKO in the next two rounds. The cut was just too bad to continue.
Yes but didnt vitali land more? So why didnt rhino skinned LL get cut? I just answered it. He has tough skin. So the difference between the two was the tougher skin of LL.
But Vitali did say LL was the strongest fighter he faced and he wasnt talking about how strong his skin was!
It's a boxers job to protect themselves at all times right?
It's Vitali's own fault for not protecting his face, you can't blame the skin of the fighter.
For example, don't know how long you've followed boxing but Vito Antuofermo was a very good fighter but notorious for getting cut ALOT (so much so that he had an operation to file down his bone to stop from getting cuts) would you say that he would have beaten Hagler (the first time) and Alan Minter if he didn't get cut? You cannot just make a assumption like that. 'The only reason he lost to Minter and drew to Hagler was because of bad skin'
What a silly assumption to make.
THE TRUTH
Vitali took the fight on just 10 days notice.
Vitali was clearly winning the fight 4-2 on all 3 scorecards at the time of the controversial doctor stoppage. Lewis was badly hurt and was staggering around the ring like a drunk, he barely survived the 2nd round. Lewis was getting outboxed, outworked, outlanded and was hurt several times in the fight.
punches landed
Vitali 156
Lewis 102
Lewis was exhausted, worn down and hurt from the accumulation of punches and was ready to get KTFO again, he collapsed onto his stool at the end of the 6th round, Vitali was the fresher of the two, he was a man on a mission and would've KO'd Lewis for sure if the fight had continued.
All the fans at Staples Center cheered for Vitali and booed Lewis after the fight.
Lewis promised Vitali a rematch.
Vitali destroyed Kirk Johnson in 2 rounds and called out Lewis again in the post fight interview. The scared Lewis retired shortly after that fight.
Lewis turned down 30 million dollars for a rematch and retired like a coward because he knew he would get destroyed by Vitali.
Vitali dominated Lewis and scared him into retirement.
http://i34.tinypic.com/izb4on.gif
Vitali was preparing for a fight before Lewis called him up and Lewis was preparing for a fight himself. Lewis was also past prime and came in very heavy (by his standards)
4-2 isn't domination.
And the fact Lewis landed a punch to cause the cut means it's a legit victory.
Vitali was winning the fight but he was taking big punches doing it and he was hurt for as far as I have seen the first time in his career when Lewis landed the uppercut.
Yes but didnt vitali land more? So why didnt rhino skinned LL get cut? I just answered it. He has tough skin. So the difference between the two was the tougher skin of LL.
But Vitali did say LL was the strongest fighter he faced and he wasnt talking about how strong his skin was!
The difference between the two is skill level, and Lennox's is a lot higher. This is what I learned from the fight...
1. It was Vitali at his Best. Fastest, and strongest. Vitali was too green when he quit against Byrd in 2000 and a bit over the hill against #20 ranked sosnoski and Kevin Johnson in 2010. 2003 was clearly Vitali in his prime...
2. Lennox was the oldest, fattest and slowest of his career. Watch the 1997 Lennox who destroyed Golota in 1 round if you want to see how a Prime LL executed an attack. 2003 was clearly Lennox past his best.
The fact that a shell of the former era can edge out a victory against a PRIME of the next era, shows me that the former era was superior.
vitali fought great but his eye was getting smashed in.
i would rather see them stop that fight then to have never gotten to see him fight again. because of permenant damage.
Um, that's because Lennox was punching him back.
Yes but didnt vitali land more? So why didnt rhino skinned LL get cut? I just answered it. He has tough skin. So the difference between the two was the tougher skin of LL.
But Vitali did say LL was the strongest fighter he faced and he wasnt talking about how strong his skin was!
But what i continually find strange is that Vitali was puncing LL and its Vitali who gets cut. I just think there is a bit of injustice there.
Um, that's because Lennox was punching him back.
When all is said and done, a PRIME Vitali couldn't deal with an OLD AND SHOT Lennox.
The fight was stopped to preserve the health of Vitali.
Who gives a shit what the scorecards say, in my book it's a FIGHT, and Vitali couldn't carry on because he'd taken too much damage.
Of all the "facts" and "opinions" in this thread, the only one that matters is who won the fight, and that was Lennox Lewis CBE.
I cant really remember who looked like they were winning the fight as i saw it on youtube ages ago.
But the thing is LL won, and to go out of boxing on a win, LL did something special.
But what i continually find strange is that Vitali was puncing LL and its Vitali who gets cut. I just think there is a bit of injustice there.
Point is
A 37 year old fat lennox lewis made viatli quit
A feather fisted chris byrd made vitali quit
A bum like Rahman made vitali quit boxing
That has nothing to do with this fight.
Fact is you think Vitali's preparations is identical regardless of opponents.
You are a massive failure.